Cíes Islands or Ons island? Which to choose

They are two archipelagos in the same national park, with the same permit rules and less than an hour away by boat. Quick answer: Cíes has the more famous beach; Ons has fewer people and is still inhabited.

	Cíes Islands	Ons island
Facing	the ría de Vigo	the ría de Pontevedra
Area	3.091 ha (433 land)	2.641 ha (470 land)
Daily quota (summer)	1.600-1.800	1.300
Daily quota (winter)	250-450	250-450
Usual departure ports	Vigo, Cangas and Baiona	Bueu, Sanxenxo and Portonovo
Inhabited?	No (ruins of the old settlement remain)	Yes, still
Campsite	Yes	Yes
Permit	Same Xunta website, same dates, same rules

Choose the Cíes if…

You are here for Rodas beach: it is the northwest's postcard and Ons has no equivalent.
You want cliffs over 150 metres and a lighthouse walk over the open ocean.
You are leaving from Vigo, Cangas or Baiona, or want the widest choice of sailings (Vigo runs up to ten a day).

Choose Ons if…

The Cíes are sold out on your dates: Ons has its own quota and less demand pressure.
You are drawn to the human side: Ons is still inhabited and keeps an ethnographic heritage the Cíes no longer have.
You fancy something different: sea caves such as Buraco do Inferno and the Melide dunes.
You are staying on the ría de Pontevedra: from Bueu, Sanxenxo or Portonovo it is right there.

The mistake to avoid: assuming that if the Cíes are full you can just turn up at Ons. It also needs a prior Xunta permit in high season, requested on the same website (choosing "Isla de Ons" instead of "Islas Cíes").

HOW THE PERMIT WORKS → CÍES TIMETABLES →

Data for both archipelagos taken from the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park portal on 14 August 2026.

Another trip by boat

Another Atlantic archipelago with a visitor cap: the Berlengas, off Peniche (Portugal), with boats from May to September. Boat to the Berlengas →