Visit Vigo!

Old Vigo is a tour for visitors to get an idea, through buildings and urban spaces, of the origin of the city, the why and how it developed until today

Even knowing of the existence of an important Iron Age village and a large Roman settlement, it is not until the Middle Ages when a small fishing village is  consolidating at the foot of the mount o9d O Castro between two coves, the Arenal and the Berbes, grouping its houses around the gothic church of Santa Maria, now defunct.

Until the late eighteenth century, Vigo hardly develops as a city because of restrictions on maritime trade on favor of Baiona and A Coruna and suffered wars, such as the attacks of the English fleet commanded by Francis Drake or the Battle of Rande, in 1702.

But in the nineteenth century everything changes. Maritime trade liberalization finally allows us to compete and use our excellent condition as a natural harbor, our strategic location and our entrepreneurial spirit. The arrival of the first Catalan entrepreneurs, who transformed the industry of the sea, forces Vigo to begin a rapid development until today.

This growth causes the walled city to collapse and to spread along the main roads, leading eventually to the demolition of the walls, to integrate the urban center with the dynamic outer boroughts. Thus, new streets are opened within the old town, which improve communication, some streets and squares are cleaned up, regularized or widen, creating an intense building activity.

In short, the Old Vigo has been and remains a very dynamic-evolving neighborhoodto fit every time period. Current initiatives promoted by the City Council for this area have as main objective the restoration of buildings and urban environment improvement to give back to Vigo its old town.

Vigo is today a modern and cosmopolitan city, but also the economic engine of Galicia, and all thanks to the Sea, its main ally. The walk through ‘Vigo and the Sea’ shows the intrinsic relationship between Vigo and the Sea, from the beginning, when it was just a fishing village, to the present, being one of the most important ports in Spain and in the World.

In this development , the city is transformed by considering its strategic geographical location in an estuary protected from the elements thanks to the natural barrier of the Cies islands.

The route runs along the seafront of the city center, the widening of Garcia Oiloqui , the Alameda and other urban spaces that have been recovered and humanized fot the enjoyment of citizens and visitors, with a spectacular backdrop, as it is the Ria de Vigo. Many of the featuring buildings are linked to the sea, either by the role they have played or by their inclusion in development plans of this area.

The beginning of the walk ” Vigo and the Sea” is at the Estacion Maritima de Ria, in the area where it started the development and expansion of what is now the Port of Vigo. The safety provided by the Cies for navigatingthe Ria de Vigo motivated the development of intercontinental trade relations and intense  industrial activity linked to the sea

At the end of the nineteenth century the first expansion of the city of Garcia Oiloqui, was made on land reclaimed from the sea which allowed completeing the extension of the harbor, and thus, the development of the city. The Alameda the heart and lungs of the expansion area, survived the speculative interests of promoters thanks to the protection of the Council.

In recent years, Vigo has made a major transformation of the entire area, making it one of the most beautiful and pleasant areas of the city, thanks to the provision of quality urban spaces and seafront recovery for the use and enjoyment of citizenship.

The city has always managed to create alternatives to suit the needs of each age but there are some traditions that have endured over time. On is the stone arhitecture, which is present in all architectural periods. The fine quarry tradition was at its best during Eclecticism and Modernism, as seen in the beautiful stone buildings that pepper the city center.