San Antón Castle

A Coruña, Spain

One of the A Coruña's most interesting monuments, San Anton castle (Castillo de San Antón) in A Coruña was constructed during the 16th and 17th centuries. A fortress built on a small island in the bay to defend the city against attacks coming from the sea, it effectively defended the entrance to the city against the English assault led by Francis Drake in 1589. There are some lovely collections of Celtic jewellery that were found on archaeological digs in Galicia on display inside the castle today.

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Founded: 16th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Spain

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4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Cynthia Jo Andriola (7 months ago)
Loved it. Picturesque and filled with history. A must see
Michelle Martínez (2 years ago)
Excellent fortress turned museum right on the maritime walk in A Coruña! Beautiful views once you reach the top. There are very interesting artifacts inside as well (including an old viking ship). Don't miss the area where the water fills up with the tide. We were told it was once used as a torture chamber for prisoners.
Farzad Bhagat (2 years ago)
A short walk from the lovely cruise terminal, this castle also doubles up as an archaeological museum and houses a lot of military and other artifacts unearthed from the nearby area. The castle is a good wander and one can go to the top ramparts to enjoy a good view of the surrounding areas.
César Orille Museums & Gyms (2 years ago)
Nice castle. At the end of the 16th century, Felipe II had San Antón Castle built on a small, rocky island, as a fortress for defending A Coruña port. As a result of successive restoration projects, it took on its current appearance at the end of the 18th century. It was also a prison until the middle of the 20th century. Since 1968 it has housed the municipal Archaeology and History Museum.
Vlad Schnakovszki (2 years ago)
Entrance is €2 per person so it would be worth it even if it were empty walls. But it's not just empty walls, it's an archeology museum with quite a few things to see and the views are really nice. If you're here, don't think about it, just go in. Recommendation to management: all the writings are in Galician and Spanish only. It would be great to have them in English as well so that us international visitors can learn about your history too.
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