Sanxenxo is one of the most important turistic areas of Galicia, mainly known by its beautiful white sandy beaches and its upmarket holiday atmosphere.

It is located in the north of the Rías Baixas in the Salnés area, famous for producing one the finest white wines in Spain: Albariño.

Sanxenxo offers a wide range of amenities to enjoy from, such as a yacht club where you can practice any type of water sport, golf courses with amazing sea views, sea food restaurants, night clubs, great shopping, and above all, it offers a beautiful natural scenery of beaches, small mountains and valleys.

Sanxenxo region is bathed by the waters of two of the Rías Baixas: Ria de Arousa and Ria de Pontevedra. It is located in the area of Salnés, connected to O Grove peninsula by the beach of A Lanzada, a stretch of sand of great ecological importance with sand dunes that have been declared a nature preserve.
Sanxenxo attracts more tourism during the summer season than any of Galicia’s other coastal enclaves. Tourists have a way of coming back to the two port towns in the region: on one hand the urbanized Sanxenxo, on the other the fishing village of Portonovo. While Sanxenxo has the larger concentration of hotels and restaurants, Portonovo remains a very typical Galician sea-going village, where you can still buy fish fresh off the boat, try delicious tapas in the traditional taverns, and enjoy the peace and quiet of its well-tended beaches.

Nightlife
Sanxenxo’s nightlife is well known to both natives and guests. Again, Sanxenxo and Portonovo are the options available for entertainment. While the night is still young, locals and visitors concentrate in the bars and pubs of Portonovo’s wine district, waiting until the clock strikes 2 or 3a.m. to wander over to Sanxenxo’s clubs and discos. The party is on every night, and there is always someplace open for those who want to keep it going.

Beaches
Beaches are everybody’s favorite place to relax, and beaches like Silgar, Canelas, Caneliñas, Major and Montalvo are especial for its beauty and fine white sand. But A Lanzada stands out from all of these, not only because of the quality of its beaches, but also because near the dunes you can see the ruins of an old tower-fortress, once part of the defense system of Santiago de Compostela, a lovely Romanesque chapel, and a very well preserved necropolis. Here is where women come, according to tradition, to perform the rite of nine waves, a ritual bath that is supposed to enhance fertility and cure witches’ spells. Every August this place of legend plays host to a large procession, and to the ever more popular Oyster Festival.

Other Places of Interest
You can enjoy the region’s cuisine, its nightlife, its beaches, and sports like golf, horseback riding, sailing, surfing, windsurfing, ATV rides, kart competitions, and any water activity; but you would still be missing out if you left Sanxenxo without having visited the churches of Adina and Padriñán, the manor houses Gondar, Padriñán, do Virrei, and Revel, and the area surrounding the A Lanzada fort. It wouldn’t be a bad idea either to take a day trip out to Ons Island, a natural park easily accessible by boats that leave from Sanxenxo and Portonovo.