Boat fishing in the Ría de Arousa: species, spots and how to plan your trip from Vilanova

Every September the same thing happens: the August crowds thin out, the ría goes quiet, and messages start arriving asking whether our boat can be hired for a fishing trip. The answer is a wholehearted yes: we rent out our skippered boat from the port of Vilanova de Arousa, we've been casting lines in these waters all our lives, and a fishing day on the Ría de Arousa is one of the most satisfying plans we offer. You don't need to be an expert or bring a mountain of gear: you need a licence (a ten-minute online formality — explained below), a bit of patience, and someone who knows where the fish are biting. That last part is our job.

Why the Ría de Arousa is such a rich fishing ground

It's no coincidence that the Ría de Arousa is Europe's biggest mussel producer. The Atlantic upwelling pushes cold, nutrient-rich water into the ría, plankton blooms, and everything else follows: sardine, horse mackerel, Atlantic mackerel — and behind them, the predators. The more than 2,000 mussel rafts (bateas) also act as giant artificial reefs: their ropes teem with life, and wrasse, white seabream and sea bass gather in their shade.

The result is a ría that fishes well nearly all year round, sheltered from the open sea by the Illa de Arousa and O Grove, with varied bottoms — sand, rock, shoals like those off Areoso — all within short range. From the port of Vilanova de Arousa you're seriously fishing within twenty minutes of casting off. No hour-long slog out to the grounds: here, the whole ría is the fishing ground.

What you can catch (and when)

Let's be honest up front: the sea is the sea and nobody can guarantee a catch. But after so many years on this ría, we know what moves in each season:

• Horse mackerel and Atlantic mackerel: the house regulars. From spring to autumn they come in huge schools. This is the most rewarding fishing for kids and beginners — once you find the school, you won't stop.
• Sea bass: the queen. Worked near the shoals, in the currents at the mouth of the ría and in the shelter of the bateas. Spring and autumn are her best moments.
• White seabream and ballan wrasse: bottom fishing over rock, entertaining all year round. The colourful male wrasse (pinto, as we call it here) is pure Galicia.
• Squid: the jewel of autumn. From September to December, the last hours of daylight with squid jigs are an absolute classic of the ría. If you visit in these months, ask us for a late-afternoon trip.
• Cuttlefish: over sand, especially in late winter and spring.

September and October — right now — are probably the most complete months: horse mackerel and mackerel are still around, the sea bass wakes up with the first autumn fronts, and squid season begins. All with a half-empty ría and still-gentle temperatures.

The licence: mandatory, cheap and available online

To fish with a rod from a boat in Galicia you need the recreational surface sea-fishing licence issued by the Xunta de Galicia. Don't worry — it's no epic paperwork battle:

1. Apply online through the Xunta's electronic portal (or in person at the regional fisheries offices).
2. It costs just a few euros and is valid for several years.
3. Everyone who fishes on board needs their own; anyone who just watches or takes photos doesn't.

It's also worth knowing there are daily catch limits per angler and minimum sizes per species (sea bass, for instance, has a minimum size: undersized fish go back in the water). We follow this to the letter: this ría feeds us all, and we want it just as alive twenty years from now. If you have any doubts about the paperwork, message us before your trip and we'll send you the direct link and give you a hand.

What a fishing trip with us looks like

Our boat is 8.5 metres long with a 2.65-metre beam: a stable platform with plenty of room to fish in comfort. Although certified for 10 people, we take a maximum of 6 plus the skipper, precisely so nobody fishes with their neighbour's elbow in their ear.

A typical day from the port of Vilanova de Arousa:

• Early departure (the fishing appreciates it) towards the day's grounds: the batea zone, the shoals off Areoso, the coast of the Illa de Arousa or the mouth of the ría, depending on tide, wind and what's been biting that week.
• Trolling between spots, and bottom fishing or light jigging once anchored or drifting.
• A stop for lunch and a swim in a cove off Carreirón or facing the Punta Cabalo lighthouse — a fishing day is still a day on the ría.
• If the date is right, the last hour with squid jigs.

The skipper — who has more rod hours than anyone aboard and struggles to put it down — rigs tackle, unhooks fish, explains everything and hunts fish with the sounder. Children are very welcome: few things hook a kid on the sea like their first horse mackerel coming over the rail.

Prices: same as always, no surprises

A fishing trip costs the same as any rental of our skippered boat:

• Half day (4 hours): €300 — perfect for a morning of mackerel or an afternoon of squid.
• Full day: €500 — the complete experience: fishing in the morning, anchoring, swimming and lunch aboard, then rods out again in the afternoon.
• Fuel is charged separately, based on distance covered. On a fishing trip, since much of the time is spent anchored or drifting, consumption is usually moderate.

The price is per boat, not per person: split between 6 friends, a full day works out at about €83 each. Bring your own rod if you have one and fancy it; if not, mention it when booking and we'll sort it out.

Three tips from someone who fishes here all year

1. Don't obsess over the trophy fish. The truly great days are the ones with a bucket full of mackerel and laughter on board. The photo-worthy sea bass arrives when it arrives.
2. Trust the tide more than the clock. In this ría, the turn of the tide rules the bite. That's why we set departure time by the day's tide, not the other way round.
3. What you catch goes on the table. A morning-caught mackerel on the grill, or the evening's squid in its ink, with a well-chilled Albariño from Cambados… no restaurant can compete with that.

Book your fishing trip

If you fancy trying boat fishing on the Ría de Arousa — whether you're a seasoned angler or have never held a rod — message us and we'll tailor the trip to you: area, schedule set by the tide, and tackle.

📲 WhatsApp: +34 685 74 24 20 — tell us which day suits you and whether you'd like a half day (€300) or a full day (€500), and we'll confirm availability right away.

Photos: Josi — CC BY-SA 4.0; TanguyCAR — CC BY 4.0; Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (Lmbuga) — CC BY-SA 3.0; via Wikimedia Commons.