Beach of Vao, White sand beach in Coruxo, Vigo, Spain.

The Beach of Vao is a semi-urban beach in the parish of Coruxo, Vigo, with fine white granite sand. It runs about 800 metres long and 45 metres wide, between Canido beach and the nudist cove of Baluarte. The Toralla bridge separates a small section called Serral, and wooden walkways cross the restored dune field.

The area around the beach was settled since prehistory. In Roman times the shore was likely used for saltworks, since the Mirambell grove beside the sand holds a Galician-Roman villa dedicated to salting fish, now excavated by the Vigo council as the Toralla Roman villa museum. At the end of the 1990s the promenade built in the 1960s was removed, part of the original dunes recovered and football pitches dismantled; a smaller wooden walkway replaced it.

The name O Vao refers to the sandy pass that once linked the beach to Toralla Island on foot. Beside the sand stands the chapel of the Virxe do Carme de Coruxo, which holds its festival in July. The eastern end, Baluarte or As Barcas, is separated by bands of granite rock and is sometimes used by nudists.

Access is via the PO-325 road, with wooden walkways leading to the sand; two car parks include four spaces for disabled visitors. In July and August, lifeguards and a Red Cross post operate daily from 10:00 to 21:00, with two lifeguards on weekends in June and September. Urban buses L10, L11 and C15 serve the beach, and line C3 extends to it at weekends.

From here you have a direct view of Toralla Island, which creates an interesting visual landmark. At the same time, dune restoration projects protect the shoreline from wind effects while keeping the landscape natural.