Walking the Lagares River Vigo

A few weeks ago we decided to finally take the plunge and go and traverse a portion of the over 8 km long path which follows the river Lagares that meanders along the fringes of the city, from Avenida Madrid until Playa Samil. I’ve seen the river before but only in Castrelos where, I firmly believed it begun and ended, for I had never seen it beyond the sanctuary of the park.

We joined the river close to the site of the PSA Peugeot Citroën car plant. The river lies lower than street level, so traffic noise and unsightly edifices are mostly hidden from view.

Upon joining the river trail, we were immediately transported to another world of peace and serenity, in the otherwise hustle and bustle that is Vigo.

We continued to follow the river towards Castrelos and even though we found ourselves amidst towering apartment block, the river and its tree lined banks provided the perfect cover to forget where you were. We passed through Castrelos and into a truly natural environment far removed from the city.

The paths are well maintained and the water is clean, supporting abundant wildlife, namely fish and birds, of which ducks were plentiful. We were told that even the odd heron could be spotted. There is ample flora, offering welcomed shade on hot summer days.
Overall we were quite pleased with our river walk and glad that we had finally taken the time to get to know it, a truly pleasant place to escape the cacophony of Vigo.