What to do in Pontevedra

Pontevedra is Galicia's most indented province: the Vigo and Pontevedra estuaries create dozens of kilometres of sheltered water where sea kayaking finds near-ideal conditions for most of the year. The water temperature, moderated by Atlantic currents and the estuary's geometry, allows double or solo kayak outings from jetties in the coastal villages themselves, on routes that skirt mussel rafts and end at beaches hard to reach by land. At the mouth of the Vigo estuary, the Cíes Islands form the most visited Atlantic archipelago in northern Spain, with white-sand shallows and seagrass meadows suitable for diving and snorkelling. The A Lanzada coast, between O Grove and Corrubedo Natural Park, receives westerly swell with a consistency that makes this strip one of Galicia's most reliable surf spots. The bar breaks over a sandy bottom, the dominant north winds in summer produce 1-2 m waves in good weather, and the density of local surf schools means easy access from any point in the area. The Portuguese Coastal Way runs exactly along this coastal strip, allowing you to combine the pilgrimage with surf or kayak days without changing accommodation. Inland, the Xallas canyon and the rivers descending from the Galician Dorsal ridges concentrate some of Galicia's most complete canyoning descents, with water sections and abseils. Ons island, reachable by ferry from Sanxenxo and Portonovo, has clifftop trails with views toward the Cíes that can be walked in half a day.