O Grove. San Vicente do Mar. Pedras Negras Seafaring Port and Marina

About this heritage

In one of A Lanzada beach´s end, in O Grove, it is located San Vicente do Mar, a small seafaring village that retains all the charm of its natural beauty. An environment that brings together the first-level touristic and nautical offer. San Vicente has an extensive promenade that invites you to discover part of the sandy-areas of the O Grove peninsula. Behind it, Siradella mountain, the main viewpoint in the area. Here we find a blue-flag Marina. This small seafaring town surrounded by urbanizations that were once luxurious, practically borders the A Lanzada beach. It has a beautiful wooden promenade next to the beach that leads to the Nautical Club, suitable for walking a couple of hours by the sea.

On the Promenade, next to La Barrosa beach, is the monument to the volunteers installed in 2003 as a way of thanking those who helped to alleviate the damage caused by the oil spill from the Prestige oil tanker, which sank in 2002 and whose cargo reached the coast during several months in 2002 and 2003.

As far as Pedras Negras Marina is concerned, this port was built in the nineties, starting from a small initial breakwater in the natural shelter of O Espiño beach. It was traditional used by small local artisan-fishing boats. San Vicente do Mar has traditionally been a village dependent on the sea and its products: inshore fishing, mussel farms and other bivalves. Although since the 80s, tourism has been an important source of income.

To learn more

O Grove is a municipality and, at the same time, a peninsula located in the western part of the O Salnés region – province of Pontevedra – at the entrance of the Arousa estuary. It is known for its seafood and fresh-fish richness of its waters. It was originally an island, now linked to the O Salnés peninsula because of the sea and its southwest winds. Slowly, the isthmus of the A Lanzada beach has been created, which reaches a maximum of two kilometres wide and about four kilometres long. Behind the sandy area and the rich dune system associated with it, there is a large area of mud, sandy bottoms and meadows of marine vegetation.

In this peninsula that makes up O Grove, there is a visit not to be missed: San Vicente do Mar. It is a central point around several coves, of unparalleled beauty, with a wonderful wooden promenade. A small fishing village that retains all the charm of natural beauty. An environment that brings together a first-level tourist and nautical offer with Pedras Negras, the marina and its promenade. This port was built in the nineties, starting from a small initial breakwater in the natural shelter of O Espiño beach. It was traditionally used by small local artisan fishing boats. San Vicente do Mar has traditionally been a town dependent on the sea and its products: inshore fishing, mussels farms and other bivalves. Although since the 80s the tourism has been an important source of income.

Integrated in the Tourist Excellence municipality of O Grove, in this parish of San Vicente are combined most of the natural sandy areas of the region, the favourite place for swimmers. The site is considered by the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/Birdlife) as one of the most important wintering and passage sites for water birds on the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The number of wintering aquatic species has risen to 15 thousand. The protected area also includes the outer coastal section of the O Grove peninsula between Reboredo and San Vicente do Mar.

Since 1963, the “Festa do Marisco” (Seafood festival) of O Grove has been celebrated in October, being this the most important gastronomic festival about all kind of molluscs and crustaceans. This gastronomic and cultural event highlights the basic pillar of this coastal village economy: tourism and fishing. The place offers, besides nature and beaches, different leisure activities, visits to the Atlantic Islands Natural Park, trekking, bicycle routes, underwater fishing, boat trips, kitesurfing and children´s playground area. In fact, the popular concerts of the San Vicente Nautical Club, are an excellent option in the overcrowded summers of the Rías Baixas.

To know it better

O Grove, in the province of Pontevedra, is a municipality characterized by its fishing activities, water-sport offers, mussel farming and shell-fishing.

San Vicente do Mar Yacht Club, created in 1998, is located in O Grove´s south, in a privileged area. It has always been possible to practice different activities and water sports and also to participate in the different regattas, fishing competitions, cultural exhibitions or conferences.

The Nautical Club develops its activities around Pedras Negras Port, which is today an strategic port. It has 134 moorings between 6 and 12 metres length, as well as 10 places reserved for transitory boats. In addition to all this services, it has a Blue-flag status and is certified with the “Q” of Tourism Quality due to its excellent facilities.