Boat trip to O Grove and A Toxa island from Vilanova de Arousa

There's one route that guests who have already sailed with us around Illa de Arousa and Areoso keep asking for: "what if we cross the whole ría one day?". This crossing is the answer. We cast off from the harbour of Vilanova de Arousa, head south and sail the mouth of the ría all the way to O Grove and the island of A Toxa, the most elegant corner of the Rías Baixas. It's a full-day trip — the kind people are still talking about over dinner — and in this post we break it down mile by mile: what you'll see, where we stop, what it costs and when it's at its best.

We rent out our own boat with skipper right here in Vilanova, so what follows isn't a brochure: it's the route exactly as we sail it, with its tricks and its tide timings.

Why do this trip by boat and not by car

A Toxa and O Grove have a road, of course. But arriving by sea changes the experience completely:

• You cross the entire Ría de Arousa, the largest in Galicia, threading between mussel rafts, Illa de Arousa and the silhouette of Sálvora at the mouth.
• You arrive the way people used to: for decades A Toxa was a spa destination reached by boat, and watching it appear from the water — palm trees, the great white hotel, the chapel — is still its finest postcard.
• You stop where nobody else does: coves on the west side of the Illa, the sandbank of Areoso, or an anchorage off San Vicente do Mar, depending on the day.
• No summer traffic jams on the PO-316 and no fighting for parking in O Grove in August.

The route, mile by mile

Departure: the harbour of Vilanova de Arousa

We board at Vilanova's marina, a five-minute walk from the town centre. We go over the day's plan with the chart in hand, life jackets for anyone who wants one, and cast off. The first twenty minutes are inner-ría sailing: we pass among the mussel rafts — if you don't know them, ask the skipper; the story of Galician mussels could fill the whole voyage — and leave the low profile of Illa de Arousa to starboard, with the Punta Cabalo lighthouse on its northern tip.

Crossing the mouth of the ría

Past the Illa, the ría opens up. Ahead lies the O Grove peninsula and, further west, the island of Sálvora guarding the entrance. This is the most seamanlike stretch of the route: big water, the odd mussel-farmer's launch crossing and, with luck, dolphins — the mouth of the Arousa is one of the areas where we spot them most often. The skipper picks the course according to the day's wind; with a fresh northerly we hug the sheltered coast of the Illa.

Arriving in O Grove: the shellfish harbour

O Grove announces itself with its harbour, one of the busiest in the Rías Baixas. Nothing here is staged: shellfish traps stacked on the quay, purse seiners unloading, and the best shellfish gatherers in Galicia working the inlet. If the day allows, we motor slowly past the fishing pier — you don't need a sign to understand why O Grove calls itself the "shellfish paradise"; just look.

A Toxa: the island of shells

Separated from O Grove by a bridge built in 1907, the island of A Toxa is another world: palm trees, gardens, the historic spa and its absolute icon, the chapel of San Caralampio, completely covered in scallop shells. From the water you can circle the island at leisure and its story makes sense: legend has it that a sick donkey, abandoned on the island, was cured by rolling in the mud of its thermal springs — and so was born the spa that put A Toxa on the map of European aristocracy.

Depending on tide and weather, we anchor nearby for a swim or go ashore for a while: walking up to the chapel, having a drink in the Gran Hotel gardens and buying the famous A Toxa soaps is part of the ritual.

The return: coves and sunset

We head back unhurried along the west side of Illa de Arousa, looking for a cove for one last swim — or, if dates and tide allow, a stop at the islet of Areoso and its Caribbean-looking sandbank. In summer and early autumn we usually time the return to enter Vilanova with the sun setting over the ría. We won't try to describe it: some things you have to sail.

Practical details

Item	Detail
Departure and return	Harbour of Vilanova de Arousa
Recommended duration	Full day (the complete crossing takes 7–8 hours)
Price	€500 full day · €300 half day (short route, not reaching A Toxa) · fuel not included
Capacity	Maximum 6 people + skipper
Boat	8.5 m long, certified for 10 — we sail with 6 for comfort
Licence	You don't need one: the skipper is included

About the half day: the full crossing to O Grove and A Toxa needs a whole day to be enjoyed properly. If you only have 4 hours, we'll suggest the short version — Illa de Arousa, Areoso and the mussel rafts — and you save A Toxa for next time.

What to bring

• Sunscreen and a cap (on the water the sun hits twice as hard)
• Swimsuit and towel from April to October
• A light windproof jacket, even in August
• A camera or phone with free storage: you'll need it

When to do it

From May to October the route is at its best. July and August are the busiest months (book well ahead); September and October, with the ría empty and the golden light of the Albariño harvest, are our best-kept secret. In winter we only run it with a clearly favourable forecast.

Book your crossing to O Grove and A Toxa

If you'd like to do this route — or tweak it: more swimming, more seafood, more photography — write to us and we'll tailor it to you. We're local, the boat is ours and we build the plan with you.

WhatsApp: +34 685 74 24 20 — tell us your date and how many you are, and we'll confirm availability the same day.

Photos: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga) — CC BY-SA 3.0, and Lameiro — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.