100 Minute Tours in Vigo, Spain

[delaney71]

We have a stop in Vigo, Spain and I have found that the Tourist Office offers 100 Minute Walking Tours, but the website says you must pre-register:

 

http://www.turismodevigo.org/vigoenruta_en.php

 

Has anyone taken these tours? I have tried a few e-mails (English and Spanish) to the Office of Tourism to pre-register, but they have not responded to me.

 

Anyone with ideas or experience in this port?

 

Thanks!

[Paul&Kathy]

I have never done a walking tour but Vigo is an easy walking city. There is usually a representative of the big department store (El Corte Ingles) on the dockside giving out free maps and if you are lucky there might be a voucher inside for a free coffee or glass of wine something at their cafe (we have had this 3 times). Armed with the map it is very easy to walk into town, which to be honest is fairly average. One time we walked up to the castle, quite a climb but a nice view from the top. I think we saw a couple of tourist booths also giving out maps etc so they may be able to book you in a tour when you arrive if you can't get through before.

[EGG]

We were in Vigo in May 2008 and after sending 2 emails in English with no reply, we tried in Spanish with no luck. I was able to print the maps in color from their web site and they were very easy to read in color and also informative. We skipped the tourist kiosk at the pier that had a long line and we found the office for the 100 minute tours but the person there spoke very little English. We found out the starting times of the tours. We figured we would try to find the tour since maybe our name was on the list. The most convenient starting time was the park tour. It was quite a hike and we never found the tour which was very surprising, since we thought we would run into them at some point. We ended up doing that on our own and then the curlture tour on our own and part of the harbor? tour. All in all we probably walked for 4 hours and had a wonderful day. The park had some great views and some interesting hardscape. We walked around the outside of the park coming back and got a good feel for how the people live in Vigo. The architeture on the culture tour was very interesting. If you love to walk and you like to soak up the ambiance of a new port you will like this. We never felt unsafe.

[keltic]

My suggestion, come to my hometown Santiago (easy reach by train, bus or renting a car. A taxi would cost you about 120 euros return), or Pontevedra a little bit closer.

 

http://www.santiagoturismo.com

http://www.santiagoturismo.com/enimagenes/videos/index.asp

Edited December 25, 2008 by keltic

[tom_uk]

We were in Vigo in early October this year. Like others we didn't do the 100-minute walk. We did our own thing: we had a simple sketch map from the ship, and as we went ashore we were handed a tourist map of the city. We did a bit of shopping in the morning - my wife bought a lace shawl from some small shops around the Cathedral - then after having a brief lunch we walked back into town and up to the Castle. As someone else said, quite a climb but a very pretty and well-tended garden/ruin at the top, with excellent panoramic views. Then back down to the town area where we found a bar near the Cathedral and had a glass of wine out on the pavement. All in all an excellent, low-key day.

 

And it got better. We had a starboard-side balcony cabin and as we left Vigo we had a superb view of the south-facing beaches & headlands as we transited the river towards the open sea, with the late afternoon sun shining on them. Beautiful! At the mouth of the river, where it meets the Atlantic, there were wild and rocky promentaries with several small lighthouses, lots of waves crashing into the rocks, lots of spray - and all this with the ship pretty close. An excellent sailaway.

[delaney71]

Keltic:

 

After considering Vigo......it's not offering a whole lot compared to Santiago. We are going to take you up on the invitation and visit your home town. It looks like there are some great sites to see. Thanks!

[keltic]

Glad to hear it. Indeed you will love it. In case you need something, just ask.

[delaney71]

Glad to hear it. Indeed you will love it. In case you need something, just ask.

 

Keltic:

 

We are now looking into if there are any private tours to take us from Vigo to Santiago and show us about. Do you know of any? It will probably be a party of 6-8. We could have two groups.

 

Any advice will be appreciated!

 

Thanks.

 

John

[keltic]

In fact there´s not many companies which makes this private tours, but I suggest to ask either in the Santiago Tourist website and Vigo. You could rent a taxi for the whole day. You simply go out walk for 100 metres, and the taxis are located at the back of the shopping centre. I think a taxi to Santiago (with waiting hours) ranges from 120-160 euros. It´s not bad, the city is at 88 km away.

 

Then you have the following options:

 

-Car hire...there´s a highway the whole route

-Hourly bus service (from the bus station, which is a bit far away)

-Hourly train at 15 minutes walk.

 

The train are puntual, and frecuent, but unfortunately they take longer than it should. Regional trains are really modern and fast and have speeds of 150 km per hour, but they are having perpetual works on the line, so expect that the train takes about 85 minutes.

 

Should you want private suggestions about companies (I think it´s not permitted on the web), just send me a private mail, and I could find out for you.

[delaney71]

 

Should you want private suggestions about companies (I think it´s not permitted on the web), just send me a private mail, and I could find out for you.

 

Do you know anything about Galicia Mystic Tours ?

http://www.toursofgalicia.net/santiago.html

 

They offer a minivan transportation to Santiago, driver/guide, lunch and 2 hour tour of Santiago.

 

Any other private tour suggestions?

 

My e-mail is sunday71@comcast.net

 

Thanks.

 

John

[keltic]

Never heard about them, but I will find out tomorrow.

[keltic]

Hi John;

I am sending you an email, and it comes back to me. You probably have a problem with your mail server. I´ll try it again tomorrow.

[delaney71]

Keltic:

 

Looking forward to any information that you may have.

My e-mail should be up.....I'm getting e-mail from others right now.

 

Thanks.

 

John

[keeponcruising]

In fact there´s not many companies which makes this private tours, but I suggest to ask either in the Santiago Tourist website and Vigo. You could rent a taxi for the whole day. You simply go out walk for 100 metres, and the taxis are located at the back of the shopping centre. I think a taxi to Santiago (with waiting hours) ranges from 120-160 euros. It´s not bad, the city is at 88 km away.

 

Then you have the following options:

 

-Car hire...there´s a highway the whole route

-Hourly bus service (from the bus station, which is a bit far away)

-Hourly train at 15 minutes walk.

 

The train are puntual, and frecuent, but unfortunately they take longer than it should. Regional trains are really modern and fast and have speeds of 150 km per hour, but they are having perpetual works on the line, so expect that the train takes about 85 minutes.

 

Should you want private suggestions about companies (I think it´s not permitted on the web), just send me a private mail, and I could find out for you.

 

Keltic,

 

I will be in Vigo, Spain from 8 AM to 3 PM, April 26, 2009. I am interested in hiring a taxi to take 5 of us to Santiago. I have some questions:

 

1. Are the cabs waiting for you as you get off of the ship?

2. Will the cabs be able to hold 5 people?

3. Will we have enough time to visit Santiago this way?

4. Will the cab wait for us as we get something to eat and bring us on a tour of the city?

5. The cost for the whole day tour is roughly $160 euros?

6. My mother is 84 yrs. old and not able to walk up hills. Will she have a hard time in Santiago?

 

I was in Vigo last year and we did the wine tasting tour. The last tasing was at a Parador high on a hill. I had to stop a woman and beg her in my meager Spainsh to drive my mother up the hill. We did have a good day, but it would not have turned out good if I did not find my mother the ride up the hill.

 

Thanks for all your help and we look forward to returning to Spain in April.

 

Ellen

[cruiseluv]

Ellen,

 

I'm sure Keltic will be able to answer those questions. In the meantime, check out this thread for info from pposters of how they got to Santiago independently:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=356975&highlight=santiago

 

I 'll be visiting Santiago for the third time next month(land trip). I can't wait! It's my favorite city in Spain!

 

Good luck!

[keeponcruising]

Ellen,

 

I'm sure Keltic will be able to answer those questions. In the meantime, check out this thread for info from pposters of how they got to Santiago independently:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=356975&highlight=santiago

 

I 'll be visiting Santiago for the third time next month(land trip). I can't wait! It's my favorite city in Spain!

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the link. I sent an email to one of the tour operators.

 

Ellen

[keltic]

1. Are the cabs waiting for you as you get off of the ship?

 

Yes, they will be cabs. Sometimes they are allowed to get right to the terminal entrance, sometimes you will have to walk just 100 metres to the street, at the back of the shopping centre.

 

2. Will the cabs be able to hold 5 people?

 

Only the minivan taxis. Just get to the taxi stand ask for a "monovolumen taxi" for five. If there´s not anyone available, I suppose anyone will soon be called by other taxi drivers. Teh tourist office is next to the taxi stand, and could ask for a special taxi and could assist you with the arrangements. Only four are allowed in regular cars.

 

3. Will we have enough time to visit Santiago this way?

 

Absolutely. But only a brief visit. Driving is about 50 minutes one way, four hours in Santiago which gives you a decent time to visit the core of the old time.

 

4. Will the cab wait for us as we get something to eat and bring us on a tour of the city?

 

Should you agree with them, absolutely.

 

5. The cost for the whole day tour is roughly $160 euros?

 

Yes, count on that amount. And even less depending on the waiting time in Santiago. Try contacting the Santiago Tourist Board. They have a booking office which also provides this services.

http://www.santiagoturismo.com

 

6. My mother is 84 yrs. old and not able to walk up hills. Will she have a hard time in Santiago?

 

She doesn´t have to get up any hill. To get into the catedral the only way in, without stairs is through Plaza Quintana side. You get to the Platerías Square, walk along Rua da Conga and turn left to Plaza Quintana. Taxi gets to all sides of the catedral. Then Rua Nova and Rua do Vilar are flat. They are considered to be the main streets of the old town. If you walk northwards and southwards there are not steep hills. Only if you do it eastwards or westwards. No problem with this.

[keeponcruising]

1. Are the cabs waiting for you as you get off of the ship?

 

Yes, they will be cabs. Sometimes they are allowed to get right to the terminal entrance, sometimes you will have to walk just 100 metres to the street, at the back of the shopping centre.

 

2. Will the cabs be able to hold 5 people?

 

Only the minivan taxis. Just get to the taxi stand ask for a "monovolumen taxi" for five. If there´s not anyone available, I suppose anyone will soon be called by other taxi drivers. Teh tourist office is next to the taxi stand, and could ask for a special taxi and could assist you with the arrangements. Only four are allowed in regular cars.

 

3. Will we have enough time to visit Santiago this way?

 

Absolutely. But only a brief visit. Driving is about 50 minutes one way, four hours in Santiago which gives you a decent time to visit the core of the old time.

 

4. Will the cab wait for us as we get something to eat and bring us on a tour of the city?

 

Should you agree with them, absolutely.

 

5. The cost for the whole day tour is roughly $160 euros?

 

Yes, count on that amount. And even less depending on the waiting time in Santiago. Try contacting the Santiago Tourist Board. They have a booking office which also provides this services.

www.santiagoturismo.com

 

6. My mother is 84 yrs. old and not able to walk up hills. Will she have a hard time in Santiago?

 

She doesn´t have to get up any hill. To get into the catedral the only way in, without stairs is through Plaza Quintana side. You get to the Platerías Square, walk along Rua da Conga and turn left to Plaza Quintana. Taxi gets to all sides of the catedral. Then Rua Nova and Rua do Vilar are flat. They are considered to be the main streets of the old town. If you walk northwards and southwards there are not steep hills. Only if you do it eastwards or westwards. No problem with this.

 

Thank you Keltic for your speedy response. You are a wealth of information! I will also try contacting the Santiago Tourist Board.

 

Ellen

[cruiseluv]

Hi Keltic,

 

AS I mentioned in a prior post , we will be visiting Santiago in late March, staying 4 nights. Do you have any restaurant recommendations? I haven't been to Santiago in almost 4 years.

Also, I read somewhere that the Pórtico de la Gloria was mostly covered due to renovation work. Do you know if that is the case?

Finally, could you recommend any daytrips ( other than La Coruña which we have already visited) that are easy to do from Santiago, in train or bus?

 

Thanks for any comments!

Edited February 9, 2009 by cruiseluv

[keltic]

Hi Keltic,

 

AS I mentioned in a prior post , we will be visiting Santiago in late March, staying 4 nights. Do you have any restaurant recommendations? I haven't been to Santiago in almost 4 years.

Also, I read somewhere that the Pórtico de la Gloria was mostly covered due to renovation work. Do you know if that is the case?

Finally, could you recommend any daytrips ( other than La Coruña which we have already visited) that are easy to do from Santiago, in train or bus?

 

Thanks for any comments!

 

Hi Cruiseluv. Well, yes. The Portico was covered, but I think the scaffolds have been removed. I will check tomorrow. Restaurants. It depends on what you want to eat. Locals sometimes are not the best ones to recommend places for tourists. However assuming that you will be looking for something typical I suggest EXEMBRE at the Hostal De los Reyes Catolicos. It´s not really expensive and it has a nice local setting. And places like "A Curtidoria", "Camilo", Barola", "Dezaseis", or "El Mercadito".

 

Daytrips. Well you mean by bus or train. This reduces the options, since many nice places are only reached by car. You could try any of the monumental cities of Galicia. Pontevedra is called the "little Santiago" and keeps a nice historic old part, as Lugo (only by bus) and Orense (train and bus). You could get to the coast, but buses are not as frecuent as one should expect. However La Toja Island is a nice summer resort, spa, in the middle of delightful island (trip to Grove by bus, then short hop by taxi). Take a bus to Finisterre to along the coast. I am not sure if there are services coming in the same day.

 

Car renting offers more options.

[cruiseluv]

Hi Keltic,

 

I so hope the scaffolding has been removed!

 

Thank you for the recommendations for restaurants and daytrip opportunities. I know that not having a car does limit where you can go, but I prefer not to worry about directions and logistics with the car. We'll probably do at least Pontevedra.

 

Thank you for all the info you provide on your beautiful city!

[nschamp]

Keltic I have a question on accessibility to the Cathedral in Santiago. From a Cruise Tour Bus is there an easy access to the Cathedral? Feel free to email me nschamp at yahoo dot com.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We're only in Vigo from 8-3 on April 26. Is that enough time to risk using an independent tour to Santiago, or should we book a ship tour so we know we'll be safe getting back to the ship on time. The ship tour takes 5 hours and costs $82 pp. Is this enough time to see anything in Santiago?

[nschamp]

 

Should you want private suggestions about companies (I think it´s not permitted on the web), just send me a private mail, and I could find out

for you.

 

 

What is your contact e-mail please?

[Albert Ross]

Keltic

What are the nearest car hire companies to the port please?