Sangenjo

Floating like emeralds off the Ría de Vigo, the Cíes Islands are the crown jewels of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park. Rodas Beach, a perfect crescent of white sand linking Monteagudo and Montefaro, is regularly voted among the world’s best — its turquoise waters sheltered by the islands’ embrace. Above the shore, hiking trails wind through pine forests and gorse-clad cliffs to the Faro de Cíes lighthouse, where views stretch to the continental shelf. Below the surface, a marine reserve teems with kelp forests, octopus, and schools of bream. By night, the absence of light pollution reveals a sky dense with stars.