Ría de Arousa

The Ría de Arousa is a ria, a saline estuary in Galicia, Spain. It is one of the five Rías Baixas, and located between the Ría de Muros e Noia (es, gl) to the north and the Ria de Pontevedra to the south. The peninsulas of Barbanza, in the province of A Coruña, and O Salnés, in the province of Pontevedra, define the ria's coasts to the north and south respectively. While the Ría de Arousa is the largest of the Rías Baixas, it does not reach the greatest depth, with a 69 m maximum depth at the mouth. It has numerous islands and islets among which are the islands of Arousa, A Toxa, Sálvora in the mouth and Cortegada at the entrance. The main rivers that flow into it are the Ulla River at its headwaters and the River Umia in the cove that forms the peninsula of O Grove with the coast of Cambados. The most important river towns are Ribeira, A Pobra do Caramiñal, Rianxo and Boiro to the north, and Vilagarcía de Arousa, Vilanova de Arousa, Cambados and O Grove to the south, and Arousa on Arousa Island.