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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The Cíes Islands...islands of the gods

Spain has beautiful beaches, no doubt. And this summer, we had the opportunity to visit the beach that The Guardian called The Most Beautiful Beach in the World and what the Romans called, islands of the gods.



The Cìes Islands are part of the Vigo estuary; an archipelago of three islands; a 40-minute ferry ride from the cities of Vigo, Baiona, or Cangas in Pontevedra, in southern Galicia. 

If you're leaving from Vigo, park at the mall. There are plenty of spaces and it's reasonably priced and adjacent to the dock. 


The flag of Spain and of Galicia




Rodas Beach, called Caribbean Beach, on Monteagudo, was named the most beautiful in 2007, for its white sand and crystal clear, turquoise blue water. 








There are no hotels on the island, but you can camp. There are no trash cans either; everything you bring in, you must bring out. And there is no electricity on the island. 

There are a visitors' center, a small market and two restaurants for tourists. You can kayak and swim, but you cannot do anything to disrupt the island ecosystem. 


As a nature preserve, any activities that threaten the ecosystem are prohibited. From what we could tell, people camp and sunbathe. They swim and walk around the island...it's a giant campground. 







It is beautiful. The seagulls like it, for sure. The world's largest colony of seagulls live here...reportedly over 40,000. There are other birds too, but seagulls are the dominant species. 


Who can blame them? The Cíes Islands, and specifically Rodas Beach, are lovely. 

Where is your favorite beach? What is your idea of the most beautiful beach in the world? 









42 comments:

  1. Love this Island! no electricity and you have to camp! Sounds like heaven for a holiday :)
    Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures!

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  2. That's a LOT of birds!!! So beautiful. I love any beach. Even Galveston. :-) Yes, it's brown and ugly, but Galveston IS having a little resurgence (before it sinks into the ocean from global warming) so there's that... :-) :-) :-)

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    1. Oddly, Jill, I never would have know that there were so many birds. We saw them, but not THAT many. I'm sure Galveston is beautiful...every place has its own magic.

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  3. This looks spectacular! I studied abroad in Madrid in college and only made it to the beaches of the Balaeric Islands. I would love to go back to Spain one day, and will have to add the Cìes Islands to my list!

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    1. Madrid is so much fun. I think you would have a great time in Galicia. It's still largely unknown to most visitors outside of Europe, and it's a gem. Thank you for stopping by, Bev.

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  4. That water looks amazing! So clear and blue! Ahhhhhhh! Wish I was there too! Enjoy your time!

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    1. Thank you, Jenny. We had a great visit. Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. What a pleasure to visit this beautiful beach vicariously through your photos. Just lovely.

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    1. We had a great visit. Thank you for stopping by, Carol.

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    1. We do too, Hilda. We had a great visit. Thank you for stopping by!

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  7. My favorite beach is this one now! I love the whole idea. Thank you so much for sharing your pictures, they are lovely. :) Of the beaches I have been to my favorite was Kauai.

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    1. Hawaii is on our short list...Kauai must be gorgeous! We had a great visit on Cies. Thank you for stopping by!

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  8. Wow how stunning! I love the idea of the whole island being a nature reserve - we have some similar ones back home in New Zealand. It makes it such a great experience :)

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    1. We had a great visit,,,the nature preserve aspect makes it that much more special. Thank you for stopping by, Jessi.

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  9. I had an aunt who lived in Malaga for many years and I've always wanted to visit. It sounds like these islands would be a wonderful addition to my "must visit" list.

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    1. We had a great visit. We have not yet made it to Malaga, but it's on our list. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  10. What an amazing place. So beautiful! Thanks for sharing, I never knew this existed.

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    1. We had a great visit. It is a gem we didn't know much about ourselves.

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  11. That place looks so lovely! How does the restaurant cook with no electricity? Is it all BBQ style?

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    1. I think they use propane for the grills and appliances...like the Amish, I think. :-) Great question!

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  12. Absolutely stunning! I love how they are preserving it and keeping it as safe as possible too!

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    1. We had a great visit,,,the nature preserve aspect makes it that much more special. Thank you for stopping by, Rebecca.

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  13. How gorgeous! The clear blue water is amazing! I've only been to Spain once and it wasn't to the beach. I visited Madrid, but I do remember the Spanush people were some of the warmest and friendliest in all of Europe!

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    1. Madrid is so much fun. I think you would have a great time in Galicia. It's still largely unknown to most visitors outside of Europe, and it's a gem. And you're right...the people are amazing; so kind. I hope you can visit there someday. Thank you for stopping by!

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  14. Wow, this looks beautiful! I've been to many gorgeous beaches, my favorite was Bermuda at Pink Sands, but on a regular basis, I just love the Jersey shore and Long Beach Island. Will have to add Cies Islands to my bucket list!

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    1. Bermuda is gorgeous, I have heard. We had a great visit. Thank you for stopping by, Claudia.

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  15. Replies
    1. We had a great visit. Thank you for stopping by, Michelle.

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  16. Replies
    1. We had a great visit. Thank you for stopping by, Heather.

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  17. WOW!!! I'd never heard of this place, and now I want to go!

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    1. It's a lovely spot, Katrina. I hope you get to see it one day. Thank you for stopping by.

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  18. Wow that is absolutely beautiful! I had never heard about it - but I have to say it does look like the most beautiful beach ever. I love the colour of that water and that there is nothing that can be done to disturb the eco system of the island. It must make it even better because of those rules!

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    1. We had a great visit,,,the nature preserve aspect makes it that much more special. And the water is shockingly blue...so pretty. Thank you for stopping by, Camila.

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  19. Amazingly beautiful! I am not one to camp, but at a location like this, maybe you could twist my arm :)
    Thanks for sharing,
    Katie
    http://www.worldwidevegetarian.com

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    1. But with a great air mattress, maybe? It is lovely. Thank you for stopping by, Katie.

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  20. Wow! No hotels, camping, beautiful beaches, bird life, totally our kind of place! Putting this on bucket list now :-)

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    1. It really was lovely...definitely for someone who wants to escape for a while. :-) Thank you for stopping by, Samiya.

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  21. Wow it's so gorgeous! I love how remote it seems. And that water!

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    1. It is very remote, but it is lovely. The visitors, including us, definitely enjoyed themselves. :-) Thank you for stopping by, Amy.

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