This is the third post about our 2-week trip in August 2026 through Northern Portugal and Galicia. You can see a summary of it here:

Day 10 – 8/17/2026 (Monday)

We had coffee, packed our things, and checked out of this Galician campsite, which was the largest we've stayed at so far. We drove for 1 hour and 30 minutes to... Cangas, from where our boat would depart for the Cies Islands, We arrived exactly half an hour before the boat was due to depart. It was stressful getting everything ready in a rush, but in the end it all worked out!

We took the ferry With our cart full of camping gear and suitcases, we were clearly the ones with the most stuff of all the passengers on board. The boat sailed until... Vigo, where we changed to another boat, and then continued from Vigo to the Cíes Islands. A slow-speed trip, super pleasant for children and adults.

We arrived on the island and were thrilled by its beauty. We arrived in the middle of the afternoon and the main beach was relatively crowded, but nothing compared to Ipanema or Carcavelos beaches on a sunny day. Phew, thank goodness! We walked all the way to the campsite under a blazing sun, and that was quite a challenge. Poor kids… I only put them in extreme situations. Hahaha. The day they find out what an all-inclusive resort is, they'll want to strangle me…

I waited in the check-in line for quite a while while Celo took the kids to get something to eat at the campsite restaurant. I received a number to hang on my tent, a map, explanations of the tours they offer, some 10-cent coins for showering during our 4-day camping trip – 2 coins per person per day – and I understood the locations of the bathrooms and how the restaurants worked. What a cute and organized place!

I joined the rest of the family for a meal and rest, and once we had recharged our energy, we went to choose the best spot to pitch our tent. After some indecision, we finally chose one of the spots with the best view of the lagoon and the beach, but it had roots growing in the ground beneath our tent, which we knew wasn't ideal for a family with small children who are constantly going in and out. Luckily, we didn't have any accidents and woke up every day to a beautiful view!

We were very close to the bathroom, mini-market, and restaurants, which was very convenient, and luckily we didn't have any noisy neighbors. Well, not exactly any, we did have seagulls that woke up early and made a point of waking everyone with their morning calls. A funny inconvenience, for sure!

After an hour setting up the tent, we got ready to go to the beach, which was undoubtedly what everyone was most excited to do on the whole trip. Today, looking at the itinerary I planned, I regret that we spent so few days at the beach in the middle of summer. Luckily, the four days we spent on the island were perfect and somewhat satisfied my craving for sun, sand, and saltwater for the year.

We caught a beautiful late afternoon on a practically empty beach, because the boats with tourists had almost all left. Only the people who were camping were there, and since there are many places on the island for them to be, our chosen spot was quite empty. The children played peacefully in the sand, and Celo and I finally relaxed, watching the little ones carefree and unhurried. The feeling of being on an island that only has the campsite, 3 restaurants, and nothing else, was simply wonderful!

We returned to the campsite as it was getting dark to shower and have dinner. The showers were a bit crowded and there was a line to get in, but we managed to take our hot showers with the 10-cent coins that entitled us to 2.5 minutes each. We left the bathroom and went straight to dinner at the tables outside, without any complications, enjoying a delightfully pleasant evening without wind or coats. We ate some very home-style dishes from the restaurant on the second floor, drank some chilled white wine to end the day well, and got ready for bed. A long day full of logistics, but one that ended in the best possible way.

Day 11 – 8/18/2026 (Tuesday)

We slept beautifully on our first night on the island! We woke up to the sound of birds singing, opened the tent, saw that wonderful view, and started the day off right.

Since we hadn't brought a stove or supplies, we went upstairs to have breakfast at the campsite restaurant on the second floor. There was an annoying line, but luckily it moved quickly. We ordered eggs, bread, yogurt, juice, and coffee, then paid for everything and went looking for a table. The prices weren't cheap, but considering we were on an island and didn't want to bother making anything, I thought it was okay.

We sat outside the restaurant for a while to enjoy the view, and look how beautiful the place is!

Then we packed our things and headed to the beach! We chose to stay at one further away from the port, the Bolos Beach. A beautiful and peaceful place, which remained empty all morning until we left for lunch. We swam in the sea – the water was freezing, of course – played in sandcastles and a dam, watched the seagulls stealing food from people, and I even managed to read my books while the children played freely. What peace!

We went back to eat at the campsite restaurant – prices below – rested a bit, had some popsicles, and then went back to the beach. This time we stayed at the main beach, the Wine Beach Until dusk. We returned to the campsite, showered, and went to dinner, this time at the restaurant. Seraphim, ...which is located between the campsite and those two beaches. The atmosphere is nicer than the campsite restaurant, but the prices are also higher. We ate fish, meatballs, and empanadas, and everything was delicious. It's hard not to like a meal there...

We walked back on a lovely evening with the children running freely along the dirt path, without the worry of passing cars or bad people, and got ready for bed. A very well-spent day, hearts full of love. Thank you, God!

Day 12 – 19/8/2026 (Wednesday)

We had breakfast again at the campsite restaurant, and since it was cloudy, we took our time. We played around inside the tent while it drizzled, and luckily the weather improved, and we went out for a walk.

We decided to explore the beaches on the other side of the island, those closer to the port, but since Celo wasn't feeling so well, we thought it best to stop at... Rodas Restaurant We ate and drank plenty of fluids. We suspected dehydration because he usually drinks a lot of water, and he hadn't drunk any the night before, so we ordered light meals and drinks and just rested. Lunch was a little stressful because the seagulls wouldn't leave the tables to get food, and we had to protect our plates, but everything turned out alright in the end.

When Celo said he was feeling a little better, we went to check out the beach next door, the Sand Beach, It's quite small but charming. We didn't stay there because we wanted to explore the more distant ones and didn't want to hear or see the boats, but it seemed like a good option for families.

We kept walking until the Freixeiros Area and Figueiras Beach And we were completely enchanted. What a beautiful place!!! It was very quiet, with few people, so it was so peaceful… Just look at this:

The left side of the beach had rocks and calmer, clearer water, while the right side had sand. There were few people in the water because it was cold and not very warm, but we still took advantage of it to dive in and build dams and sandcastles.

We returned to the campsite, showered, and changed into warmer clothes because it was chilly. Since the restaurant wasn't open for dinner yet, we grabbed some drinks and snacks from the bar on the first floor and sat at a table in the garden to enjoy the sunset while the children played freely. When the restaurant opened, we went upstairs to eat and then got ready for bed.

Day 13 – 8/20/2026 (Thursday)

Another good night's sleep, even though our mattresses weren't the softest in the world, and a happy morning. We had breakfast again at the campsite restaurant, ordering different things than the day before, and set off to explore the island since it was a beautiful day.

We hiked the trail to the Alto de la Campá Bird Observatory We passed through many beautiful and different places. Ju complained of being tired at some point, but as soon as we talked about K-pop warriors, Disney princesses, and her school friends, she quickly forgot about it. The trail is very kid-friendly, and we found the walk delightful.

Finally, at the top of the island, we stopped at the bird observatory to admire the view and watch the birds flying freely around the cliff. I thought it was really cool to be there, but since other people arrived to see it, we couldn't stay sitting there enjoying it for very long. Watching birds in peace must be wonderful!

We got off, excited about the ride, and stopped at... Our Lady's Beach. What an incredible view, but the water was freezing! Of course, we forced ourselves to go for a swim, played in sandcastles and dams, and watched the people around us. Lots of relaxed families, zero stress. I felt that the island's energy is truly different. There's no luxury, no rush, no stress, no fear… everyone is happy, relaxed, and not thinking too much about Instagram, you know? They seem to be truly enjoying themselves without cell phones in their hands, without posing, without demands or expectations. I felt like I was in a special place and I already want to go back. I started to feel that sadness of leaving…

At the end of the day, we showered and went to dinner at the campsite restaurant. After dinner, the children went to watch a movie outdoors with other children, and we were able to have a peaceful moment alone while watching them from afar. A paradise!

Day 14 – 8/21/2026 (Friday)

Time to leave the island. 🙁

We had our coffee and packed our things to leave. What a sad moment…

We walked back to the dock, but since we still had 30 minutes to go before our boat, we sat down at the restaurant for a while to wait. Paddy wanted to play on the beach making dams again – he's addicted to it! – and Ju stayed with us at the table. When it was time to board, there we were again with our many belongings. Luckily, the staff on the boat helped us with the cart on the ramps and stairs.