A historic canning industry

Large factories and saltworks spread along the coast of As Rías Baixas

Canning deserves its own chapter in As Rías Baixas, a territory with a long tradition since the 18th century. The province of Pontevedra is, in fact, one of the capitals of this industry. Among the most historically significant canneries are the old Massó factory in Cangas, at its peak the largest in Europe in this sector, and the Goday factory in A Illa de Arousa, the first industrialised factory in Galicia.

The Massó factory has been abandoned since its closure, but its imposing figure is part of the landscape of Cangas. To learn about the history of the family saga and this industry, a visit to the Massó Museum in the neighbouring municipality of Bueu, where these industrialists owned part of their facilities, is highly recommended. The Goday factory has been converted into a Canning Interpretation Centre.

Alfageme and Curbera are other great historical exponents of this activity in the province of Pontevedra.

The tradition of preserving seafood dates back to Roman times. The site of A Lanzada (Sanxenxo), located by the sea, housed a salting factory, and an essential place to learn about the history of this industry is the Salinae centre, in Vigo, where you can find the only preserved and museumised solar evaporation sea salt works from the entire Roman Empire.

Another area of great interest related to salt extraction is the Ulló salt pans, in Vilaboa, created by the Jesuits in the 17th century, which are today an area of great natural value, excellent for spending a few hours of leisure time.

Salinae Centre

This is an essential place to learn about the history of the salting industry. The O Areal Archaeological Centre, in Vigo, houses the only preserved and museumised solar evaporation sea salt works from the entire Roman Empire. It allows visitors to discover the interesting world of salt, its history, how it was obtained and the different uses the Romans gave it.