Mancomunidad Vigo

Atlantic Islands is the only national park in Galicia. It is made up of the Cíes, Ons, Sálvora and Cortegada archipelagos. The Cíes Islands form part of the Atlantic Lands. It could be said that the Cíes were the embryo of this national park. Located at the mouth of Vigo Bay, they form a natural defence against storms, a bulwark that ships seeking refuge in the bay’s waters are grateful for, given that they stop the great waves formed by the Atlantic winds from entering the bay. Cíes is an archipelago made up of three islands of which two can be visited by the local ferry boat: Monteagudo or the North Isle and Santo Estevo (St. Stephen) the Middle Isle, also called the Lighthouse Isle. The third is San Martiño or the South Isle. Together they cover 433 hectares, including the rocks and rocky areas, such as Boeiro, Garabelos and O Ruzo, that are dotted around the area. There are eight beaches, all on the eastern coast; the gentlest of which is the one facing Vigo. Together they are one of the main attractions in the park for tourists. But they are not the only one. We should not overlook the paths that run from north to south over the two islands that can be visited, or the way up to the lighthouse. And above all, they have great ecological value. The Islands and the waters that surround them are a natural paradise, with over 250 species, of which some are endemic, that are the basis for an ecosystem made up of insects, reptiles, small mammals, fish and birds.