Vigo

Vigo is a city of almost 295,000 people (2018) in Galicia, Spain. It has some Roman ruins and Romanesque churches.

Understand
Vigo is not only one of the major industrial cities in Galicia, but it is also one of the more important Roman centres of Pontevedra. Although within the city you will not find much Romanesque architecture, it can be seen a few kilometers away from the city centre. A large number of Roman ruins remain in many of the municipality's neighbourhoods and parishes. Such is the importance of the Roman remains in Vigo that many Spanish authors have come to coin the term románico vigués (Vigo-style Romanesque). Vigo retains some interesting examples of Romanesque churches in southern Galicia: Santa María de Castrelos, Santiago de Bembrive, and San Salvador de Coruxo.

Vigo was a 1960s boom town after Franco's government gave this city a free-trade zone in 1947 and a Development Pole in 1964. Vigo is one of the region's primary economic agents, owing in part to the French Citroën automotive factory and to the Port of Vigo.

The Galician language (Gallego), Portuguese, and Castilian (Spanish) are all spoken in Vigo.

Climate
Vigo is the rainiest city in Galicia. Compared to many other Galician towns, Vigo and Pontevedra experience warmer summer temperatures than A Coruña or Santiago de Compostela and milder winters than inland areas.

By plane


You could also fly into Santiago, or to Porto which has a shuttle bus to Vigo.

By train
There is direct train from Porto (Portugal) twice a day (€14, 3 hr) and to several other Spanish cities - Santiago de Compostela (hourly, 1½ hr, €9), Madrid (twice a day, €50), Bilbao (one per day, €48), Pontevedra (several times a day, €3, 30 min)

By car
Distances to Vigo: Madrid 590 km, A Coruna 156 km, Ourense 100 km, Pontevedra 27 km

By sea
Local ferries sail from Cangas and Moaña across the gulf.

See
An industrial and recent city, Vigo has few remarkable old buildings but is home to a collegiate church and a few museums, most of which were inaugurated between the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Do

 * Stroll down the main port and savour the impressive variety of local seafood.


 * Football: Celta Vigo play soccer in La Liga, Spain's top tier. Their Balaídos stadium (capacity 29,000) is 2 km southwest of the old centre.

In the city centre
There are a lot of budget-friendly restaurants in the city center.



Drink
Queimada is an alcoholic beverage of Galician tradition.

Queimada's characteristic blue fire. Queimada has origins in the Pagan festivals of Galicia. It is a punch made from Galician aguardiente (Orujo Gallego) - a spirit distilled from wine and flavoured with herbs or coffee, plus sugar, lemon peel, coffee beans and cinnamon.

Traditionally while preparing the punch a spell or incantation is recited, so that special powers are conferred to the queimada and those drinking it. Then the queimada is set alight, and slowly burns as more brandy is added.

Sleep
Accommodation is very easy to find, there are a lot of hotels, pensiones and hostales (B&B) all around the city, mostly in the city centre or near (the previous) train station.

Connect
Vigo has 5G from all Spanish carriers.

Go next

 * Pontevedra has a well-preserved old city.
 * Cangas do Morrazo is its beach resort, on the peninsula north of Vigo.
 * Santiago de Compostela is a must-see cathedral city. You don't have to hike there wearing a scallop.
 * Tui is a pleasant hilltop town overlooking the border.
 * Minho is the first province you reach south of the border in Portugal - remember to adjust your watch.