Experience in Vigo (Spain), by Alba

What is it like to live in Vigo? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

You can find beautiful places in Vigo, but the most peaceful place you're going to find there is the Campus, although you don't believe it! The center of Vigo is quite noisy.

In the center, the easier way of moving is by walking, although bus system (Vitrasa) is not very bad at all. If you want to move around the city easily, you can catch the C1 line, which crosses all the center.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Vigo?

It's ok, but the Vigo's Campus problem is that the university is away from the center, in the middle of a hill, except one faculty which is in the city. Anyway, there is a shopping centre in the campus, so you can eat there, buying office supplies and taking money from different cash machines.

How much does it cost to live in Vigo?

It's not very cheap, but it's not as expensive as other cities like Madrid or Barcelona. It depends over all on where you find accomodation.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Vigo? Is there any advice you can give?

The cheaper residence costed about 400€/month about 4 years ago, and it's only for girls (it's a nun's residence). The most of them cost about 500€/month.

About shared flats, it depends on the zone. The most of students live near Plaza de España, because there is a bus stop where you can catch the bus for the campus beside the square, at the Avenida de Madrid.

Another zone is Torrecedeira, where Technical Engineering Faculty is.

Generally, the price is between 150 - 200€/person.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

You won't be able to find very different kind of restaurants in Vigo. I only know 2 Japanese restaurants, 2 Chinese ones, and I've heard of one Mexican restaurant. The most of restaurants are "taperias", italian restaurants, sandwich and burger bars (McDonald's and Burger King as well), kebab restaurants and traditional Galician food restaurants. You can also find seafood restaurants near the port, in a zone called La Piedra.

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What places would you recommend visiting in Vigo?

Vigo doesn't have many places to visit or great landscapes. The best places in Vigo are El Castro (a park in the heart of the city), Castrelos Park and Samil beach. From El Castro and Samil you can see amazing sunsets over the Cíes Islands.

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Anyway, the best landscapes are around Vigo: Cangas, Moaña, Nigrán (over all América Beach), and Baiona are wonderful places for visiting.

Cíes Islands can be visited, but only during Holy Week (depending on the weather) and summer (from June to September). Ons Island is near too, but you have to catch the ferry in a town called Bueu, which is half an hour from Vigo, beside Cangas. Camping is allowed in both islands.

I recommend to visit the Baixo Miño zone and its towns (Tui, Salvaterra... ), which are in the border with Portugal. You can go to Portugal and cross the border in less than an hour. You also can go from Vigo to Porto by bus in less than 3h (this bus stops at the Saa Carneiro's Airport), and by train as well.

There are other cities which worth it to visit: Ourense (1h more or less from Vigo, with its Roman baths), Pontevedra (half an hour), A Coruña (about 2h), and, of course, Santiago de Compostela (a bit more than an hour). You can reach all this cities by bus or by train. You can visit Lugo and its Roman wall as well by bus (3h). There are other places with a big cultural interest, like Ribadavia (you can see there the old Jewish neighbourhood) or Santa Tegra (in A Guardia, with its fantastic celtic fort).

Is it good to eat out in Vigo? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

It depends on how much money you want to spend. If you want to eat well and cheap, you can choose between different sandwich bars like Papo's (there is one in Camelias Street and another one in the shopping center "Gran Vía", even there is one in the campus I think), Gigantes (Barcelona Street) and a bar near Plaza de España called Ourensano (Zamora Street). At the Ourensano you can eat almost only paying for the drinks, because with them, they serve different "tapas".

Is the nightlife good in Vigo? Where is good to go?

You have different zones in Vigo:

• If you want to drink cheap, you have to go to Vinos zone, near the Cathedral and the Port.
• If you like alternative styles of music, you should go to Churruca. There are some concert halls there, as for example, "La Fábrica de Chocolate" and "Iguana Club". There are other pubs which organize concerts, like "A Casa de Arriba", where you can easily listen to jazz concerts and jam sessions.
• If you like discos, there are two of them near Urzáiz Street (Master and Mondo), although you have to pay for entrance.
• If you look for a posher atmosphere, you have to go to the Arenal zone. You will find lots of discos there, where you can listen to over all electronical and disco music. In some of them you have to pay for entrance. If you are homosexual, this is your zone as well. The most famous homosexual discos are "Arenal X" (although you can find also heterosexual people inside; normally, men have to pay entrance), "La Matinna Leclub", and "Plaff", although this one is near Vinos zone.
• There are other discos like "Privée" or similar ones, but they are away from the center.

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What advice would you give future students heading to Vigo?

Train yourself for the big slopes you'll find in Vigo!

Ask for the Vitrasa's card at a Novagalicia banco branch for getting cheaper bus tickets.