Vigo Food Tour Guide: Discover Galician Tapas, Seafood and Wine in Vigo Spain
Looking for the best Vigo food tour? Our small group Vigo tapas and wine tour is one of the most authentic food tours in Vigo, Galicia, Spain. Walk through the historic centre of Vigo with a local guide while tasting traditional Galician tapas, fresh seafood, local cheeses and regional wines from Rías Baixas. This Vigo walking food tour combines gastronomy, culture and history in one unforgettable culinary experience.
We´re in the city of Vigo, about to start a Vigo food tour, a tapas and wine tasting experience through the city and one of the best ways to discover the local cuisine. Vigo is the gateway to the Rías Baixas and the Galician estuaries and is often called the City of the Sea, one of the most exciting destinations for food tourism in Galicia and Spain. It is home to one of the largest fishing ports in the world and to the multinational seafood company Pescanova. Vigo, whose name derives from the Roman word vicus, meaning village or settlement, has a population of around 300,000 and is the largest city in Galicia, although it did not become an important town until the 15th century.
We meet beside the giant statue called La Bañista, a bronze sculpture by the local artist Francisco Leiro. With our local guide we walk to another nearby bronze statue, this time of Jules Verne, created by the Galician artist José Molares. He was the French writer of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which devotes a chapter to the Bay of Vigo and the treasure beneath the Rande Bridge. Captain Nemo and the Nautilus salvage gold from the Battle of Rande to fund their adventures. The statue shows Verne seated on a giant squid that attacked the Nautilus, gazing across the bay where today you can see the famous mussel rafts of the Rías Baixas.
We continue to Plaza Compostela and Alameda Park, surrounded by attractive buildings. This elegant residential and business neighbourhood was designed in the 19th century and once housed Vigo´s wealthiest residents. Today it is full of life in the late afternoon and evening. We pass along Rua Policarpo Sanz, Vigo´s historic banking quarter, lined with stately buildings including the García Barbón Theatre designed by the famous Galician architect Antonio Palacios. Then we reach Príncipe Street, the most popular shopping area in Vigo. The MARCO Museum, originally built as a prison in 1861 and now the Museum of Contemporary Art, stands as another striking landmark.
What to Eat in Vigo: A Guide to Galician Seafood, Tapas and Local Wines
If you are wondering what to eat in Vigo, the city is famous for its incredible seafood, traditional Galician tapas and excellent local wines from the Rías Baixas region. One of the best ways to experience the local cuisine is by joining a Vigo food tour, where you can taste a variety of dishes while exploring the historic streets, markets and traditional tapas bars of the city.
Learn About Vigo´s Seafood Culture at the Local Market
We arrive at our first stop, Progreso Market, where the old food market stood over 100 years ago. The market has many stalls selling beautifully fresh seafood. Everything is so fresh: squid, scallops, sardines and much more. There are also excellent Galician cheeses such as Tetilla, Arzúa-Ulloa, San Simón and Cebreiro. You will also see cured hams, flowers, fruit and vegetables, as well as local pastries, biscuits and cakes. We stop briefly for coffee and some palitos de anís, little finger-shaped pastries flavoured with anise. They are the perfect way to open the appetite before continuing our Vigo walking food tour.
Walk the Streets of This Urban Coastal City from the New Town to the Old Fishing Quarter
Passing through Porta do Sol Square, which connects the Old Town with the newer part of the city, we see the famous sculpture El Sireno, another striking work by Francisco Leiro representing a mythical half-man, half-fish figure. As a port city, Vigo expanded rapidly and lost many historic buildings, which explains its mixture of modern and historic architecture. The streets are lined with camellia, orange and olive trees, the olive being the symbol of the city on its coat of arms. Vigo was once surrounded by olive groves until many were cut down in the 15th century by order of the Catholic Monarchs.
At Princesa Square, you can still see part of Vigo´s original city wall. From there, we enter Constitución Square, the heart of the Old Town, where local festivals such as the Reconquista on 28 March and Os Maios in May are celebrated. Our knowledgeable guide shares stories from Vigo´s past: the attack by Sir Francis Drake in 1585, the construction of the city walls in 1656, the Battle of Rande in 1702 and the liberation of the city from French occupation in 1809 during the Reconquista. At the corner of the square, we enter Rua Cesteiros, or Basketmakers Street, historically home to artisans and merchants. Today, you can still find shops selling traditional baskets, hats, pottery and jewelry.
We are now into our stride as we head past Casa de Ceta, a unique 15th-century urban-style mansion, and then to Santa María Church, also known as Vigo Cathedral, in its neoclassical style dating from 1836, with another olive tree outside. This area forms part of Berbés, where fishermen traditionally lived. We head down some steep stairs past gift shops to where the sea and sand once reached and where women sold fish on granite benches. We are now in Calle de las Ostras, Oyster Street, where sellers gather to offer the local catch from the bay.
1st Tapas and Wine Stop on Our Vigo Food Tour
It is here that we stop to enjoy our first tapas of the day at a small and charming place. It is a vinoteca, a wine bar where you can also try locally sourced products. Carmen and Paco, the owners, give us a warm welcome and explain that they only buy selected local products made by small producers. They offer a range of local wines from small wineries and stock hand made canned seafood such as mussels, razor clams, cockles and small scallops, along with many other gastronomic products like cheese, cured meats and desserts. The place has bags of character, including an old fireplace as part of a traditional Galician style house with a long history.
We begin with a delicious spider crab pâté paired with a glass of Treixadura white wine from the D.O. Ribeiro wine region, served in a traditional ceramic cup called a cunca. Next comes a cheeseboard featuring three different Galician cheeses. All are hand made from cow´s milk by a small producer and are perfectly matched with another wine, this time a Mencía red from the D.O. Ribeira Sacra.
2nd Stop: Galician Arroz de Marisco on Our Vigo Tapas Tour
Time for our second stop, and it looks really promising as we are welcomed in by Ivan the sommelier and Carla the expert seafood chef, a son and mother team preparing some of the best seafood dishes in the city. We are quickly served more delicious Albariño wine from the D.O. Rías Baixas wine region. We start with a traditional Galician empanada filled with seafood or meat, depending on the day.
Then comes the highlight of the tour: a gigantic pan of Arroz de Marisco, Galicia´s famous seafood rice dish. It may look a little like paella, but it has its own distinctly Galician character. The dish includes plenty of local catch such as hake, prawns, shrimp, clams and mussels, all cooked in rich fish stock and flavoured with Spanish saffron. This dish beautifully showcases the seafood culture of Vigo and the Rías Baixas, making it a true highlight of any food tour in Vigo. We reluctantly leave satisfied and content, having enjoyed our time so much, but there is still one last stop to come.
3rd Stop: A Sweet Ending with Tarta de Santiago
Our final stop offers a sweet ending to our Vigo tapas and food tour. Here we enjoy the traditional Tarta de Santiago almond cake served with coffee or tea in a charming pastry café. It is the perfect conclusion to a fun foodie experience in Vigo, combining walking, sightseeing, local history and the best of Galician gastronomy.
What people say... "It really was something that we would not have seen if we had wandered around the streets alone without our fantastic guide."
A fantastic tour for those looking to experience the real flavours of Vigo. We also offer another experience that combines a sustainable mussel boat cruise on Vigo Bay with a tapas food tour.
Are you staying in Vigo for a few days? You could also enjoy our coastal walking tour of Vigo Bay with seafood tastings. The experience includes a ferry ride across the bay to a fishing village, a coastal walk and even more delicious Galician seafood tapas and local wines.
With eatandwalkabout.com, not only can you discover Vigo on a food tour, but you can also enjoy a sailing trip to the Cíes Islands, a Galician cooking class with a local chef, and much more.
Start planning your trip by exploring the best tours in Vigo, Galicia, Spain.
Frequently Asked Questions About Food Tours in Vigo
What food is Vigo famous for?
Vigo is famous for its exceptional seafood thanks to its Atlantic location in Galicia. Local specialties include oysters, mussels, scallops, octopus and seafood rice known as Arroz de Marisco paired with Albariño wines from the Rías Baixas region.
Is Vigo a good destination for food tours?
Yes. Vigo is one of Spain´s best destinations for seafood and Galician cuisine. A Vigo food tour lets visitors explore the city while tasting local tapas, wines and traditional dishes in authentic markets and restaurants.
What happens on a Vigo tapas tour?
On a Vigo tapas and wine tour you walk through the historic centre with a local guide, visit traditional bars and markets and taste Galician specialties such as seafood, cheeses, empanadas and regional wines.
