Vigo

Vigo is a city and municipality in the north-west of Spain, in the region of Galicia, which is situated in the north-west corner of the Iberian peninsular, and situated on the estuary of the same name leading off the Atlantic Ocean. In the Galician dialect, it is also called Gheada. It is about 22km from the nearest point of the Portuguese border and about 140km south of Coruña, the main city in Galicia.

Vigo is the 14th largest city by population, with it's major industries being shipbuilding and car manufacturing (Peugeot-Citroén). It has extensive docks and ferry facilities. This is very much a industrial city with a big focus on water based sports such as sailing.

Compared many other Galician towns and cities, Vigo experiences warmer summer temperatures and milder winters, which is mainly due to its sheltered location, being surrounded by mountains inland and a series of islands out in the bay towards the Atlantic sea. However the city is effected very much by the Atlantic, which gives it an average annual temperature of only 15°C and like much of Galicia, substantial rainfall throughout the year.

Transportation includes a ferry service between the Port of Vigo and the Atlantic Islands of the Galician National Park, the only National Park in Galicia. The main beach on the central island was declared best beach in the world in 2007.

The city has an airport called Vigo-Peinador which is approximately 7km east of the city centre, from where there are flights to Paris, London, Brussels, and a number of domestic destinations. Due to recent increased passenger use, this facility is being expanded to cope.

The centre of the city is currently seeing the construction of an AVE (high speed train) station to link with other parts of the peninsular, and there are blueprints for a metro system for the city.

The University of Vigo is situated in a mountainous area on the outskirts of the city. It has a well known reputation as an important centre for studies relating to ocean-based industries.

As might be expected, Vigo, with it's estuary and Atlantic sea close at hand, it has a perfect environment for nautical sports, especially sailing. Important events like the Atlantic Week, that was held in September 2006, received the World Championship of the Platu 25 class. Every year in August there are races with sailing boats arriving from all around the Iberian peninsula - the Regatta Rías Baixas, which has also included over 130 sailing boats from other countries.

There are a number of other sea-based activities which naturally include in sailing and also recreational fishing. There are two annual regattas on the Galician calendar based in Vigo.