Ons Island

his riches

The island of Ons belongs to the Galician Atlantic Islands Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, it is located at the entrance of the Pontevedra estuary. The rest of the archipelagos are made up of the Cíes, Sálvora and Cortegada Islands. It is the only National Park that Galicia has and was created on July 1, 2002.

Most of the protected area is made up of the seabeds that surround the islands. The great biological richness of these funds is a consequence of many marine processes that occur in this area of the Atlantic.

These seabeds hide the authentic treasures of the Islands, this is explained by the outcrop or rise of deep waters rich in nutrients, which serve as sustenance for small microorganisms, the basis of the food chain, hence the great diversity of marine flora and fauna, the true treasure of the islands.

fishing on the island

For several centuries, the populations near the islands have fed on the fishing in their waters, species such as the crab, the razor shell, the spider crab, the sea bass or the octopus, Artisan techniques have always been used for a better conservation of the Ocean floors.

flora

In the western part of the islands, the large algae that form authentic underwater forests stand out, there are also small coralline algae that form the maërl bottoms.

The plants are protected from the salt, the aridity and the prevailing wind on the islands, light colors that reflect light, deep roots, water reserve bulbs, are some of the characteristics of the terrestrial flora.

wildlife

In the rocky areas beaten by the sea we can find barnacles, limpets, mussels, etc. In the deepest, sea urchins, anemones, crabs and octopuses. On the sandy bottoms, razor clams, cockles or clams, also turbot and cuttlefish. They also inhabit important colonies of seabirds such as the yellow-legged gull and the European cormorant,

Mammals are scarce on the islands, we can find some rabbits, which have no predators, and the otter has also reappeared.

The houses on the islands

They are always located in the most sheltered areas, always facing the estuary, in fact, the windows and doors face west, the brightest area and protected from the humid winds. The structure of the houses is always rectangular, sharing a kitchen and a bedroom, since there were hardly any resources for other types of buildings.

Legends and beliefs in the islands

A golden horned bull is said to guard the Buraco do Inferno in Ons as it is believed to be the entrance to the world of the dead.

La Santa Compaña, is a procession of the dead with lights and bells, which warns a living of the arrival of his death by leaving a coffin in front of his house. In Sálvora he took refuge on the islet of Noro. In Ons they come from Noalla, in Sanxenxo, they enter the island through Punta Centolo and disappear in the cemetery, after leaving their notice.

On stormy nights, you will see a ghost pirate ship sink in Punta Cabalo, in Cíes.

How to get to Ons

There are several shipping companies with which you can get to Ons, we tell you how to do it

Remember, the islands are everyone’s heritage, let’s take care of them.

➡ Visit our website: https://isladeons.es