La Toja Island
La Toja Island is undoubtedly one of the most recognised tourist spots in the Rías Baixas. If you're organising a Galicia tour, a mandatory stop must be this small island in the Arousa estuary. Today we want to show you how to fully enjoy it.
What to see in La Toja
Seafront of O Grove and La Toja
O Grove has a seafront that continues onto La Toja Island. Magnificent views and a quiet area, just the right length to enjoy fully. On La Toja the promenade is just over 2 km, completely flat — great for bike rides.
Shell necklaces ("As colareiras")
Stop to enjoy the craft of our traditional colareiras. These artisans gather shells from beaches and weave them into necklaces, bracelets, earrings — very typical of a La Toja visit.
Thermal spa
Besides being an exceptional tourist area and a long tradition, La Toja is famous for its thermal waters. While in O Grove, spend a few hours immersed — you'll come back with a smile and recharged.
Forest park
Enjoy hiking through the woods or run away from asphalt. In the middle of the island lies a small forest, well prepared and cared for, ideal for a walk among the trees. At the centre of the park you can see donkeys, honouring the island's legend, and take photos with them.
Other places to visit
The Chapel of San Caralampio and the Chapel of the Shells. Plus well-marked paths, rest points and small viewpoints with unbeatable views. Depending on the time you visit, you may meet hardly anyone along the route.
History of La Toja Island
La Toja, the treasure island. A worldwide reference for its spa, which modernised the concept of tourism in Pontevedra.
Originally called Louxo, the island had no trees and was uninhabited. In the early 19th century interest in its thermal waters began. The spa's history dates to 1812 when a Frenchman who stayed after the War of Independence, with health issues, was sent to the island by a local healer to take the waters at Porca Morta. Seeing the Frenchman improve, Mosquera recommended the place to other patients arriving by boat.
Other versions: the donkey left there to die that revived; and another in which "tradition attributes to Arousa estuary fishermen the discovery — walking barefoot on certain parts of the island, they felt heat on their feet" — and so the thermal baths were found.
Later, the owner — the Marquis of Riestra — considered turning the land into a thriving business. In 1841, botanist Antonio Casares had found magnesium, sodium, iron and calcium in the waters, at 30–60°C, said to be perfect for curing illness. A year later he got authorisation to build the spa, opened in 1899.
The Gran Hotel de La Toja opened 8 years later. Initially only accessible by boat or on foot. A bridge — at the time the longest in Europe — soon connected the island. The Galician Vázquez-Gulías won the design contest, drawing inspiration from European spas like Vichy and Marienbad.
After many difficulties, the Gran Hotel of La Toja Island remains Galicia's only five-star spa. Beyond bathing in its waters and muds for physical and mental therapy, if time allows you can visit its boutiques or have a drink at the famous English Bar. You never know who you might meet.
