Mussel Route in the Ría de Vigo, with Piratas de Nabia from June 10th.

The mussel or Myltilidae is a bivalve mollusk especially tasty and rich in nutrients very important for the human organism. A whole gastronomic culture of preparation and preservation has developed around it, giving rise to the birth of an important cultivation, extraction and preparation industry.

As always, Wikipedia gives us a didactic approach to some of the most interesting aspects of this mollusk.

Mussel Route in the Ría de Vigo with Piratas de Nabia

Piratas de Nabia resumes the mussel route every Saturday in June from June 10 and from July 4 daily with departures from Vigo and Cangas (except Mondays).

The best shipping company in the Rias Baixas offers two daily departures from Vigo at 13:00 and 20:00 and one from Cangas at 10:40.

The Mussel Route lasts approximately one and a half hours.

During the comfortable navigation through the interior of the Vigo estuary, travelers will be able to discover all the secrets of mussel cultivation in the estuary, the so-called “black gold” of Galicia. A guide from the shipping company will explain how this shellfish is cultivated, its importance in the local economy and other curious facts about the bateas, those wooden structures anchored to the Galician estuaries.

The Mussel Route brings us closer and makes us discover all the secrets of the mussel rafts, what wood they are made of, how they are maintained and how they float. Curious facts, sometimes completely ignored even by the residents of the villages of the Galician coast.

As it is not all about learning, the Mussel Route is also a gastronomic opportunity to taste the best mussels selected from the estuary and provided directly by one of the local producers. The tasting is accompanied by a wine of denomination of origin (water and soft drinks for children and people who do not drink alcoholic beverages). All served with joy (and generosity) by the staff of the shipping company.