It begins with a smell of sea salt and a sound of knives: every morning on Rúa da Pescadería, Vigo's ostreras shuck oysters at lightning speed on their granite stalls, as their mothers and grandmothers did before them. Customers eat them standing up, with a squeeze of lemon and a glass of albariño, while the ría sparkles below. Welcome to the great Atlantic city of Galicia, one of Europe's leading fishing ports, where the cruise terminal drops passengers five minutes on foot from the old town.

The Casco Vello, a village within the city

Behind the modern waterfront, the Casco Vello climbs in cobbled lanes toward the co-cathedral of Santa María. This old core, which grew up around the original fishing port, has regained its colours: arcaded squares such as Praza da Constitución, artisan shops, stone taverns where Galician-style octopus comes out steaming from copper pots. On Praza da Porta do Sol, a bronze merman perched on a tall steel needle, El Sireno, serves as a meeting point for locals. The climb includes a few slopes; a waterfront shopping centre with an elevator running through it lets you reach the heights effortlessly. Everywhere, the sea makes its presence felt, with the canneries, shipyards and deep-sea fleet bringing back hake and cephalopods from all corners of the Atlantic.

Monte do Castro, balcony over the ría

To take the measure of the site, climb to Castro Park, the fortified hill that gave the city its name. Between the 17th-century walls and the remains of an Iron Age village, successive terraces reveal an immense panorama: the Ría de Vigo, one of those deep sea valleys that cut into the Galician coast, its mussel rafts lined up in rows, the Rande Bridge and, offshore, guarding the entrance, the Cíes Islands. Allow twenty to thirty minutes on foot from the centre, or a few minutes by taxi.

The Cíes Islands, jewel of the national park

When the season and the call schedule allow, the excursion to the Cíes Islands is the day's great escape. This protected archipelago, the heart of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park, lines up cliffs with seabird colonies, transparent waters and marked trails around Rodas Beach, a crescent of white sand regularly ranked among the most beautiful beaches in Europe. Access is limited to preserve the site: the crossings, about 45 minutes from the port, are best arranged through an excursion or an advance booking in summer.

The call in practice

Those who love a well-filled plate will end the day as it began: around the produce of the ría. Tuna empanada, mussels, pimientos de Padrón, scallop pie; Galicia tells its story at the table better than anywhere else, and this city is its unpretentious gourmet capital.

When it's time to cast off, the ship glides among the mussel rafts, sails past the Cíes and returns to the ocean. On the dock, the cranes continue their ballet; in town, the oyster knives will resume their music tomorrow. Perhaps that is Vigo: a port powerhouse that has stayed faithful to its simple gestures, and gladly shares them with whoever comes ashore one morning.