Cangas sits at the mouth of the Ría de Vigo, a short ferry ride from the city but a world apart in pace and feel. Fishing boats work the harbor, granite hills roll behind the town, and nearly 40 beaches are scattered across the municipality — from busy family strands to wild, car-free coves that take a walk through a pine forest to reach.
The beach of Rodeira, just at the entrance to town, is the easiest: wide, well-serviced, and good for families. Head out to Hío on the western tip of the peninsula and the mood changes entirely — Nerga and Barra face the open Atlantic with transparent water and views straight out to the Cíes Islands. Barra is the nudist beach of choice for northern Galicia, reachable only on foot through the pines, which keeps it calm and genuinely beautiful. At Cabo Home, the beach of Melide sits between two lighthouses with the Cíes Islands close enough to feel like you could swim there.
The town itself rewards a wander. Cangas has been settled since ancient times — the Romans were here, and before them others — and its old streets have a weathered, lived-in quality that Vigo, just across the water, has largely lost to development. Come on market day and the waterfront fills up with stalls and locals.
The ferry from Vigo takes about 30 minutes and runs frequently; it's the nicest way to arrive. From Cangas you can also reach Vigo and the Cíes Islands by boat in summer.