Ferrol in 1 day: what to see and do in Galicia's historic naval city

Until a recent trip to GaliciaThe truth is that I had never considered the possibility of visit Ferrol in the Rias Altas, not far from the capital A Coruna.

But this trip has allowed me to discover a historic Galician city in tourism development process, leaving behind the era in which the naval industry, and then its crisis, have had all the prominence.

Ferrol Now it is a city of about 70.000 inhabitants, although after the construction during the XNUMXth century of its historic shipyards and military arsenal It became the most populated Galician town.

Curiosities about the history of Ferrol, the naval city of Galicia

De Ferrol Perhaps you have heard about the industrial crisis that came as a consequence of the restructuring of the naval sector in Spain.

And you will also know that Ferrol was born Francisco Franco, the reason why in its time it was called Ferrol del Caudillo.

Although you may not know (as I did not know...) that in Ferrol was also born Pablo Iglesias, who was founder of the Spanish Socialist Worker's Party.

Now Ferrol It is a small city that is bringing to light its tourist attractions, which involves the recovery of its historical and cultural heritage.

And also in recent times it has become one of the ports where the usual passengers call every year. Cruise full of tourists, which allows this town to maintain its long naval tradition on the tourist map of Galicia.

The best things to see and do in Ferrol, our experience

From the experience of our visit, and in view of your possible visit during your next trip to Galicia, then I will suggest you What you can see and do in Ferrol in 1 or 2 days.

Walk through the Magdalena neighborhood

The decision in 1726 by Philip V that Ferrol will become one of the big three military naval bases of the peninsula, led to the construction of the shipyards.

To expand the then small village of Ferrol, initially the working-class neighborhood of Esteiro, but later, in 1761, Carlos III approved the construction of Magdalena neighborhood, an example of rationalist urbanism.

Known as the chocolate bar, the Magdalena neighborhood It has the shape of a long rectangle with perpendicular streets and two large squares, that of Amboaxe and of Armas.

Houses with glazed galleries in Ferrol

Now largely pedestrianized, the Magdalena neighborhood It is a very nice place to walk, where you can see the houses with glazed galleries on its facades, so characteristic of Galicia, which began to appear precisely in Ferrol.

I can tell you that you will find the greatest atmosphere in the aforementioned Amboaxe square, which could be considered the true center of the city.

Route of modernist buildings in Ferrol

A great attraction of walk through the Magdalena neighborhood es see the numerous examples of modernist architecture.

To understand the origin of what is now presented as a thematic tourist route to walk around center of Ferrol, you have to go back to the time when said neighborhood was built.

At present, the Magdalena neighborhood It is the true social and commercial center of Ferrol, but until the mid-18th century it was only a small fishing village on the banks of this Galician estuary.

The approval in 1761 of the construction of the Magdalena neighborhood by the king Carlos III It was an outstanding urban planning proposal at that time due to its rationalist design.

El Magdalena neighborhood was born in parallel to the construction of the arsenals and the military shipyard that were going to change the life of the old age Ferrol.

With its rectangular layout in the shape of a chocolate bar, with all its parallel and perpendicular streets, it was populated with classicist buildings that for the first time in Galicia They showed large wrought iron balconies and glass galleries, an image now so characteristic of that region.

It was at the beginning of the 20th century when numerous buildings began to be built. modernist buildings, with rounded shapes and decoration with elements of nature.

You will undoubtedly be surprised by the presence in Ferrol of numerous examples of this very creative architectural style that was developed in parallel in large European cities, such as Barcelona, or with the variant art nouveau in brussels, as I was able to verify in one of my last trips to belgium.

This is largely due to the work of the municipal architect Rodolfo Ucha Piñeiro, who was the driving force behind the construction of several of the modernist buildings of Ferrol.

On the city map that you can get in the Ferrol Tourist Office (in the Spain Square, or in summer also at the information point of the old port) you have the location of the most notable modernist buildings in the Galician city indicated.

Thus, in the central Galicia square where is the main door of the Military Arsenal, you find the Jofre Theater, whose façade was made in 1920 by the aforementioned Rodolfo Ucha.

In one of the corners of the same square you have one of the most important modernist buildings in Ferrol, the Romero House, also from Ucha, which you will recognize by its white façade and the closed viewing balconies on its corners.

Another building that will also catch your attention is the Casa Rodríguez Trigo (c/Dolores 77), from 1914, conceived as an urban chalet and with large closed viewpoints.

Almost opposite is the building of the old Bank of La Coruña, which shows the character of an official building of the time.

In real street you have the building Swiss Hotel, designed by Ucha in 1913 for homes and businesses, but it was finally the headquarters of the aforementioned hotel. Its architectural style is eclectic with Parisian influence.

Also with design Ucha, another building worth mentioning is the Munduate House (c/Magdalena 61), from 1910, in which the carpentry and wrought iron of a clear modernist style stand out.

Finally I want to highlight the Anton House, on the western edge of Magdalena neighborhood, in front of the building Parador de Turismo.

This is a project carried out by Ucha in 1919 for a mayor of Ferrol, where the red exterior viewpoints on the corner of what was a three-story single-family home, now occupied by a religious school, stand out.

Be sure to notice the pergola at the entrance and the garden with stairs.

A good help that I used to follow the Modernism Route in Ferrol is Ferrol Tourism app whose download you can access from the official website itself.

In short, an interesting route that will give you a different image of what you might expect to see on your visit to Ferrol.

It is also worth highlighting the Rodrigo House and Munduate House, although I can tell you that my favorite building is the Anton House, which you find in front of the Ferrol Tourism Parador.

Visit the historic Arsenal and naval shipyards

What in the past became the great focus of industrial development of Ferrol, the Arsenal and naval shipyards, are now a focus of attraction for tourism given their heritage value.

During this visit you will be able to see andhistorical difficulties and Armoury and Cortina fortification, which protects the entrance to the military naval base, which continues to be used.

You will also be able to see dams, like the one at the bell, of 1789, or the monumental gate of the Dam, one of the iconic images of Ferrol.

What museums to visit in Ferrol

In your getaway to Ferrol you can also to visit museums, among which I am going to recommend three.

Naval Military Museum of Ferrol

In the shipyard area you have the Military Naval Museum, in which you will see numerous curious objects such as navigation material, maps, ship models, flags, etc...

This museum also preserves information on the ships built in Ferrol from 1751 to 1984.

Here you can consult the Schedules to visit the Ferrol Naval Museum, as well as useful information for your visit.

Ferrol Naval Construction Museum

Next to it, in a 19th century industrial warehouse, is Exponav, Naval Construction Museum, a visit more suitable for those truly interested in this industry.

This museum It is considered the largest in Europe dedicated to this topic of boat building.

Here you have the information with the Ferrol Naval Construction Museum schedules and ticket prices.

Ferrol Natural History Museum

And a third option with a totally different theme, very ideal if you are traveling with children, is the Museum of Natural History what do you find in the Canido neighborhood.

Managed by the Galician Natural History Society, it is the only one nature museum that you find in Galicia.

In its two rooms they find various mummified animals that were found dead on the Galician coast, among which the skeleton of a whale and a large squid undoubtedly stand out.

Before your visit, consult the Ferrol Natural History Museum hours.

Route of the Meninas de Canido in Ferrol

A curious visit that you can make in Ferrol is the so-called Las Meninas Route.

As a result of the initiative of the local artist Eduardo Hermida, until recently depressed Canido neighborhood is undergoing a transformation thanks to the artistic works that in recent years have been covering the facades of its houses.

Always with the theme of the famous canvas of Velázquez, Spanish and foreign artists are giving value to these facades, and the result is a cultural route of clear tourist interest.

Now the Canido neighborhood has been revalued and there you can find, among other paintings, one that is supposed to be the work of what is considered the greatest reference of the street art. world, Banksy.

Stroll through the port of Curuxeiras

El origin of the current city of Ferrol It is located in a small village with a port on the banks of the estuary.

Of the so-called Old Ferrol now it's only worth seeing the Curuxeiras port, which is the beginning of the so-called English Way to Santiago.

Nowadays it is mostly occupied by leisure boats, although you will be able to see some fishing boats, in addition to being the starting point for the pleasure boats with passengers traveling along the estuary.

I advise you to go up to the Bulwark, a fortification that will serve as a viewpoint, in front of which you have the aforementioned Curtain Fortress that defends the naval base.

Visit fortresses in Ferrol

The tradition of Ferrol estuary as a base for the protection of naval fleets dates back to before the construction of the shipyards.

Due to its special configuration, with a narrowing at the entrance, fortifications were built to defend the aforementioned estuary in the 16th century.

In this regard, it is worth highlighting the San Felipe Castle, which you can now visit near the city, in addition to the aforementioned fortifications in the dock.

Congresses in Ferrol

I already mentioned that my Ferrol visit coincided with the celebration of an event, specifically, the international wine fair FEVINO.

It should not surprise you because Ferrol is becoming a destination for holding conferences and events thanks to modern facilities such as the new Auditorium, the FIMO exhibition center or the headquarters of the Foundation.

Beaches and other places to see around Ferrol

On a subsequent trip we had the opportunity to enjoy one of the greatest attractions of this historic Galician city. the beaches and natural areas that extend through the surroundings of Ferrol.

These are natural areas with long white sand beaches, such as Doniños o San George, or enclaves like the cabos Prioriño y prior, in the natural space of the Artabra Coast.

This turns the surroundings of Ferrol in a place conducive to family tourism for the various nature activities what you can do, how hiking, mountain biking o kayak.

But it is also a geographical area with various cultural attractions, such as the Sanctuary of San Andrés de Teixidó or Caaveiro monastery.

What to eat in Ferrol

Of course, in the trip to Ferrol nor did I miss the opportunity to enjoy the typical Galician gastronomy, from the most traditional to the most elaborate, one of the great attractions that of course you also find in the community.

Monkfish loins with seafood or in green sauce, stewed cuttlefish, hedgehogs with spinach o grilled octopus, are some of the delicacies I was able to taste in Ferrol.

Finally, I advise you to visit Ferrol you download to your mobile official app, which I tell you has been one of the few that has really been useful to me when visiting a place.

Map: where Ferrol is and how to get there

Ferrol It is 40 minutes away north of the city of A Coruña, in Galicia.