Vilagarcía offers numerous attractions that the visitor should not miss. Sometimes they must be discovered by oneself, although in the case of others, it is worth turning to local administrations or private companies for guidelines. The list of attractions changes each year, thus visitors are encouraged to call in to the Tourist Office to know the latest events in the area.
As a starting point, there is no better way than getting lost around Vilagarcía streets. There is also the opportunity to have a bird´s eyeview ot the town by going up to one of the town’s viewpoints. These are the most significant ones:
To get a panoramic view of the ría and Vilagarcía it is worth going to the Xiabre and Meda viewpoints which are quite close to each other. They are easily located due to the windmills and a TV antennae. To one side of the mountain is the ría and its park of bateas (wooden platforms for mussel cultivation), and at its foot, the town centre of Vilagarcía. To the other side of the mountain, is the lower course of the river Ulla and the sight reaches up to the Oeste Towers (where the famous Viking romería – traditional festival – of Catoria is held) and the Ullán and Caldas de Reis valley.
This viewpoint is located on the ancient Lupario iron-age settlement or Castro which later became a castle that witnessed the adventures of Queen Urraca and the Archbishop Gelmirez. It is located in the council of Vilanova de Arousa but the easiest way to get to it is by taking the PO-301 from Vilagarcía. Once on the top, there is a car park where the car must be parked to climb around 200 rustic steps leading to the mountain peak. A full view of the ría de Arousa and a large part of the Salnés valley can be seen from here.
From the lookout point of this fishing town, we can get a splendid view of the mouth of the river Ulla and large part of the Arousa estuary. Also, more importantly, the Cortegada Island, an old royal estate, which today has been integrated into the National Park of the Atlantic Islands. Acces to this viewpoint is from the street where the parish church is located.
