Discover Vilagarcia De Arousa: Camino de Santiago, Beaches and Culture

The Ruta del Padre Sarmiento crosses Vilagarcía de Arousa as a stage of a coastal Camino de Santiago route: the route begins in Pontevedra, leads to Padrón and connects there with the Portuguese Way to Compostela.

You can find more places on this destination level under San Bieito, Vilavella, Baiona, Cambados, Silleda, Ramil, O Meixoeiro and Eidián.

Culture and History

The Ruta Histórica leads through the streets and squares of Vilagarcía de Arousa and includes archaeological remains, a pazo, a monastery and a church classified as a national monument.

The Castro de Alobre is considered one of the most significant archaeological sites in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula.

MUFEVI is housed in the former railway station, which in 1873 became the terminus of Galicia's first railway line, the Cornes–Carril line.

Scale models and interactive games convey the railway heritage at MUFEVI.

The garden of the Pazo de Rubianes features a geometric, maze-like design with a particular focus on camellias and received the Camelia de Oro and Camelia de Plata awards at several competitions of the International Exhibition Fair.

The Ruta Fluvial Xacobea del Mar de Arousa y Río Ulla was founded in Vilagarcía de Arousa; the route, which passes by the Torres de Oeste, can be followed by catamaran.

The patron saint festivities of Vilagarcía de Arousa were recognised as Festivals of National Tourist Interest in 2006.

Shellfish Culture and Festivals

The Ruta de marisqueo in Carril allows visitors to collect clams and cockles together with local shellfish gatherers; they learn about harvesting methods and the marketing process.

The La Almeja de Carril celebration includes a public tasting of thousands of portions of clams in marinade sauce, accompanied by Albariño from a local winery.

The Fiesta del Agua in Vilagarcía de Arousa takes place every year on 16 August.

Nature and Beaches

As there is no regular daily transport to Cortegada, organised visits by shipping companies are offered mainly from Vilagarcía de Arousa and Carril.

On Cortegada, there is a self-guided circular route entitled “Un paseo por Cortegada: la medicina del mar”, which conveys the island's natural and cultural diversity.

Playa de O Campanario-Bamio is located at the mouth of the Ulla River and is a quiet beach with a distinctive, river-influenced landscape into which seawater enters; it lies on the boundary between the municipalities of Vilagarcía de Arousa and Catoira.

Playa Compostela is an urban beach bordered by Carril at one end and connected to Playa de A Concha at the other; together, the two form a sandy beach more than 3 kilometres long.

Playa de A Concha has a long bathing tradition connected with the former La Concha de Arousa spa, which operated from 1886 until the 1960s.

Playa de O Preguntoiro is a crescent-shaped sandy beach with moderate waves, sheltered from the winds.

The gardens, estate grounds and woodland areas of Rubiáns cover a total of 40 hectares.

Getting There

Vilagarcía de Arousa is connected to Galicia's most frequently used railway line, which links A Coruña and Vigo.

For the higher-level travel overview: Pontevedra.