Being seated on a piece of land that in ancient times was known as Arealonga and being the capital of the Ría de Arousa, the beach offer could not be missing in a city like Vilagarcía de Arousa. However, this is also different.
Situated on a strip of land which was known in ancient times as Arealonga – long sand- and as a capital city of the Ría of Arousa, the beach could not be missed in a city like Vilagarcía de Arousa.
However, this aspect is also different here. Due to the evolution of its urban development which came to include a port in the middle of the bay, there is quite a long distance between the beaches to the south and to the north of these facilities.
It is precisely in these both ends where the two beaches awarded the UE Blue Flag are located: O Preguntoiro beach in Vilaxoan and the O Campanario beach in Bamio. The latter is a river beach, not a sea beach, although under the influence of the tides too. In between both, A Concha and A Compostela, that even though they lack such distinction, they are not only the longest – almost 2 kms in parallel to the seafront promenade- , but also the most frequented beaches. And, indeed, they have all the necessary facilyties: lifeguards, cleaining, leisure activities etc.
A Concha-Compostela have long been a summer spot, first of all because there used to be a famous spa, “La Concha de Arousa” – the shell of Arousa – open between 1886 to the 1960’s and built on a plot at the beginning of today’s promenade where there is now a garden. Secondly, for the creation of the Compostela park in 1931, after being bought by the Town, which gave rise to the beach of the same name.
Up to the 1990’s, when the promenade was built, A Concha and A Compostela had well defined limits. Nowadays it is no longer like that, specially since the extra sand was supplied to the beach in the late 20th century, recovering, in part, the image of the original Arealonga – “long sand”.
The beach starts in the Ramal pier and stretches up to Carril. The plan of the city, made the separation between the seafront promenade and Rosalía de Castro avenue possible, thanks to the line of houses with a yard on the beach side, which makes it a quiet and relaxed place to sunbathe or swim. Its localization at the end of the ría and a step away from the mouth of the river Ulla, makes its waters calm and safe.
The wooden stakes of clam farms parks characterize the views
The second biggest beach is O Preguntoiro, in Vilaxóan. Stretched along a small promenade with its characteristic white balustrade, between a garden and the market, this beach is becoming more and more popular due to the quality of its sand and waters, as well as to all its facilities which made it be awarded the Blue Flag. The fist-aid post is available, as in A Concha-Compostela beach, during the whole summer.
O Campanario-Bamio beach also has a blue flag. It is on the border of Vilagarcía and Catoira right on the mouth of the river Ulla. It is a calm beach with a unique landscape, marked by the river but also touched by the sea waters. Opposite, and quite close to it, it is the coast of the province of A Coruña. In one of its ends, on the rocks, there is one of the stone crosses which forms part of the stations of the Jacobean River Route of the Arousa Sea and the River Ulla. In addition, kitesurfers who can usually be seen on the water and who have made the campsite next to the beach a landmark of that sports discipline in Galicia.
Other beaches available in Vilagarcía include small calas or inlets on Cortegada island and two other small beaches just for local use but which are worth mentioning. One of them, Canelas, in Sobradelo, the other A Covacha, in Carril. Lastly, and for those who have a pet, there is also a small beach, O Castelete, also in Vilaxoán, which is enclosed with a fence so that dogs can run freely but safely. It has water supply, litter bins and benches.
