Info on Cartagena and Vigo Spain

[pbs55]

Any suggestions for excursions or "must do's" in either Cartagena or Vigo Spain? Should we take a cruise tour or go on our own?

[Morgans]

I have posted a reply about Cartagena to another poster which I think must have found itself to Page 2 by now. Basically - there is not a huge amount to do in either city but it depends what your likes and dislikes are. If you wish to gently amble around, stopping off at shops, bars and cafes and people watching, you will be fine. Cartagena has some Roman remains which you may like.There are some lovely bars where you can sit and watch the world go by. Vigo has a huge fish market which is interesting but basically they are both "working" Spanish cities. I would recommend that from Vigo you do the excursion to Santiago de Compostela - it's about an hour in the coach and is a magnificent place with its huge cathedral and beautiful squares. Should you be a shopping fan, you will find the department stores called "El Corte Ingles" very interesting.

 

Marge.

[Sandy R]

I can tell you what we did in Vigo a few years ago: The ship docks right in town. A group of us walked to the El Castro Citadel. If you decide to see the fort, be aware that you walk up a very steep hill. Some of us elected to take a taxi which only cost a few $... far better. The Citadel has remnants of the fortress, lovely grounds, a lake with a fountain and a panoramic view of the city. We then walked down to the pedistrian walk... not much there. Vigo does not cater to tourists so the shopping for foreigners is almost non-existent. We ate lunch on the ship then caught 2 taxis and drove about 30 minutes to a lovely area call Bayona.The Monte Real Fortress is there, which dates back to the 16th century... the views from the fortress are spectacular. The Bayona marina has a replica of the Pinta, one of Columbus' ships. We also explored the walled section of Bayona which dates back to medieval times... very interesting, very quaint. There were several restaurants that served amazing looking seafood. Had we known, we definitely would have eaten lunch in Bayona. If you decide not to go to Santiago, Bayona is definitely a closer alternative.

 

Sandy

[Boreus]

I have not been to Bayona, but I have visited Santiago de Compostela and can highly recommend it. Here is a web site on the town, http://www.santiagoturismo.com/ , which you can easily reach by train from Vigo. You will need to take a cab to the train station in Vigo but you can just walk uphill from the station to the old town in Santiago.