Barrio de Bouzas
The Bouzas neighbourhood is located southwest of the centre of Vigo, following the coastline demarcated by Vigo’s port. Although Bouzas is not a district or a parish within the administrative division of the City Council, this historic neighbourhood is one of the best known and most popular in the city.
In the 16th century Bouzas already stood out for its intense port activity, even greater than that of Vigo at that time. Infrastructures were built for a port that earned the privilege of being exempt from customs duties and in which an important canning industry developed, from where it exported to Europe and America. The original church of San Miguel dates from that period, the result of the growth of the town.
Despite the shadow of the large port landfill that has forever enclosed the neighbourhood’s coastline, the narrow streets of Bouzas preserve a good part of this heritage. The first and most remarkable is the church of San Miguel de Bouzas, rebuilt in 1697 on the original chapel of 1542. From this church, several streets lead to the historic centre of Bouzas, where we can contemplate buildings with several centuries of history, such as the Casa do Patín (1639), the Pazo de los Lira, the old town hall or different traditional style houses.
In Bouzas there is also a remarkable legacy of Jenaro de la Fuente, the main architect of Vigo and of important buildings in many places in the province of Pontevedra, such as the spas of Mondariz and Caldas or the Pazo de Lourizán. His is the Bouzas market building and several residential buildings in the neighbourhood.
So if you visit Bouzas, be sure to stroll through its historic quarter, where granite is once again the protagonist.
But another legacy still present in Bouzas is the seafaring heritage. The shipyards that survive on Beiramar Avenue are joined by emblematic buildings such as the old Conservas Bernardo Alfageme factory, closed in 2010, which is one of the best examples of industrial architecture in Vigo, designed by architect Manuel Gómez Román.
Those who visit Bouzas should also take time to visit its bars and restaurants, such as O Croque, El Águila, Patouro, La Carpintería or La Tula.
If you visit Vigo for several days, set aside an afternoon to explore the Bouzas neighbourhood and discover a different side of the city.