The Port of Vigo is one of Europe's most important fishing ports. Located in the Province of Galicia on the Vigo Inlet off the Atlantic Ocean and just over 20 miles north of Spain's border with Portugal, it is Spain's largest non-capital city. In 2007, almost 300 thousand people lived in the Port of Vigo.
The fishing industry is the base of the port's economy, as it has been for many centuries, and it is well known for its freezing and canning industry. It is also home to plants manufacturing flour, paper, leather, brandy, sugar, machinery, and lumber. Being the 14th biggest city, it has busy cultural life and a popular soccer team. Unfortunately, it fell victim to oil spills that killed marine life around the port in the early 21st Century.
Port History
The Port of Vigo rests on the remains of an ancient fort and Roman settlement believed to have been called Vicus. It was a small rather unimportant village until the 15th Century, although it suffered many Viking attacks.
It was attacked during the 16th and 17th Centuries as well. Sir Francis Drake raided the city in 1585 and 1589, occupying the village and burning many buildings. The Turkish fleet also attacked the city around the turn of the century.
Walls were built around the city in 1656 to protect it from the many raiders who visited there. Parts of those walls still stand. During the period, commerce began in Vigo, and it received city privileges from Spain's kings.
In 1702, the Battle of Rande (also called the Battle of Vigo Bay) took place when the Anglo-Dutch Navy attached the Spanish fleet while it carried treasure into the port. Then in 1719, the British fleet took the city for a time as a result of Spain's attempts to invade Scotland in support of the Jacobite movement to restore the Stuart kings.
The Port of Vigo was incorporated into Napoleon's empire in 1809, and it was the first city in Galicia to be liberated from the French during the Peninsular War.
During the 19th and 20th Centuries, the Port of Vigo grew quickly. In World War II, several German U-boats were sunk near the port.
Today, the Port of Vigo is Galicia's most important industrial city. It is home to car factories and busy shipyards. Its largest employer, PSA Peugeot Citroen, made over 500 thousand vehicles in 2007. It is also home to the world's biggest fishing company, Pescanova, and the European Fisheries Agency's headquarters.
Port Commerce
The Port of Vigo covers an area of over 549 hectares. In 2006, almost four million tons of general cargo and 2.3 million tons of containerized cargo in 227 thousand TEUs passed through the Port of Vigo on more than 2.4 thousand merchant vessels. Fish catches in 2006 were almost 783 tons, and 35 thousand square meters of the port is dedicated to fish auctions and markets. In 2007, over 150 thousand cruise passengers visited the Port of Vigo on 100 cruise vessels.
In 2007, five million tons of cargo passed through the Port of Vigo, including 82.4 thousand tons of liquid bulk, about 632 thousand tons of dry bulk, and 4.3 million tons of general cargo. Cargoes were dominated by:
- Gas-oil products - 62.1 thousand tons
- Iron and steel products - 67.7 thousand tons
- Mineral products - 434.1 thousand tons
- Building materials - 728.6 thousand tons
- Stockbreeding and feeding products - 723.9 thousand tons
- Automobiles - 265.4 thousand tons
- Containerized cargo - 282.5 thousand tons
Located on the Comercio Quay, the Port of Vigo's modern fruit terminal contains 250 meters of berthing space with alongside depth of 8.5 meters and can accommodate two vessels simultaneously. It includes cold storage capacity for 3800 pallets and 3600 square meters of handling area.
The Container Terminal covers 130 thousand square meters with a 750-meter long dock with alongside depth of 17 meters and can accommodate Panamax and Post-panamax vessels. The terminal also contains a thousand plugs for reefer containers and direct connections to rail and road at the terminal. The Port of Vigo has five ramps for roll-on/roll-off cargo at the Bouzas' terminal.
The Port of Vigo's Passenger Terminal covers 8.7 thousand square meters and has a 552-meter long dock with alongside depth of up to 12 meters. The terminal has complete services for passengers.
Cruising and Travel
The City of Vigo (Spanish) is a large, sprawling urban area with many small bays and beaches. The area around the old port, near the marina, has many original buildings surrounding the Iglesia Concatedral de Santa Maria. Though it was much larger a hundred years ago (before modern urban development), the area still has its four original squares surrounded by cafes and equipped with tables and chairs.
Near Pedra square, ladies sell traditional local oysters at the market. Being an important fishing port, the Port of Vigo is famous for its wide variety of seafoods, and visitors will find many wonderful restaurants offering the best of Galician cuisine.
The beaches in the Bay of Vigo are some of Galicia's best, and they are plentiful. There are 45 separate beaches in the area. The best beaches include the Punta, a popular beach with beautiful white sands and a promenade. To the west of the city is the mile-long Playa de Samil, with a long white promenade and many facilities including restaurants, picnic areas, hotels, and a swimming pool, is the city's busiest beach.
The inner city park, El Castro, contains ruins of a pre-Roman settlement and a large stone cross. Built on a hill, visitors enjoy wonderful views of the city and the bay from one of its many mirradors. It also has an area containing the remains of the San Sebastian fort.
Travelers who want to visit the Port of Vigo by sea can find a long list of scheduled cruises at the Cruise Compete website.
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