Porto Novo - Islas Cies - Bayona

Amoret
Mon 22 Sep 2008 15:43
After Portosin the whole pace has slowed down. On Friday 19th Sep we fuelled up in the morning twilight (not a great trick as it is dark until 0800) amd headed off out of Ria de Muros, past Ria de Arosa (regretfully, but our chart isn't detailed enough for pilotage in that rock-strewn ria) and into Ria de Pontevedra. We found a good anchorage just on the corner of a rocky headland adjoining the entrance to Porto Novo and comfortably far away from the hotel developments overlooking the beach. After a good night, we made a short passage to the Islas Cies at the entrance to Ria de Vigo. Vigo itself is a big port city, but the Cies is a pair of lovely islands with sandy beaches, dunes, lagoons and pine woods. We anchored off the main beach of the larger island, inhabited by sunbathers and sandcastle-builders who left on the last ferry in the evening leaving the four remaining boats in perfect peace. The peace was improved by the wind setting into the SW so that we had excellent shelter.
 
On from Cies on Sunday - a lovely motor past the islands with a couple of porpoises passing close by - to Bayona (locally spelt Baiona) which turns out to be a charming town with quiet alleyways and the best paella deals that we have met so far. Local birds in the marina are sandwich terns - a change from the usual UK sort. A couple of days here seem in order before heading on to Portugal.