I’m sure when you plan your holidays you like to look for a unique place far from daily routine. A frecuent option is the National Parks that with their beautiful nature attrack a great amount of visitors. Another question would be “beach or mountain”? Both have their own appealing and it’s difficult to choose. In this blog I bring the solution: Cies Islands. Here you´ll find natural landscapes, history, legends and beautiful routes to climb to the top of the cliffs and look to the vast Atlantic Ocean or to Vigo’s Bay.
National Parks
Cies Islands are part of the Galician Atlantic Islands marine-terrestrial National Park with Ons, Sálvora and Cortegada islands. All of them harbor a very important historical and cultural past.
To be part of the National Park Web, a territory must preserve a natural state and keep a biological, geological, arquitectonical and scenic value. In this areas promotes the scientific research and a turism that is compatible with nature’s protection. There are different accessibility levels from free accssibility areas (with previous reservation) to restricted areas reserved to scientic research.
Aerial view of Cies islands. Source: Galician Atlantic Islands marine-terrestrial National Park
Why Cies?
The Park is protected by National laws: OSPAR commission and Natura 2000 Net. They preserve natural areas and birds in Europe.
Cies Islands, as other National Parks, has natural and historical features worth of protecting. Nevertheless, they are in an especial category since this National Park has marine and terrestrial territory. Besides the Cies Islands, there´s another National Park that has both modalities: Cabrera Islands in Baleares Islands. The main difference between the parks is that the second is in the Mediterranean Sea and Cíes Islands are in the Atlantic Ocean.
There is an area at the coast that is a transition between earth and sea: the dunes. In the dunes we can find flora and fauna that are specific from there and protect the land from the unstoppable ocean. A lot of dunes have been destroyed by urbanistic constructions next to the sea which implied the relapse of these species.
In the Cies Islands, dunar systems are well preserved and let us observe their beauty and diversity.
No need to say, every zone in the park is worth of admiration, since there’s barely any human influence, we can admire a wild nature at its brightest. On land and underwater.
The secrets of the islands
Cíes Islands have two sides:
- The occidental side, towards the sea, without beaches, made of rocky cliffs that are a protector barrier against the wild Atlantic Ocean.
Viewpoint of Alto del Príncipe. Source: Instagram (@bluscus)
- The oriental side, soft reliefs that end in long beaches with thin white sand.
Photo of Rodas beach at the oriental side. Source: Xunta de Galicia
When we listen “Rodas beach is the most beautiful beach in the world”, not only is it Galician pride, but it’s also true. It was named as the most beautiful beach in the world by the British diary: The Guardian.
En tierra
On the surface stand out the yellow gorses and trees like eucaliptus and acacias. These trees were introduced when there were still people living in the islands. Nowadays the old houses are facilities for visitors like restaurants and shelters for researchers and island workers.
On the cliffs grow up seagulls, they are the emblem of the island. They are protected by the laws that were previously mentioned. If you have to keep your sandwich, do not hit or harm them in any way because that act can be very expensive. You better hide that sandwich!
If you are lucky enough to stay for the night in the island, you might see a phenomenon known as “green flash”. When the ambiental conditions and a clean horizont are good enough, at sunset you can see a green flash on top of the sun, for just an instant. This is very uncommon, but in Cíes is one of the places where the chances of seeing it are higher.
After the sunset you can do a route through the stars where a guide will tell you all the stories and legends about the constellations that can be seen clearly at the higher points of the island.
Bajo en mar
When we dive into the crystal clear cold waters, we can find natural and artificial treasures that are already part of this characteristic view. During the day we can find all kind of curious fishes like white seabreams, ballan wrasses; We can also see the scaring triggerfish. If you are lucky enough, an octopus or a ray fish.
When the night comes, starfish, crabs and squids go out of their hidden places. If you are there at the perfect time, you can enjoy the Ardora sea turning Cies in a magical place. Although, if the Ardora sea is not enough to convince you that the islands are a fairytail place, under the sea fish and other residents, colive with connons from sunken ships. These sank after historical and very real battles.
Cies’ underwaters. Source: own
Actividades
Wether you would rather enjoying a day and the beach or walkingroutes on the land, or you woukd rather stay for the night, in every case you can join different activities that are perfect to get to know the Islands and their history.
If you like the mountain more, you can participate the routes given by especialized guides through the paths in the islands. Of you are a more adventurous person, you can walk them by yourself and discover the numerous secrets that the island hides.
If you are more into spending time on the beach, you can lay down and sunbathe (always with sunscreen) or dive into the cystalline waters. Have a picnic without catching the seagulls’ eyes and, of course, bringing back the trash with you.
In case you don’t want to bring your own food, there are different restaurants in the island where you can have a quick snack or a good dish of local fish.
And remember: In Cies islands you will find wild and colorful flowers or interesting shells. You need to resist the impulse of grabbing the,. They are extremely useful for the nature and you can keep the beautiful memory in a photo and it lasts forever.
Are you coming with us?
