The Vigo Ria is the city´s most beloved treasure. The Ria is the city´s origin, engine, its past and future. Of all the estuaries in Galicia, this is the most southern of the Rias Baixas and enters the earth to mix with the water of the river, while the slopes of the coastal valley tower up forming mountains on the edge of the coast. The Vigo Ria (Pontevedra) is protected by the Cies Islands, a natural park in the middle of the Atlantic. The sea of Vigo is a natural paradise with its calm waters and marine life. The waters in the Vigo estuary are the deepest of Galicia, which has made it one of the major ports of Europe and a fishing capital.