Vigo (Spain Galicia)

Vigo is a major port and city in Spain's Galicia (autonomous territory on the Iberian Peninsula) and part of the Pontevedra Province. By population (around 300,000) Vigo is Galicia's most populous municipality. The Province's capital - Pontevedra City - is approx 30 km (18 mi) to the north via AP-9 highway (linking La Coruna-Santiago de Compostela-Pontevedra-Vigo-Tui).

Vigo Municipality also includes the Islas Cies archipelago, consisting of three islands - Monteagudo (North Island), do Faro (Middle Island) and San Martino (South Island). Cies Islands form Parque Nacional das Illas Atlanticas de Galicia (Atlantic Islands of Galicia NP), which has land area 12 km2 (4,6 mi2/1200 hectares/3000 acres) and sea area 7,2 km2 (28 mi2/7200 hectares/18000 acres).

Port Vigo (locode ESVGO) is a large harbor on Ria de Vigo (coastal inlet/estuary) and is currently ranked the world's largest fishing port by annual tonnage (750,000+ tonnes of unloaded fish). The Port covers land area approx 140 km2 (54 mi2/14000 hectares/34600 acres) and consists of 6 different zones - Bouzas (passenger ships, repair shipyards), Beiramar-O Berbes (fishing port), Transatlantic Dock, Marina Dock (yachts), O-Areal (cargo ships), and Guixar (for container ships). O-Real and Guixar docks both have railway connections. Annually, Port Vigo handles over 220,000 passengers.

Regularly scheduled ferries from Vigo link to Cies Islands/Monteagudo (travel time 45 min), with services provided by two companies - Naviera Nabia (2x weekly crossings) and Mar de Ons (4x weekly crossings). Ferryboats (of Mar de Ons) also connect Vigo with Ons Island (2x weekly crossings, travel time 1,5 hours).

The city's economy is heavily based on shipping (cargo and passenger/ferries and cruise liners), shipyards (shipbuilding and drydock repairs), commercial fishing and fisheries, car manufacturing at Centro de Vigo de Stellantis (1958-founded by Citroen car factory, originally named "Citroen Hispania", where are also assembled models of Peugeot, Opel/Vauxhall, and Toyota), as well as on tourism and services.

The city is served by Vigo-Peinador Airport (approx 10 km / 6 mi from downtown) where are handled domestic flights (by the Spanish airlines Iberia Express, Iberia Nostrum, Air Europa, Vueling, and the Irish carrier Ryanair) linking to Madrid, the port cities Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, also to the Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife-North). Regularly scheduled trains link to Portugal's port city Oporto. European route E01/highway links to La Coruna and Lisbon (Portugal's capital city).

Galicia is at Iberian Peninsula's northwest corner, and within its 1200 km/745 mi Atlantic coastline there are 800 beaches with total 275 km/170 mi of stretches of white sand reaching up to hills and mountains (Ancazares, Courel, Pena Trevinca, Manzaneda).