Beautiful Baiona

All too soon our time in the Spanish Rias had come to an end and we needed to bid them goodbye and continue our travels south.

Our final stop in Galicia was the beautiful town of Baiona. This is a tourist town situated on the outskirts of the Ria de Vigo. Although popular with visitors, it still retains its small town feel.

The town’s claim to fame is that, on 1st March 1493, it was the first port in Europe to receive the news of the discovery of America. To find out more about this, visitors to Baiona can go onboard the Carabela Pinta. This is a replica of La Pinta Caravel (one of the three ships that Christopher Columbus took on his first voyage to America). It is a small museum which shows what daily life was like in the era of the great explorers.

Our home in Baiona was the Monte Real Club de Yates: a modern marina nestled below the impressive castle walls.

On arrival, we were welcomed (in perfect English) by a very friendly marinero, who helped us with our lines and explained about the town and marina facilities. Formalities complete, we sat in the cockpit and soaked up the view. There was an immediate feeling of peace and tranquility.

During our stay, the weather was glorious with clear skies and warm sunshine. So boat jobs complete, we set off to explore.

The town is overlooked by the Fortaleza de Monterreal. This was erected between 11th and 17th centuries and has had a variety of buildings encased within its walls. Today, there is actually very little left inside, and it now houses a luxurious hotel and cafe. The lack of a ‘proper castle’ does not detract from the vista as there are still 3km of impressive castle walls protecting the peninsular.

From the marina, we took a leisurely stroll around the headland. The path was wide and cobbled and followed the rugged coastline in the shadow of the castle walls, with amazing views across the Ria de Vigo.

Then on our final evening, we put on our best clothes (a rarity in our life) and treated ourselves to a relaxing evening in the Yacht Club. Sitting on the restaurant’s terrace, it was amazing to watch the sun set as we sipped our gin and tonics. A good opportunity to appreciate how lucky we are!