What to see in Betanzos, one of the ancient capitals of the Kingdom of Galicia
If you want to visit one of the most incredible historic centers in Galicia, what you should do is travel to Betanzos, a beautiful town just 25km from La Coruña that will surprise you as soon as you set foot in its streets.
Betanzos was one of the 7 capitals that made up the ancient Kingdom of Galicia, a fact that has left a great legacy that today we can visit and enjoy with everything there is to visit in Betanzos, from its beautiful squares to its pretty churches as well as incredible surroundings with places like the Costa da Morte, the Rías Altas or the Fragas do Eume.
We take you there to take a nice tour of the best things to see in Betanzos.
What to see in Betanzos in one day
Entering the old town to the Plaza de los Hermanos García Naveira
To begin your visit to the old town of Betanzos, you must go through one of the gates of its walled area, which currently number 3, although originally it had 5 gates. We have the Porta da Ponte Nova, the Porta do Cristo and the Porta da Ponte Vella, which is the one we are going to use to enter Betanzos, next to the Mondeo River.
After going through the door we will find ourselves before a network of alleys, some with a steep slope, which will surprise you. We will head towards the Plaza Hermanos García Naveira, the main square in Betanzos and the nerve center of the city, dedicated to some businessmen born there at the end of the 19th century and who emigrated to Argentina.
In the Plaza de los Hermanos García Naveiro we find a good number of points of interest, such as the Letronas de Betanzos, where you can immortalize that you have been here. Behind them we will find the Church of Santo Domingo, one of the main things to see in Betanzos. It is a Renaissance and Baroque church built in the 16th century, although it underwent subsequent reforms.
Other points that you should pay attention to in this square are the Diana Cazadora Fountain, a replica of the “Diana de Versalles” that can be admired in the Louvre Museum, the Old San Antonio Hospital or the As Mariñas Museum, a museum ethnographic that is well worth a visit.
The Plaza de la Constitución and the Church of Santiago
After admiring the monuments of the previous square, we can go to another of the most important squares to see in Betanzos. We are talking about the Plaza de la Constitución, located a few meters from the one we reached via Rua Castro.
The best thing to see in the Plaza de la Constitución is the typical architecture of the houses that overlook it and that are one of the hallmarks of Betanzos, with large balconies and arcades, although other buildings such as the Betanzos Town Hall should also be highlighted., the Pazo de Lanzós or the Pazo de Bendaña, two of the most beautiful country houses in the area.
In the Plaza de la Constitución we also find the Church of Santiago and its towers, which are one of the most famous elements of Betanzos. The Church of Santiago, which is accessed by the Rúa de Lanzós, is built in the Gothic style in the 15th century and its exterior stands out for its towers topped with needles.
The churches of Santa María del Azogue and San Francisco
We continue walking and we will arrive at the Plaza de Fernán Pérez de Andrade «O Boo», where we will find two very interesting churches.
The first of these is the Church of Santa María del Azogue, in the Gothic style and built in the 14th century by the work of Fernán Pérez de Andrade, after whom the square is named. It is worth visiting its interior and admiring the capital with the agricultural calendar, the only one in Galicia.
In front of it is the Church of San Francisco, another Gothic style, from the 15th century. In it we can find the tomb of Fernán Pérez de Andrade “O Boo”, as well as other medieval knights. A very interesting visit to do in Betanzos.
Of course, while you walk through Betanzos, its streets and admire its churches, don’t stop surprising yourself with the typical architecture of its houses.
Other places to see in Betanzos
With this short tour you will have already seen the most important things to see in Betanzos in one day. But you still have some other points of interest that will not take you too long but are worth it.
One of them is the Centro de Interpretación de la Estampa Contemporánea (CIEC), an exhibition center dedicated to promoting the plastic arts of Betanzos. Its facade, with its balconies, is already an incentive to go to this center to visit it.
Parque del Pasatiempo is another of the favorite places for residents of Betanzos to go for a walk. It is located outside the historic center and is a very special place, especially if you go with children. It is an encyclopedic park where you can find everything from dinosaurs to reliefs that represent the Pyramid of Cheops or the Panama Canal.
Finally, we recommend you go to the Fonte da Unta neighborhood, where you can admire a series of typical houses of Betanzos farmers with high arcades and very colorful balconies.
You can find more information to visit Betanzos on its official tourism page.
