Mount O Castro is the highest point in the centre of the city of Vigo, rising to 149 metres. It is the city’s true green space, with a variety of leafy tree species and a large pine wood. This makes O Castro a sort of botanic park, and it also includes various paths and trails.
The views of the city and ria from the viewpoint are sublime: the scale of the city in the foreground, the hills of O Morrazo on the other bank and the Cíes Islands to the west, offering sunsets that fill the sea with colour. On the lower slopes there is a Castro culture archaeological site dating from the 3rd–1st centuries BC.
The location later became a Roman fortification, subsequently Christianized with the addition of Nosa Señora do Castro Chapel. Construction of the medieval fortress, O Castro Castle, provided a vantage point from which to guard the ria, taking advantage of the elevated terrain. Various external elements of the fortified site have been preserved, including walls, gates and several embrasures, while the interior has been converted into a garden. The range of port facilities gives an indication of Vigo’s industrial might and demonstrates the historical evolution of the city that grew up from the castro located here.