How to reach the Cies Islands

The Cíes Islands, part of the protected National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia, offer a breathtaking retreat into nature's embrace. For those wishing to explore this paradise, understanding the logistics of getting there is essential. This guide is designed to provide you with all the necessary information on how to reach the Cíes Islands, reserve your boat trip, and obtain the required permits.

→ Check out our guide to visiting the Cíes Islands (with all the necessary information).

The only way to access the Cíes Islands is via boat. Several ferry companies operate routes from different departure points, including Vigo, Cangas del Morrazo, Baiona, and Portonovo. Here are the ferry operators where you can make your reservations:

• Mar de Ons: Offers frequent departures from Baiona, Cangas, and Vigo, and is the service we personally recommend.
• Nabia: Also departs from Baiona, Cangas, and Vigo.
• Cruceros Rías Baixas: Operates solely from Vigo.
• Cruceros do Ulla: Services only from Portonovo.

The ticket price for a round trip ranges between €18.50 and €19.50, and the journey takes approximately 40 minutes.

Booking the Boat to the Cíes Islands and Obtaining the Necessary Permits

These two processes are interconnected, and we will treat them as a single process. Follow these steps:

1. First, you must request pre-authorization from the Xunta de Galicia through this link. You will receive an email with a code for each person, formatted as “ILLASXXXX”.
2. This pre-authorization is essential for reserving the boat. Next, visit the ferry company's website that suits your needs, select your route and times, and reserve your tickets using the provided code.
3. The ferry company will then request the definitive authorization from the Xunta, so this step won’t require further action from you.
4. Within a few hours or days, you will receive an email from the Xunta with the definitive authorization, including your details and a QR code necessary to board the ferry to the Cíes Islands.

This process is applicable for all visitors planning a day trip to the Cíes Islands. If you intend to camp overnight (the only option is the Cíes Islands Camping), the procedure is slightly different, which we will cover next.

Additionally, if you book through Civitatis, you won’t need to worry about the authorization request. More information on that below.

How to Camp on the Cíes Islands

If you plan to spend the night at the Cíes Islands camping site, follow these steps to obtain your permit:

1. Book your camping spot well in advance on the Cíes Islands Camping website. It’s crucial to do this several weeks ahead, as the 800 available spots can fill up quickly!
2. Upon receiving your reservation, the camping staff will handle your pre-authorization request with the Xunta, which you will receive via email within a few days.
3. With this code, you can then proceed to book your ferry to the Cíes Islands on your desired dates.
4. The ferry company will process your authorization with the Xunta.
5. You will receive the final authorization via email within hours or days.

Booking the Boat to the Cíes Islands with Civitatis

This was the option we chose, and it’s simpler and at the same price. In our case, we were a group of four, with some of us camping overnight while others visited for the day. We made a single reservation, noting our situation in the comments.

Why is it simpler? Because you won’t need to process any pre-authorizations. Just visit their website, choose your date and time, and make your reservation. They will handle acquiring the final authorization that gets sent to you via email. With the reservation voucher from Civitatis, you’ll need to go to the ferry company’s office (next to the port) to collect your tickets 30 minutes before departure.

The ferry company they partner with is Mar de Ons, and you can cancel your reservation up to 15 days in advance.

→ Boat to the Cíes Islands from Vigo

For the return trip, it is generally possible to take an earlier ferry than the time you selected, provided there’s availability, but not for later departures.

If you are a camper, simply note your return date and time in the reservation process. We also provided the pre-authorization code that arrived after booking our camping spot, but this might not be necessary.

→ Here we share the top 10 things to see and do in the Cíes Islands.

Are you clearer on how to arrive at the Cíes Islands, reserve your boat, and obtain your permits? We hope this information proves helpful. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out.

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