Although Vigo is now the largest city in Galicia, home to some 300,000 people, Baiona, closer to the mouth of the ría, was the principal port hereabouts until the nineteenth century. Then the railways arrived, and Vigo became the first Galego town to industrialize, with the opening of several sardine canneries. It’s now Spain’s chief fishing port, with wharves and quays stretching almost 5km along the shore.
Pride of place in the middle still belongs to the passenger port, where generations of Galego emigrants embarked for the Americas. These days, cruise passengers mingle with tourists arriving at the Estación Marítima de Ría off the Cangas ferry, then set off to explore the steep, cobbled streets that climb into the old city, known as O Berbés and crammed with shops, bars, and restaurants.
Along the seafront early in the morning, kiosks revive fishermen with strong coffee, while nearby in the lively daily market hall, the Mercado da Pedra, their catch is sold. Immediately below, on the aptly named Rúa da Pescadería, women set out plates of fresh oysters on permanent granite tables to tempt passers-by. On Rúa Carral, shops sell kitsch marine souvenirs. 13-day Spain trips can let Vigo keep its working-port edge, adding ferries, oysters, markets, emigrant history, and steep old-city streets to a Galician route that might otherwise lean too heavily on prettier coastal towns.
