Tui - Pontevedra province

Tui is Galicia's smallest and most southerly city and it is situated south of Vigo city in Pontevedra province. Despite its small size Tui is an attractive “town” and one that is well worth a visit.

General information about Tui

Tui is only a short distance from Spain's neighbouring nation Portugal and it is only the river Mino that separates the two countries. Centuries ago these two countries were at war and this was an area under threat of invasion.

Most of Tui, and certainly the old and historic town, is built on a hill that looks down towards the river Mino and Tui's imposing cathedral can be seen from the river below.

Tui has a small but very attractive town centre and one of the highlights is a paved plaza which, as is nearly always the case, is overlooked by a number of cafes, bars and restaurants.

Buildings and historic monuments in Tui

Here are four of the main attractions that any visitor to Tui should look out for.

Tip 1. The biggest tourist attraction in Tui is the cathedral and it is this cathedral that gives Tui its city status. You can walk around the cathedral and, within its grounds, there is a small gardened area that overlooks the Mino and a Portuguese town that sits high on an opposing hill.

Features of the cathedral include an incredible portico, some stunning cloisters and a small museum. There are also some beautiful courtyard gardens.

Tip 2. Tui's main plaza and compact town centre are one of its main selling points and any visitor will enjoy walking around this historic district.

Beyond the old town of Tui lies the new district, although there are still some interesting highlights to this area and you will probably walk through it on your way to the monumental zone.




Tip 3. A walk down from the old town centre to the equally old urbanised part of Tui (close to the banks of the river Mino) will take any visitor to the city’s alameda (town square). In the case of Tui, this alameda is more of a little park, but the area affords good views looking back up to the cathedral topped town, or down to the river and Portugal.

Tip 4. Besides the cathedral, another religious building, the church and convent of Santo Domingo, warrants some attention. This building dates back to the fifteenth century and is only a short walk away from the monumental district.

Travelling to Tui and beyond

The airports at la Coruna and Santiago de compostela are both well within two hours drive of Tui.

Although on the most southerly of Galician borders, Tui is easily reached from places like Santiago, Pontevedra and Vigo. It is on main highway route, the AP-9 (much of which is a toll road), and it takes only minutes to leave Tui and enter Portugal.

Few who visit Tui leave disappointed.