The beach you need a permit for

The Cíes Islands sit at the mouth of the bay of Vigo like a sentence somebody forgot to finish. They're a national park, and to protect them, only so many people may land each day. So before you can buy a ferry ticket you have to apply to the Galician government for a permit, which is free, and takes four minutes, and made me feel like a smuggler.

The water was fifteen degrees. I know this because Teo went in, and he told me, in a voice I had not heard since the birth. Pip went in to the knee and came out shouting cold in Portuguese, Spanish and English, in that order, which I'm counting as an educational trip.

How to go

• Apply for the permit on the Xunta de Galicia's site, then buy the ferry with its code.
• Boats leave from Vigo, Baiona and Cangas, from mid-May to mid-September and at Easter.
• There are no shops on the islands, only a campsite café. Bring water, food and sun cream.
• Take everything back with you: there are no bins, on purpose.

Apply for a permit

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