Vigo is more than Christmas lights
If you’re looking for an alternative to the Vigo Christmas lights, we’ve got a plan for you: What to do in Vigo?
Vigo is the capital of camellias, and its history is inseparable from this flower, whose development began in 1860, more than 150 years ago, with the arrival of the first specimen of Camellia japonica to the city, which we know as “Methuselah.” Camellias are part of our streets, squares, and gardens, both public and private, making them one of the symbols of our identity.
Matusalén is the mother of Vigo camellias, but you can find camellias in all of Vigo’s parks and green spaces. You’ll find japonica camellias, sasanquas, reticulatas, and so on, up to nearly 20 different varieties. One variety of Camellia japonica even has its own name: Ciudad de Vigo.
Photo of the camellia variety Vigo –
Located in a privileged setting, Vigo is a city open to the sea that looks out to the Atlantic through the estuary that bears its name, a place that does not leave anyone indifferent and where the traditional architecture of its Old Town blends with the beauty of its modernist buildings from the first half of the 20th century. You can visit Vigo’s main tourist attractions and there will always be a camellia nearby.
Vigo Camellia Urban Route
If you’re interested in exploring Vigo in an alternative way, we suggest the Vigo Camellia Urban Route. This walk is approximately 6 km long and runs along some of the city’s main tourist attractions.
The route begins at the passenger port, at the Nautico (seaport), where cruise passengers arrive and the closest point to the sea. It then heads deeper into the city towards Montero Rios and the Alameda or Plaza de Compostela, where you’ll find ancient and large camellia trees. From there, we’ll walk along Marques de Valladares Street and Carral Street, enjoying the beauty of the camellias and the urban architecture.
The route continues through Puerta del Sol, where the Sireno, a sculpture by Francisco Leiro, is located at the top. We then begin to ascend towards Monte do Castro Park, from where we can enjoy the best views of the city and where, throughout the park, we can enjoy magnificent camellia specimens, both ancient specimens and more recent shrubs that have not yet reached the size of trees, but which still offer equally spectacular blooms. This park is one of the two Vigo areas listed on the Galician Camellia Route.
At the foot of Monte do Castro, we will walk along Camellias Avenue, so named after the first international camellia congress held in Vigo in 1966, and continue along it until we reach Plaza de América. Throughout this tour, we won’t miss a single moment of the camellias that adorn the entire avenue, and we’ll also pass by a large number of businesses with this name, including the Camelias Shopping Center at the end of the avenue, near América Square.
From there, we’ll embark on the final stretch of our route, crossing Castrelos Avenue to reach the magnificent park of the same name, known for its open-air auditorium, a magical place located right in the city center where you can enjoy outdoor shows and concerts.
Within the park is also the Pazo de Quiñones de Leon which, in addition to an archaeological museum, houses one of the best art galleries in Galicia, but in our case what matters is that its gardens contain the best and largest variety of camellias in Vigo and also the oldest camellia tree recorded in Galicia, the “Methuselah”. It is located behind the Pazo in the French garden, within the Boxwood labyrinth, with its 25-metre diameter canopy, but the entire extensive garden inside and outside the Pazo is full of other large camellias of immense historical value, which is why this garden is also included in the Camellia Route of Galicia, which recognises gardens in which the camellia is a representative element due to its beauty, colour and unique and characteristic style. It is no coincidence that of the 14 gardens included in this Camellia Route that crosses Galicia from South to North, two are in Vigo, being the only town with two spaces with this distinction.
We hope that after this tour, you’ll be a bit more of a camellia lover and have enjoyed a unique time in contact with nature without leaving the city. Here’s the map of Vigo’s Urban Camellia Route (Click to enlarge).
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