O Grove and A Toxa Island (Rías Baixas)

O Grove is the fishing and seafood town on a peninsula at the southern mouth of the Ría de Arousa, and A Toxa (La Toja) is the small spa island joined to it by a white 1910s bridge, best known for its chapel covered in scallop shells. Drivers reach O Grove on the AG-41 O Salnés motorway; the bus station is 200 m from the harbour square, Praza do Corgo, and the shell chapel is 2 km away across the bridge. Come for seafood, boat trips to the mussel rafts, the October Seafood Festival and a walk on A Toxa. It suits food lovers and couples on a spa break; skip it if you want a quiet fishing village or wild beaches, which are just outside town at A Lanzada.

Quick facts

• Names: O Grove in Galician, El Grove in Spanish. The island is A Toxa in Galician (Illa da Toxa) and La Toja in Spanish; hotels and spa brands use “La Toja”.
• Where: O Salnés, Pontevedra province, on the peninsula between the Ría de Arousa and the open Atlantic. A Toxa lies in the Ría de Arousa just off the town.
• Coordinates: 42.4963, -8.8642 (Praza do Corgo, O Grove harbour square).
• A Toxa bridge: built 1909–1914, reinforced concrete, 35 arches, 146 m long (Turismo de Galicia).
• Thermal waters: A Toxa’s medicinal springs were declared of public utility in 1868.
• Big event: the Festa do Marisco (Seafood Festival), every October since 1963.
• Tourist office: on Praza do Corgo, by the fishing port and fish market (Rías Baixas tourist board).

Access and parking

By car: Turismo de Galicia’s route follows the O Salnés motorway (AG-41) towards Sanxenxo, Cambados and O Grove; in O Grove you cross the bridge to reach A Toxa. On the way in from Sanxenxo the road runs past A Lanzada beach, 5.5 km south of the town centre.

Parking: OpenStreetMap shows several surface car parks around Praza do Corgo and the harbour within 300 m of the square, one of them marked free and open 24 hours, and more along the waterfront towards the bridge. On A Toxa there are car parks by the hotels and near the chapel. We could not confirm prices or seasonal restrictions.

By bus: O Grove bus station is about 200 m from Praza do Corgo, and OpenStreetMap shows a stop called Cruce Illa da Toxa at the bridge. We could not check timetables.

On foot: the bridge has a pavement, so you can walk from the harbour to the chapel, about 2 km in a straight line.

What to expect

O Grove town: Praza do Corgo is the centre of life, according to the Rías Baixas tourist board: the fishing port, the fish market, the market square, the town hall and the tourist office are all around it. Look for the granite monument to the shellfish family by Alfonso Vilar Lamelas. Turismo de Galicia notes that the afternoon is the busiest time at the fish market, and that the town has more than 50 granite sculptures from its yearly sculpture symposium. Many seafood restaurants face the port, and shellfish farms keep crustaceans alive in ría water; some restaurants pack seafood to take away.

Boat trips: catamarans and glass-bottomed boats leave from the harbour by Praza do Corgo to tour the ría and stop at the mussel rafts (bateas), where mussels, oysters and scallops are grown on ropes (Turismo de Galicia). We did not check operators, timetables or prices.

A Toxa island: a quiet, green island of pine woods, palms and seafront paths, with luxury spa hotels. Its thermal water, thalassotherapy centres and spas are the reason most people stay here. The landmark is the Capela das Cunchas, the chapel of San Caralampio, whose whole façade is covered in scallop shells; Turismo de Galicia calls it one of Galicia’s most unique buildings. Stalls on the island sell crafts made from shells, and there is a children’s play village, the Aldea dos Grobits.

Practical details

• Festa do Marisco: ten days each October in Praza do Corgo, with tents serving clams, razor clams, oysters, mussels, cockles, barnacles, lobster, octopus and empanadas; rice with seafood is the most popular dish. The board says it has drawn about 200,000 visitors on average in recent years. Spider crab is the one thing missing: it is in its closed season in October. Check the town’s programme for exact dates.
• Aquarium: the Acuario de O Grove at Punta Moreiras, 2.6 km west of the centre, shows the fish and shellfish of the Rías Baixas plus some tropical species. Turismo de Galicia lists it as open daily 11:00–19:00, with parking and disabled access; confirm hours and prices with the aquarium (tel. +34 986 732 327) before you go.
• Salting museum and viewpoints: also at Punta Moreiras, a museum on the town’s canning past; on A Siradella hill, a nature classroom and the Pedra Cabaleira viewpoint.
• Walks: the Con Negro boardwalk on the open-sea side of the peninsula runs past cliffs and small coves.

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

October for the Seafood Festival, if you do not mind crowds in Praza do Corgo. Summer for boat trips and beaches. A Toxa’s spas work as a year-round, bad-weather plan. Visit the fish market in the afternoon, when it is busiest.

Nearby alternatives

• A Lanzada Beach, 5.5 km away: 2.3 km of Blue Flag sand on the isthmus, with a free car park.
• Ons Island, 14 km away: the national-park island, visited by boat with a free Xunta authorisation.
• Combarro, 15 km away: the village of hórreos on the Ría de Pontevedra.
• Pontevedra Old Town, 19 km away: the car-free granite historic centre.

Distances are in a straight line from Praza do Corgo.

FAQ

How do I get to A Toxa island?

Drive, walk or cycle across the A Toxa bridge from O Grove town. It is 146 m long and the shell chapel is about 2 km from Praza do Corgo.

Where is the shell chapel on A Toxa?

Near the hotels on the south side of A Toxa island, at about 42.4840, -8.8465. It is the chapel of San Caralampio, known as the Capela das Cunchas.

When is the O Grove Seafood Festival?

Every October, over ten days, in Praza do Corgo. It has run since 1963; check the town’s programme for this year’s dates.

Is there parking in O Grove?

Yes. OpenStreetMap shows several surface car parks within 300 m of Praza do Corgo, and more on A Toxa near the hotels and the chapel.

Is A Toxa the same as La Toja?

Yes. A Toxa is the Galician name and La Toja the Spanish one; Isla de La Toja and Illa da Toxa are the same island.

Sources and freshness