On the top of the hill leading back from the old town, is one of the best places to sit down relax and sip a cool drink, and take in the stunning views across Vigo, the bay and out to the islands. You may well deserve that cool drink as it's quite a hike up to the cafe, not that it involves ropes or karabiners!El Mirador Castro is a one of two cafeterias/restaurantes situated at the top of Parque do Castro. (as close to the top as you can get with a car) It's made up of two parts, a large indoor area, with an outdoor terrace all accessed by walking down a set of external stairs and up along side the road is a large terrace area looking out over Vigo Bay. The atmosphere is relaxed and the road is merely for access so has little traffic, a world away from the hustle and bustle of Vigo.
Tips: try to get up there early, the cafe opens around 10:30am and avoid the tourist buses especially during the summer months, enter the old 16th century fort further up the hill and take in more stunning views of the bay, whilst walking around it's lovely gardens, then take a stroll through the woods further down the hill and view the remains of a Celtiberian fort.
El Mirador Castro doesn't tick all the right boxes for an excellent cafe/restaurant. On the two occasions we've been for an evening meal, we were disappointed with both, but as a cafe it does most things right but charging premium prices isn't one of them, I assume only for it's location. A shame it can't deliver the full package and warrant a deeper review. Don't let me put you off though it's still well worth the walk to the top!
The evening is another great time to be up here. While your sitting back and relaxing and watching the sun set over the Atlantic, just remember that what your seeing was once the edge of the known world, enjoy...!
