Cies Islands Travel Guide

The Cíes Islands are one of the main tourist attractions in the south of Galicia. They were declared a Natural Reserve in 1980 and part of "The Archipelago Atlantic Islands National Park" in 2002. The archipelago, situated at the mouth of the Ria of Vigo, is formed by three main islands: Monteagudo, Monte Faro and San Martiño, along with small islets such as Agoeira, Viños, Carabelos and O Ruzo. In addition to its beaches, the other main attraction of the Cíes (which have their own microclimate) is its cliffs and the so-called beehives and cacholas –round cavities produced in the surface of the rocks that end up merging together, giving rise to large hollows such as those of La Campana and the Alto del Príncipe. A similar process gives rise to pías (holes) in horizontal surfaces and fiurnas (caverns), of which there are 18 in the islands. The first human settlement (Celtic) of which we have proof is the “castro” (fortified settlement) on the slope of Monte Faro, which dates from the beginning of the Iron Age. The Romans also made mention of the Cíes and settled there, as shown by ceramics, tiles and references by Strabon, Pliny or Ptolemy. In the Middle Ages the islands were visited by Normans and in the 11th century the first communities of Benedictine hermits appeared. In the 16th century the corsair Drake and Berber pirates landed on the Cíes Isles. The continuous invasions lead to the abandonment of the islands from 1700 to the 19th century, when the first lighthouse was built. A Norwegian whaling factory was located on the islands during the second half of the 20th century. Nowadays, only game wardens and a native remain on the island throughout the year.