As things stand, we know that visiting the island of Ons is one of the things you would most like to do right now. We also know that you are tired of being at home and not being able to travel because of all the limitations that are part of our daily lives, but the good weather is approaching and we can’t help but start planning new adventures with you to enjoy. Even in times of pandemic, we want you to get to know some of our destinations better and feel close to us again.
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In order to know what we are talking about, it is necessary to situate ourselves first, so let’s go little by little. One of the paradises of Galicia is the Parque de las Islas Atlánticas which, surely you already know, at least from knowing that there is the best beach in the world. It is formed by the Cies, Ons, Sálvora and Cortegada Islands. They are characterized by their white sand and crystalline but cold water, it is good to remember this so as not to think that we are talking about Caribbean beaches.
What you need to know about visiting the Ons Islands
This time we are going to focus on whether you choose to visit the island of Onsbut in our blog you can find curiosities of some of the other wonders of the Galician Atlantic, so we hope that as you read this you can feel the sensation of being immersed among the waves of a paradisiacal environment and not between words.
Let’s get to it!
This small archipelago is in the Rías Baixas and more specifically at the entrance of the Ría de Pontevedra. It belongs to Bueu and is an ideal island if you are looking for tranquility, no matter if it is with family, friends or to go alone, because with these landscapes you do not need more.
But watch out!
There are two types: daily visitor and overnight stay. But this will also depend on the season in which you travel, so you can find out more here to find out what is your case. From Bueu, Portonovo, Vigo, Cangas, Baiona and A Pobra do Caramiñal our boats will take you to this natural heritage. Depending on where you start from, the duration of the trip will vary. Of course, it is very important to choose the dates to visit the island of Ons in advance, take into account the capacity.
We can not forget to mention its incredible beaches and more specifically the beach of Melide, considered the most charming of Ons. However, it is far from the main center and the hotel area, so if you prefer to be more centrally located, you can choose to go to Dornas beach.
5 things you probably didn’t know
Like any place, the island of Ons has a long history full of curiosities that surely you do not know, and not only that, but they will surprise you. To be brief, today we bring you 5 of them.
- Did you know that it used to be a pirate haven? Yes, we had already explained in our post about the history of the island of Ons, these islands have always had inhabitants, even those you do not expect. It was in the Modern Age when the plundering and sieges of English corsairs and Turkish and Berber pirates began. This was the case until the 18th century when they decided to flee to the coast.
- Three petroglyphs were recently discovered in the Ons Islands: two in Chan da Pólvora and another in Laxe. Their remains are very altered and erosion has eliminated part of the drawing, that is to say that they probably had more drawings than those that have been seen today. It is not known to what chronological period these rupestrian remains belong, but it is suspected that they may date from the Neolithic to the Iron Age.
- In a few words we can also say that O Buraco do Inferno was believed to be the entrance to the underworld and this has an explanation. We are talking about the deepest well in the province of Pontevedra (80m), that is to say that its bottom should make you want to look out. The mixture between the pounding of the sea on stormy days and the sound of the guillemots nesting in the interior made us mistake this for the wailing of souls from the underworld.
- At the Faro de Ons lighthouse we reach the highest point of the island, the Alto do Cucorno. It is more than 150 years old and is one of the few lighthouses still in operation thanks to a lighthouse keeper, an endangered profession. Today it is a profession that has been replaced by technology and there are very few lighthouses that depend on human beings for their operation. But in Ons it is still the lighthouse keeper who is in charge of its care and operation.
- The octopus Ons style, in caldeirada, for sure if you search about these islands you will read about the octopus and you will be surprised, but let’s see, if we talk about Galicia, gastronomy is always linked. Among the dishes that can be tasted, this one stands out. It is eaten island style, cooked with potatoes and a sauce of paprika, oil, garlic and onion. Although there are also more traditional ones, with cachelos, that is to say, octopus á feira.
If you are thinking about visiting the island of Ons we leave you a post in which you can discover what to see on the island of Ons. Maybe it will help you to plan your trip or to continue discovering its secrets, you know that our islands do not disappoint.
Can’t you smell the sea?
