Baiona – Just Pete Adventures

We were originally planning to take a bus from Porto to Baiona, but we decided to Uber instead. It cost more, but we arrived four hours earlier, and I was anxious to get there.

During my Camino, Baiona was one of the coolest little coastal towns I passed through. Seven years later, I still remembered it vividly.

It’s a small town, but it’s packed with history.

In 1493, the Pinta landed here after getting separated from the Niña and Santa María during a storm. That made Baiona the first place in Europe to learn about Columbus discovering the New World. Today, a replica of the Pinta sits in the marina.

Because of its strategic location near the Portuguese border and Atlantic shipping lanes, Baiona was frequently attacked by pirates and foreign navies over the centuries. The massive stone fortress built to protect the harbor still stands today, with incredible views in every direction.

Our lodging was a small apartment right on the water. Perfect location. Then again, in a town the size of Baiona, I’m not sure there’s really a bad location.

One of my strongest memories from my Camino stop here was eating seafood paella. Naturally, Kris and I had to order some again. Obviously, it was awful!

We spent two days in Baiona, wandering the waterfront, enjoying the ocean views, and eating way too much. I liked it just as much now as I did seven years ago.