O Val Miñor: the last Galician stronghold where tourism has not yet managed to reach
If you can get to the Val Minor You won't want to go back. Sea and mountains in a single environment that you can pair with the best raw materials from the Rias Baixas , what are you waiting for?
We already knew that **Galicia was a paradise (especially in summer)**, but, like all holiday destinations, it is full of tourists. To avoid it, you don't have to go off the radar; You just have to drive to where the road ends. estuary of Vigo to meet him Val Miñor, a slightly less busy area, but just as recommendable.
Views towards Toralla from the Vao beach, in Vigo
**Archaeological remains, cycle routes, large beaches (and secret coves)** await you here, as well as the possibility of hiking. And as an extra, you can admire the ** Cíes Islands ** and in the foreground Ace Stelae , an archipelago of exceptional beauty, which protects the cove of ** Baiona ** from the open sea.
But we will not lie to you: knowing your routes is not easy ; the good part is that you get where you get with the car, it will be worth it.
For beaches and walks with sea views you can choose between Baiona and Nigran , but if what you are looking for is to escape from the summer crowd that fills the sandbanks, O Val Miñor offers you another possibility that is in gondomar , its third municipality and fluvial vertex. Hiking trails, mountains, archaeological remains and, of course!, places that offer the best of **Galician gastronomy, a fusion of sea and land, such as the Catro Camiños **.
Estelas Islands seen from Baiona
Take the car and go 17 kilometers and you will reach where the Miñor river is born , in the lost forests of Gondomar , where there are multiple river walks. Away from the stifling heat of the coast you can walk under the shade of the mountains through which the innumerable rivers of the area pass.
And if you like to get tired, here you will be in your sauce . They highlight the Donuts and San Cipriano routes , ending in a beautiful waterfall. In the Couso parish , you will find a path with ethnographic heritage, the route of the mills that decorate the Matalagartos and Couso rivers . Enjoy alone these paths through the most rural Val Miñor and enxere .
The dense forests of Gondomar
GASTRONOMY
If you like to go out for tapas, and you prefer the elegant and stately, here is ** Baiona ,** a town that you can discover walking through its narrow cobbled streets, full of restaurants and tapas bars under arcades; charming hotels and churches with an important artistic and cultural heritage.
All you have to do is wander around to try delicious (and abundant) tapas in places like The Fountain or La Boqueria, which has a very attractive terrace, where you can enjoy a pleasant evening.
The Pazo Mendoza restaurant
For special and trendy bars are ** La Micro ** –craft brewery with an alternative menu– and the crepe . If you are more classic and prefer the traditional gastronomy, Place the restaurants ** Paco Durán , Casa Rita , Pazo Mendoza or Los Abetos on your route. **
And if yours is the seafood (crab, Norway lobster, crab or cockles) or fish (sea bass, turbot or sole), the classic of the area is the Rocamar, with unbeatable views of the Cíes Islands.
When night falls, have a cocktail in the ** D´sastre ** pub and, if you want something quieter, bet on the ** Villa Rosa ,** a restored colonial house in an unbeatable location, facing the sea and with a chill out area.
BONUS TRACK
When you leave the old quarter of Baiona through one of its three entrances – the Plaza de Santa Liberata, the Plaza del Padre Fernando or from the transept of the Trinidad – you cannot miss a walk through the Monte do Boi, a magnificent two-kilometre journey around the fortress and the castle of Monterreal, where the ** Parador de Baiona ** is located today, with spectacular walls on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.
When you finish your route, you will meet the Mount Samson. On its rocks and in granite, the architect Antonio Palacios –well known in Baiona– raised perhaps the most peculiar and most famous monument in the area, that of Christ the Redeemer himself: the imposing Virxe da Roca, which will evoke the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro.
To Virxe da Roca
AND NOW THE BEACHES
As a finishing touch to the walk, stay in the hidden and less crowded coves that decorate the Monte do Boi promenade (better known as the Castelo promenade for the locals) and that are To Cuncheira and Praia dos Frades.
Praia dos Frades, in Bayonne
On the other side of the fortress, which you can access through one of the historic gates of the town, the Principal or Felipe IV gate, are the beaches Ribeira and Barberia, close to a small pine forest and next to the facilities of the Monte Real Yacht Club.
These two sandbanks, of no more than 220 meters and ideal for the little ones due to their calm and crystalline waters, became the quintessential family beaches.
to Ladera, the largest and the last to the north before entering Nigrán, gives you the option of staying right there in your camping.
On the beaches surrounding the fortress of Baiona
From here there are numerous pedestrian walkways that will take you to the coves of Mount Lourido, a great tour to enjoy the beautiful scenery, which includes the 12th-century Roman bridge of La Ramallosa and the A Foz estuary, another of Nigrán's natural treasures. known as the 'Galician Doñana' and at the mouth of the Miñor River, a natural border that separates Nigrán and Baiona.
And almost without realizing it, you have already reached Nigran.
From here you can pedal along the coast: there is a wooden boardwalk and a bike lane that connect Baiona with Ramallosa , America beach and Panxón . Precisely, among the immense white sand beaches of Nigrán, the América beach, surrounded by a small complex of dunes which has a large leisure area for sunbathing, walking, playing sports or relaxing in one of its beach bars.
America Beach
And if you have already decided on one of them and you feel hungry, don't worry, leave the towel and in just a few minutes you will be able to savor local gastronomy on the beach. For tapas, the most emblematic are the Michigan, in Nigrán; Alcalá, in Panxón; La Serrano, in Playa America; and the Fidalgo, in Sabarís.
One of the strong points of Nigrán is that you can contemplate the magnificent views that it offers taking a relaxing walk. You also have the option of go up to the lookout by car; yes, in this communal mount nothing is indicated, better park your car at the beginning of the ascent and let yourself go: walk making a circular route, surrounding the peninsula, until reaching the starting point . And if hiking isn't your thing and you want to reward yourself with this panoramic view, you can complete the route in just one hour with no more difficulty than a hill. Worth.
As for the beaches of Nigrán, don't worry, there is something for everyone. creeks in Monteferro , where privacy is assured and where you can camp. If you like big beaches more, stay in Playa América or in Panxón, very central, with a sheltered port and beach bars.
panxon
Ducks , is the beach with the most liveliness and with a wider offer during the summer. in front of the surf school there is a whole street packed with gastronomic establishments for all tastes: the Druid (traditional) , ** Chac Mool ** (taco) , Miyagi (sushi) , Pénjamo (burgers and special dishes) or a pizzeria. Here you will also find the best terraces.
Although what you cannot miss is the sunset from the terrace of Praia D´abra (‘El Suso’, for the locals) with a Voll-Damm cane in hand and with the Cíes Islands in the background. A perfect place to recharge your batteries.
At the end of the day you will know that you have made the best decision by coming to the south of Galicia, where the mass tourism has not yet reached, although some assure that it is close. Take advantage of this peace because we don't know how long it will last.
Pénjamo interior lounge, a Patos classic