Places to see in ( Vigo - Spain ) Islas Cies

The Cíes Islands are an archipelago off the coast of Pontevedra in Galicia, in the mouth of the Ria de Vigo. They belong to the parish of San Francisco de Afora, in the municipality of Vigo.

Islas Cies were declared a Nature Reserve in 1980 and are included in the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park (Parque Nacional Marítimo-Terrestre das Illas Atlánticas de Galicia) created in 2002.

The Cíes consist of three islands, Monteagudo ("Sharp Mount" or North Island), do Faro ("Lighthouse Island", or Isla do Medio, "Middle Island") and San Martiño ("Saint Martin" or South Island).
Monteagudo is separated from the Morrazo peninsula by the North Canal while San Martiño is separated from the coast of Santoulo cape (mount Ferro) by the Freu da Porta Strait. The Do Faro island is linked to the North island by an accumulation of sand 1,200 m (3,937 ft) long known as Rodas beach, in the eastern side of the island. During high tide the sea flows between the islands in the western side and, blocked by the beach it fills the lagoon between the sandy area and the rocks. The highest peak is the Alto das Cíes (197 m (646 ft)) in Monteagudo.

Islas Cies formed by the end of the Tertiary, when some parts of the coast sank, creating the rías ("estuaries"). All three islands are the peaks of the coastal mountains now partially under the sea and are formed mainly of granitic rock. The land is mountainous with rough, nearly vertical cliffs of more than 100 m (328 ft) on the western side, and numerous caves (furnas) formed by erosion from the sea and the wind. The eastern side is less steep, covered by woods and bushes and protected from the Atlantic winds, allowing the formation of beaches and dunes. Atlantic squalls pass over the islands, unloading as they collide with the coast. Therefore, the Cíes receive more or less half of the rain than the rest of the Rías Baixas coast receives.

Due to the high natural value of this area and to the deterioration Islas Cies was suffering by human activity, Islas Cies was declared a Nature Reserve in 1980. The level of legal protection varied until November 21, 2000, when the Galician Parliament unanimously agreed to apply for the status of National Park to the central Government. The Spanish Congress of Deputies signed a definite agreement in June 2002, creating the National Land-Marine Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia, formed by a number of archipelagos, islands and cays, namely the Cíes, Ons, Sálvora, Noro (es), Vionta, Cortegada Island and the Malveiras .

In summer, boats link Monteagudo with the ports of Vigo, Baiona and Cangas. There is a camping area but permissions have to be reserved at the Vigo port. A supermarket, a visitor center and a restaurant cater for visitors. There are no waste bins on the islands. Visitors are required to take their litter back to the mainland. The Cíes Islands are composed of nine beaches with fine white sand and clear waters. In February 2007 the British newspaper The Guardian chose the beach of Rodas, on the island of Monteagudo, as "the best beach in the world." "Galegos come here to spend long, lazy summer days on the Praia das Rodas, a perfect crescent of soft, pale sand backed by small dunes sheltering a calm lagoon of crystal-clear sea", says the magazine.

The world's largest colony of seagulls exists here, about 22,000 pairs, and they are the dominant species in Cíes. A census in 1960 counted 400 pairs of Iberian guillemots (Uria aalge albionis), a species now almost extinct on the islands. Other species include birds of prey, pigeons, petrels, pelicans, doves, woodpeckers and other types of birds, which nest in trees and cliffs. Also, there are a variety of many types of birds wintering or resting on their migratory journeys here. In the Alto da Campa (Illa do Faro) and in the Faro do Peito (San Martiño), there are ornithological observatories.

( Vigo - Spain ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Vigo . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Vigo - Spain

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