Praia de Area dos Cans

Area dos Cans is the southern beach of the island and the practical entry point for nearly every visitor to Ons. The ferry pier sits at its northern end; the beach curves away southward toward the lower cliffs. It is sheltered, sandy, and calm, with water that warms up faster than the exposed western coast because the ría holds heat better than the open ocean.

For day-trippers who want to combine a swim with time at the village and a shorter walk, Area dos Cans is the obvious choice — it requires no more than ten minutes' walk from the pier in either direction. Those willing to invest an hour's walking each way will find Melide, at the far end of the island, quieter and more dramatic; Area dos Cans is for those who came for the beach and the boat ride.

beaches
A story
The name — Beach of the Dogs — has nothing to do with dogs and everything to do with a local word for the channels between rocks; the same term shows up in dozens of Galician place names along the coast. The ferry docks here, which makes it the first beach most visitors see and the one that fills up fastest, but at low tide the sand extends further than it looks from the pier and there is usually room.