Discover Rodas Beach in Cíes Islands, Galicia, Spain

Rodas Beach, in the Cíes Islands (Galicia) is the living example of the paradise found in the National Park of the Atlantic Islands.

Declared as the best beach in the world by the British newspaper The GuardianIt is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful samples of nature and life that can be found on the coasts of Spain, a spectacular rest of white sand and crystalline waters and one of the best reasons to visit the Cíes Islands.

Rodas Beach, Cíes Islands (Galicia). A privileged enclave

Rodas Beach, or Praia de Rodas, is located in the incomparable setting of the Cíes Islands, in the Parque Nacional das Illas Atlánticas (Galicia).

On the map of Galicia, we find the archipelago in the Ría de Vigo and, along with the Ons IslandThe National Maritime-Terrestrial Park, a very unique type of natural park in Spain, with a status shared only by the National Park of the Cabrera Archipelago in the Balearic Islands, is a National Maritime-Terrestrial Park.

In this type of natural area, both the surrounding land and water surfaces are protected in the park, due to the importance of life in both environments for the conservation of their ecosystems.

The archipelago of the Cíes Islands, Vigo, consists of three islands:

1. Monteagudo, or North Island, is located, as its name indicates, in the extreme north, off the coast of Cabo Home, in the Morrazo Peninsula, near Cangas.
2. To the south of Monteagudo we find the Isla do Faro, or Middle Island, being the smallest of the three.
3. The island of San Martiño or South Island is the southernmost of the archipelago, giving the impression on the map of being the finishing touch that closes the Rías Baixas.

The islands of Monteagudo and Faro are naturally joined by Rodas Beach, a beach that forms a crescent of fine sand and merges with the Vigo estuary on its east coast.

On the west coast, the tide rises between the two islands and fills the Lago dos Nenos, a millenary marine wetland with water that is full of fish and crustaceans.

In this way, as it happens in the best beaches and coves of the planet, the privileged location on the map is what gives the beautiful Rodas Beach in Cíes Islands (Galicia) its beautiful characteristics:

• A unique natural environment
• Impressive crystalline waters and more than 1,200 meters of sand.
• A type of fine white sand that makes it one of Spain’s natural treasures in Galicia.

Rodas Beach, in Cíes Islands (Galicia), voted best beach in the world

Rodas Beach, in the Cíes Islands, Galicia, gained international recognition when it topped the list of 10 best beaches in the world by the British newspaper The Guardian in 2007.

The publication, accompanied by stunning photos of Rhodes Beach, described it as:

“Perfect crescent of soft white sand and covered by small dunes sheltered by a calm lake of crystal clear water.”

It stands out for its pine forests that reach the shore, its calm waters and its generous 1.2 kilometers in length.

This meant that the eyes of the whole planet fell on this idyllic place in the Cíes Islands (Vigo).

Tourism in Vigo, Galicia and its islands experienced a renewed interest from travelers from all over the world.

Since then, it is common to see Rhodes Beach in various selections of best beaches and being awarded with different recognitions.

Other awards granted to Playa de Rodas:

1. Rodas Beach, Cíes Islands, has been awarded the Blue Flag. This recognition is renewed year after year and is granted taking into consideration the quality of the bathing waters, environmental information and education, environmental management carried out at each beach and the services and facilities offered. The National Park of the Atlantic Islands (Galicia) has an additional Blue Flag, belonging to the Praia de Figueiras or Playa de los Alemanes, where nudism can also be practiced. The country with the highest number of Blue Flags is Spain, and Galicia, adding its four provinces (Lugo, Ourense, Pontevedra and A Coruña) has, in 2023, a total of 113 beaches with this award, more than twice as many compared to typical tourist areas, such as the Canary Islands.
2. Likewise, in 2015, Rodas Beach (Illes Cíes) is chosen among the 25 best beaches and coves in Europe on the travel portal Minubein a vote in which nearly 1.5 million travelers selected their favorites. among 3,000 applicants from its database. “Reach the Playa de Rodas is like arriving in paradise”, “Perfect end to the trip after completing the Camino de Santiago.” o “In the heart of the Cíes Islands, Rodas Beach and its fine white sand is a must on any trip to the Costa de Vigo area.“were some of the comments and evaluations that accompanied the votes cast.
3. In 2012, Rodas Beach in Cíes Islands (Galicia), is voted as one of the three best beaches in Spain according to the tourism and travel recommendations portal Qype (currently dissolved this website). Among some of the most recurrent comments were the Lago dos Nenos and its crystalline waters, through which one can observe its rich ecosystem, comparing them to those found on the Caribbean coast.
4. In addition to the above, Rhodes Beach is also chosen as “best beach in Spain” in 2017, in a survey conducted by Antena 3. through its social networks and website, emphasizing its peculiar geological formation, its coastline full of cliffs, the cool water temperature, its famous seagull colonies and the importance of the environmental system in the whole of the beaches of Vigo when it comes to producing and enjoying the best seafood that can be eaten worldwide.

Sustainable tourism in a protected environment

Although the popularity of the Cíes Islands and the Rhodes Beach The number of people who opt for outdoor tourism is on the rise, as is the growing popularity of the Xunta de Galicia works to ensure that this well-deserved fame does not lead to overcrowding, overcrowding and degradation of the natural habitat, paying special attention to the months of July and August due to the increase in the influx of tourists.

Thus, in order to conserve Rodas Beach and its surroundings, along with all the guarantees of protection that the Cíes Islands have as a Natural Park, a maximum visitor quota of 2,200 people per day is established in 2018.

So, if you wish to visit the paradisiacal beaches of the Cíes Islands, we recommend booking in advance.

There is no hotel on the islands themselves, although there is a camping service where you can spend the night. However, 35 minutes by boat from coast to coast we can count on a multitude of hotels in the city of Vigo and surroundings, so you can consider a visit in the day and maybe repeat the next day.

Rhodes Beach: How to get to paradise

When planning our visit to Rhodes Beach, how to get there may seem the most tricky point.

However, thanks to the wide range of transportation available in the Vigo estuary, getting to your destination is much easier than you think.

To access Rodas Beach (Cíes Islands, Galicia) it is necessary to reach the National Park of the Atlantic Islands by boat, either privately, always with permission to anchor, or by contracting the trip through a shipping company.

Once you have obtained the authorization to visit, from June to September you can take a boat to the Cíes Islands from the city of Vigo or from Cangas de Morrazo every day and with a wide availability of schedules.

During the off-season, we also offer weekend trips, if the sea allows it.

The distance from the port of Vigo to the islands is 14.5 km. and the crossing usually takes about 35 minutes.

Once we have disembarked, enjoying Rhodes beach is like arriving and kissing the saint, since it is adjacent to the pier. However, there are many places and beaches worth seeing near Rhodes Beach.

There are, for example, several hiking trails throughout the islands and guided tours that will make your travels much more fulfilling.

The Alto del Príncipe Route proposes a path to the top of Mount Agudo. It is a trail of about 3 kilometers and little difficulty, which surrounds Figueiras Beach and ascends to the Alto de O Príncipe, from where you can enjoy wonderful views of the islands of Faro and San Martiño.

Admire the bird colonies and discover sculptural rock formations such as the so-called Silla de la Reina (Queen’s Chair). In addition, you will have the highest view of Rhodes Beach that can be seen in Monteagudo.

The Monte Faro Route also offers the traveler beautiful panoramic views of the entire archipelago.

It is one of the longest and most popular routes. It crosses the artificial dike that joins the islands of Monteagudo and O Faro, and, once there, it passes by beaches such as Nosa Señora and ascends towards the lighthouse, passing by the Nature Interpretation Center, the bird lookout or the curious Pedra do Campá, chiseled by the saltpeter of the sea.

We continue straight on and, once at the top of Monte Faro, we can enjoy the most emblematic viewpoint of the islands, from which we can contemplate the whole archipelago: the three Cíes Islands, the Lago dos Nenos de Rodas, Rodas Beach and the entire Vigo estuary.