Cies Islands

Spain's Secret Islands

Each summer finds us all yearning for an island beach, an idyllic escape from the bustling world. Spain offers the Balearics and the Canaries, with plenty of options for very different experiences. Dance until dawn and beyond in Ibiza's cutting-edge nightclubs, wander the beaches on Mallorca or explore the volcanic sites of Lanzarote.

Cies Islands, Galicia

What these islands all have in common are crowds. The Spanish are joined by thousands of Britons, German and Scandinavians in high summer. Those beaches become thronged with sun-worshippers, and the mountain trails loud with backpackers yelling "Guten Tag" at each other.

If you need a discreet island escape, where you can enjoy stretches of pristine silver and gold sand against a shady, wooded backdrop, with the Atlantic breaking briskly over your toes, head for the north-west of Spain.

The Cies Islands, off the Atlantic coast of Galicia, are not a secret to the locals, but they haven't entered the international tourist consciousness just yet. Partly this is because the island group is protected by legislation that sets daily limits on the numbers of people allowed to visit each day. Partly it's the fact that those Atlantic breakers, even in high summer, are significantly colder than the balmy Mediterranean

The archipelago comprises 3 islands, or illas, in the local Galician language. Illa De San Martiño is a bird sanctuary, and you have to be a specialist ornithologist to visit. Monte Ayudo and Illa Do Faro nestle companionably across a turquoise lagoon that is exposed to the Atlantic on one side, with the sheltered strand of the long, crescent-shaped beach joining the islands on the eastern shore.

If that makes the Cies sound like a Caribbean paradise, well that's certainly the impression you get when you step off one of the occasional ferries that cross from Vigo or Bueu on the mainland. Take the early ferry in the morning and a pristine beach awaits you, your footprints the first to make an impression.

Sensitive maintenance of the islands' appeal means there isn't much in the way of entertainment, outside of the natural attractions. Scuba-diving in the clear-waters is popular, as is the gentle hike round the shore. Sunbathers cluster not far from the jetty, or, if they want to strip off completely, head for the seclusion of the rocks.

Most of the Spanish day-trippers are laden with huge picnic baskets, crammed full of hams, cheeses and chorizo. In summer a beach bar offers drinks and light refreshments, but weekends are devoted to extended Spanish families spreading out their blankets and spending a couple of hours enjoying their merienda, the elaborate picnics that seem to feature innumerable courses.

You may be tempted to take advantage of the summer-only campsite, Be warned that scouts and youth clubs tend to book the facility, and the chances of a good night's sleep can be minimal.

It's better to take the first boat in the morning, enjoy the tranquil beach before the sun gets too high in the sky, then cool off in the Atlantic. Hop on the last ferry back to the mainland, just before sunset, and look back across the wake to one of Spain's great island secrets.