Turismo de Galicia

The convent of Armenteira (Meis), run by a female religious community, is the largest monument. But there is another convent right in the centre of Vilagarcía de Arousa, the convent of Vista Alegre. To this must be added an almost endless list of other minors, among whom it is necessary to mention the following Santa Mariña Dozo (Cambados), the chapel of San Caralampio in A Illa da Toxa (O Grove), which has the peculiarity of being covered with scallop shells, and the chapel of Nosa Señora da Lanzada in Sanxenxo.

In the town of Cambados, whose centre has been declared a historical site, we have a singular construction: the Pazo de Fefiñáns.

The route of the camellia has in this geodestination three gardens belonging to different pazos: Quinteiro da Cruz in Ribadumia, Pazo de Rubiáns in Vilagarcía de Arousa and Pazo da Saleta in Meis.

Several museums show us the importance of the sea in this geodestination, such as the Salgadeira de Moreiras complex or the Centro de interpretación da pesca e da salga, both in O Grove, or the Centro de interpretación da conserva in A Illa de Arousa. We can understand the transcendence of viticulture in the peninsula of O Salnés at the Museo etnográfico do Viño of Cambados.
We cannot finish without remembering that the Arousa estuary has, since the 1960s, the only maritime Way of the Cross in the world, as these waters define a Way of Saint James, the Route of the Sea of Arousa and River Ulla, which commemorates the arrival of the body of the Apostle St. James the Greater to Galicia by sea. In fact, it was here that the lifeless body of the Apostle arrived in Galicia in the stone boat in which two of his favourite disciples were also travelling. Today, this Arousa Sea - Ulla River Route has become a tourist attraction for people from all over the world.

O Salnés is more than a geodestination. It is a reference in the world of tourism for two reasons: because the Arousa estuary is considered the richest in the world and that wealth ends up in the kitchen, and because it has many well-known and very popular beaches. At the bottom of the estuary, in front of Carril (Vilagarcía de Arousa), is the island of Cortegada (belonging to the Parque Nacional dás Illas Atlánticas). But inside it is another piece of land that has been linked to the mainland by a bridge for almost four decades: A Illa de Arousa, with the natural area of Punta Carreirón.
Another space integrated into the Natura Network is the complexo Ons-O Grove, a union of two ecosystems of rich biodiversity: the maritime waters and the inland waters of the estuary. In the heart of the estuary, you can find the mouth of the River Ulla, which is part of the sistema fluvial Ulla-Deza.
For cycling enthusiasts, the Campo de Golf de Meis has the first centro BTT in Galicia, with ten routes to discover the rich landscape and monuments of the Salnés region.
The natural beauty of the estuaries can be enjoyed from the Miradoiro de Siradella in O Grove, from where you can see the famous beach of Lanzada. This is one of the many different types of beaches that make this area a good beach destination.

Many festivals dot this geodestination. The most outstanding is that of the Viño Albariño (Cambados) declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest. And two Festivals of National Tourist Interest, the patron saint festivals of San Roque (Vilagarcía de Arousa) and theExaltación do Marisco (O Grove). Finally, those of Galician Tourist Interest, which include the Semana Santa de Paradela in Meis, the Festa da ameixa de Carril (Vilagarcía de Arousa) and the Festa da Vieira (Cambados).
With all this in view, it is not very difficult to deduce what the gastronomy of this area is like: that which is based on what the sea provides, and first and foremost the various seafood, the extraction of which is the main source of wealth for the people who live in this geodestination.