Skip to main content

Camping in the Cíes Islands: a few days in paradise

Camping in the Cíes Islands, in the National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia, is much more than a simple accommodation in a campsite. The Cíes offer, to all those who dare to visit the islands, an unforgettable experience of sustainable tourism in the most beautiful of natural spaces, a place to sleep in close contact with the environment and enjoy life and nature at its best. Undoubtedly, camping in the Cíes Islands can be considered, more or less, as spending the night in the middle of paradise.

Camping on the Cíes Islands as the ancient Romans did

buy boat tickets to Cíes IslandsCamping in the Cíes Islands may seem like a small luxury nowadays. However, the history of the Cíes Islands, at least of its human activity, dates back to the Bronze Age, much further back than the boom years of the Roman Empire, and reminds us that various populations have found shelter among its beaches.

The Cíes Islands, in the beginning, were colonized by the inhabitants of what we know today as Castros, small settlements on top of hills and mountains of which some ruins can still be seen on the Isla do Faro, where the so-called Poblado de As Hortas is located.

In the 1st century BC, the Galician tribes were gradually displaced by Julius Caesar’s troops as far as Baiona and ultimately forced to take refuge on the islands. The flight was in vain, since, after hard battles, the Romans finally managed to conquer the Cíes Islands and their immediate surroundings of small archipelagos and islets, positioning their camps and thus achieving total domination of what today constitutes the province of Pontevedra in Spain.

Although there is evidence that, later on, the Swabian invasion wars also reached this corner of the Vigo estuary, there is no evidence that new trips were made to the Cíes Islands during this period of time.

Cíes Islands Lighthouse Route

Human beings once again left their mark on the islands around the 6th century A.D., in the Middle Ages, when religious orders proliferated in different parts of the Rías Baixas and, in general, throughout Spain. Galicia and its islands have a large number of hermitages and convents from that era, where many congregations found their own version of natural paradise in places such as the Cíes Islands, San Simón Island or Tambo Island.

Already in the Modern Age, the inhabitants of the archipelago abandoned their lands in fear of the increasing activity of pirates. Although it was a round trip. In the 19th century, coinciding with various fortification and industrialization plans, barracks, artillery warehouses, salted fish factories and even a prison were built, and a small population occupied the Cíes until the middle of the 20th century.

Currently, in 2019, the Cíes Islands are uninhabited islands and their ecosystems are strongly protected as they are part of the national park network. Even so, thanks to the firm commitment to the environment under which the Cíes Islands Camping is conceived, it is possible to spend the night in this privileged site as so many people have done over the centuries.

 

It is worth camping in the Cíes Islands.

Camping in the Cíes Islands

One of the frequent questions asked by many travelers planning to visit the Cíes Islands is whether, considering the size of the park and the proposed activities, it is possible to do everything in one day or is it worth spending more time on the trip? and camping.

The Cíes Islands, with their hiking trails of varying degrees of difficulty, can be covered almost entirely in a few hours. However, the destination offers visitors a large number of tourist attractions and corners worthy of being admired with all the calm and attention they deserve.

One of our great treasures, which place the Cíes Islands at the top of the travel guides, are its beaches of fine sand and crystal clear waters, so spectacular that you will want to see them all. One of them was named by The Guardian newspaper as the best beach in the world: Rhodes Beach, located on the island of Monteagudo.

If you enjoy a nice walk, you can get to know the Cíes Islands in more depth and contemplate all the beauty of the fauna, the forests and the incredible ocean views through the four routes that wind between the North Island and the Middle Island: the Monte Faro Route, the Alto do Príncipe Route, the Faro da Príncipe Route, the Faro da Príncipe Route, the Faro da Príncipe Route, the Faro da Príncipe Route, the Faro da Príncipe Route, the Faro da Príncipe Route, the Faro da Príncipe Route and the Faro da Príncipe Route.

Come and visit the Cíes Islands Camp Site

Porta and the Monteagudo Route.

The Cíes Islands Campsite itself offers several proposals in case you are still wondering what to do. Kayaking, scuba diving with snorkeling (also for children) or astronomical observations with Starlight certification are some of the activities offered.

In any case, any excuse is a good one to spend the night and camp in the Cíes Islands and enjoy its nature.

Camping in the Cíes Islands is a commitment to sustainable tourism

Sleeping at the Cíes campsite

Camping in the Cíes Islands is a dream for anyone. Imagining that you can spread out your blanket and sleeping bag to spend the night in the heart of an entire natural park may seem hard to believe, due to the delicacy of the environment and the high level of protection afforded to it.

However, anyone who wants to stay overnight in the Cíes Islands is in luck. At the Cíes Islands campsite, accommodation is understood as a sustainable tourism experience, a growing trend in the tourism sector. It is not a business that intends to change the configuration or obtain more profit from the habitat that hosts it. On the contrary, we actively work to preserve the environment and raise awareness of the importance of respecting the unique habitats of the Cíes Islands.

The Cíes Islands belong to the Parque Nacional das Illas Atlánticas. It is also a maritime-terrestrial park, which means that both its surface and its waters enjoy the highest level of environmental protection. This recognition has been achieved gradually. Initially, the Cíes Islands were declared a Natural Park, in 1980, and after being included in the European Natura 2000 network and obtaining other important certificates, was granted the almost exclusive denomination of Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, shared only by that of the Cabrera Archipelago..

For this reason, the Cíes Islands campsite must adapt to a series of conditions in order to ensure that the facilities are sustainable and that the stay is a pleasant one.

Cíes Islands natural environment

totally respectful with the environment. The campsite adheres to the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS), is part of the Europarc network of sustainable tourism in protected environments and is recognized as a Green Campsite by the Xunta de Galicia.

Of course, if you want to camp in the Cíes Islands, the only option is to do it inside the campsite. All forms of camping anywhere else in the park are prohibited.

 

How and where to camp in the Cíes Islands

Rodas Beach Cíes Islands

The Cíes campsite has approximately 800 places available, is located 50 m from the beach and offers various facilities and services within its facilities. You can choose to bring your own tent or you can rent one of the tents that the campsite will set up and prepare for you. Among the rental tents you can choose between single and double tents, both types have a bed with box spring, mattress and pillow, as well as a fitted sheet and pillow sheet. If you bring your own tent, you must reserve one of the plots in the camping area.

It offers restaurant and cafeteria service, with one of the few restaurants that can be found on the islands, showers with hot and cold water, cell phone recharging point, lockers for personal belongings and has a small store and a social lounge. Unfortunately, if you ask yourself if the plots have electricity or water, the answer is negative, but it is a small price to pay for the benefit of the sustainability of the campsite and the maximum care of the environment.

The campsite is open from May to September and also at Easter. It is always in high demand, especially in high season, every day during the months of July and August. reservations are recommended. The fastest way to do this is through the official website of the Xunta de Galicia, where you can book the rental tents. and get more information about the campsite and the Cíes Islands in general. The campsite restaurant does not accept reservations.

The only way to reach the archipelago is by boat, either privately or through one of the shipping companies operating in the area. Mainly the routes Vigo-Cíes and Cangas-Cíes are covered. Since a few years ago, a permit from the National Parks is required to access the Cíes Islands. More information on this subject can be found on the official website of the Xunta de Galicia.

Naviera Nabia takes you to Galicia's Atlantic Islands

In practice, the shipping companies cannot exceed a daily quota of visitors, so the reservation process is somewhat more intricate than usual, but the campsite itself is responsible for processing the permit to make the process easier for the traveler.

When you make the reservation, the campsite asks for the authorization of the Xunta de Galicia and shortly after you will receive an email with the pre-reservation codes you will need to get your tickets to the Cíes Islands. Once the boat tickets have been purchased, you will receive a new e-mail with the authorization to access the Cíes Islands. You can also carry out these procedures in person, as well as obtain all kinds of information about schedules and fares, at the Vigo Maritime Station, the same place where you embark to the Cíes Islands.

 

Camping in the Cíes Islands: Galicia in its purest form

Cíes Islands the ideal camping destination

Surely on more than one occasion you have dreamed of spending the night in total contact with nature, contemplating millions of stars and listening to the coming and going of the waves of the sea. Who wouldn’t want something like that? You can make it happen by coming to visit us here in the Cíes Islands. In Naviera Nabia we will be happy to take you to your destination and pick you up any other day, the one you prefer.

Camping in the Cíes Islands is to experience Galicia in its purest form.

¿Tienes alguna duda?

Nuestro equipo a tu disposición para resolver tus dudas.