"A diamond added to the Atlantic Islands Park by the Ría Arousa"
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| The mythic Siren of Salvora salutes the visitor at the island pier. |
The Riveira-owned Salvora island, belonging to Aguiño parish since 1959, forms part of the Natural Park Atlantic Islands, declared in 2002. From the Ria Vigo, Cíes; from Ria Pontevedra, Ons; and from Ria Arousa, the more humble but not less beautiful Salvora. Placed half a league away from Aguiño, it acts as guardian facing the storms just at the mouth of the ria, wellcoming the ocean. Triangle shaped and almost 190 hectares (1 hectare=2471 acres) surface, it is honoured by being the forth biggest galician island after Arousa and the before mentioned ones. Its highest point, 71 m., makes clear that it was joined to the land in oldtimes, forming with several small islands rounding it the appendix of the Barbanza great mountain range. A rough coast and the never ending beating of the sea prevented beaches from being created. There are some, along the inner face, shielded and almost virgin. They are the right place for those seeking calm. It can be chosen amongst Almacen Beach, also called Castelo (Castle – so called for the Hinojosa´s old fish drying and salting factory), later turned into the current Pazo de Sálvora (Salvora Palace), Lagos Beach, A Zafra Beach or that of Area dos Bois. The urbanized landscape, besides the deserted village, is composed of the pier by Almacen beach, the same name´s castle, the old canteen – nowadays a chapel -, the lighthouse and the mythic siren sculpture, at the quay entrance. The building of Pazo de Salvora was undertaken in 1770: the coruña-born trader Jerónimo de Hinojosa, after Goyanes´ blessing, opened the factory but he was forced to close it before expected. Salvora lighthouse has been in existence since 1852. By that time according to a Celedonio Uribe´s Project, and located at the far southern of Salvora, Besugueiros Point. But in 1904 was decided to build a new lighthouse, in a higher place and strategically chosen in order to extend the inner illumination angle. This lighthouse was inaugurated in 1921 and later enlarged in 1954, when it was given batteries, store and balustrade.
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