Making the most of Vilagarcia
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
At the upstream limit of the river’s navigable section, the town is reached by a beautiful sail past wooded slopes beneath the Sierra de O Barbanza. Near the lively centre, the well-equipped marina has a pleasant yachting club and every facility one might require.
Shuttles into town may be provided by some ships.
Vilagarcía de Arousa is a Galician port on the Firth of Arousa (Ría de Arousa), 45km south of Santiago de Compostela. With almost 37,000 inhabitants, Vilagarcía is Galicia’s eighth town.
Muelle de Pasaxeiros (passengers' wharf) overlooks the entire Muelle Comercial (trading port). To the north is the yachting harbor, whose nearly five hundred berths make it one of Galicia’s largest marinas; beyond lie Concha and Compostela beaches.
A two-kilometer seaside walk links the yachting harbor with Carril fishing town. Halfway along, the Visitors center, a building raised above the strand, supplies tourists with any required town and district information.
Nearby places
By train, Santiago de Compostela is 40 min away.
Food and shopping
Tuesday and Saturdays are street-market days, moved one day earlier when they are bank holidays. Stalls occupy the town between Alexandre Bóveda and Praza Martín Gómez Abal, passing through Avenida da Mariña, Praza Doutor Carús and several O Castro side streets.
Money
Currency: the euro.
There are 100 cents in the euro. • Its eight coins are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent, plus 1 and 2 Euro. • Seven bank notes come in amounts of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro.
Staying connected
Spanish is official throughout the national territory, although regional languages coexist with it: Catalan in Catalonia, Galician in Galicia, Euskera/Basque in the Basque Country, Valencian in the Valencia Region, and a particular Catalan variety on the Balearic Islands.
For emergencies, dial 112 free of charge throughout Spain. Service is in Spanish, plus English, French and German in some tourist areas.
Opening Hours and
The most common shop and business hours are Monday through Saturday, 9.30 h to 13.30 h and 16.30 to 20.00 h.
Large shopping centers and department stores trade continuously from 10.00 h until 21.00 or 22.00 h, sometimes opening Sunday.
In coastal cities during high season, shops generally stay open past 22.00 h.
Pharmacies trade 9.30 to 13.30 h and 16.30 to 20.00 h. Major cities all have pharmacies opening 24 hours; their rolling late-hour rota appears in newspapers and is displayed at every pharmacy.