The Cies Islands, voted “most beautiful beach in the world” by The Guardian in 2007, no less! Many people recommended us to go there so we couldn’t miss it. The Cies Islands were for us the first island we stopped on (except the UK in 2019) so these islands will keep a special place in our adventure.
But this jewel requires a navigation permit and a mooring permit to get there. Be aware that this permit is not only valid for the Cies Islands, but also for Ons, Salvora and Cortegada.
Don’t worry, this permit is very easy to obtain, here’s how.
Disclaimer
English is not our native language. And while we put lots of time and attention in translating our content in English, you may find mistakes or things poorly translated here and there. In that case, feel free to send us an email in order for us to correct and improve.
How to apply for a navigation permit for the Cies Islands?
Step 1: Fill out the application form for a navigation permit
The first step is to go to the website of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia to download the form. You can download it by following this link directly. This form is very simple to fill out even though it is in Spanish. And for those who don’t speak it at all, here is the information requested:
- Nombre y apellidos del propietario del barco: name and surname of the owner
- DNI: passport or identity card number
- Domicilio: address
- Localidad: city
- Provincia : region
- C.P.: postal code
- Telefono: telephone number
- Nombre del barco: name of the boat
- N° de pasajeros: number of passengers on board
- Matricula de la embarcacion: registration of the boat
- Eslora: length of the boat
- Puerto base: home port
- Nacionalidad: nationality
You then have to sign and date the document.
Step 2: Gather all necessary documents
Now that the form is completed, we need to gather some documents:
- the form in question, whose file is to be renamed in “Solicitud de navegacion”
- the passports or identity cards of the passengers of the boat, to be renamed in “Passaporte – name and surname of the person”
- the documents of the boat, to be renamed in “Documente del barco – name of the boat”
Step 3: Send the documents by email
All these documents should then be sent to the following email address: fondeos.iatlanticas@xunta.gal . You can write the content of the email in English or Spanish:
Estimados señoras y señores,
Nos gustaría aplicar la solicitud de la Autorización de Navegación en Aguas del Parque Nacional Marítimo-Terrestre Islas Atlánticas de Galicia.
Gracias y saludos
And that’s it! You should receive the authorisation extremely quickly. If not, try sending it with a different email address. Our first request had probably ended up in their spam folder. We resent the request with a new email address and received authorisation within 24 hours.
How to apply for a mooring permit in the Cies Islands?
Once you have received the navigation authorisation, it is now time to request a mooring authorisation. This authorization is purely declarative, so there is no positive or negative answer to expect. You can request a mooring for the Cies Islands, but also for Ons.
Step 1: go to the website to declare your mooring
The mooring, whatever the island, is declared on this website.
When you log in for the first time, you will need the passport or identity card number that you declared in the navigation application as well as the navigation license number that you received in your mailbox. The site will then ask you to change the password to a more personal one.
Step 2: declare your mooring in the Cies Islands
Nothing very complicated here either since the request is purely declarative. You choose your island, your date, the number of people on board, and that’s it, you can go and anchor in the Cies Islands!
What is the best anchorage in the Cies Islands?
The main anchorage is in front of Praia de Rodas and Praia de Vinos. Do not anchor to the north of these beaches, as this is where a ferry disembarks passengers several times a day. The anchorage is extremely well sheltered from the west wind.
Another anchorage sheltered from west, northwest and north winds is the one in front of Praia de Nosa Senora.
If you want to be even more isolated and sheltered from the southwest wind this time, go to the small island just below: San Martino Island in front of Praia de San Martino. Be careful: with a south wind, the swell will still enter the small bay. There are also three buoys quite close to the beach. In low season, it seems to us that it is possible to go there to spend the night.
2 Responses
Thank you so much for your hard work researching this process and your clear instructions (and excellent English). It has saved me hours of work! Looking forward to visiting the Islas Cies…
Thanks! We’re glad this proves to be useful.
Enjoy the Cies Islands. This is one of our favorite places in Spain.