Ferrol (Magdalena quarter and Arsenal, Galicia)

Ferrol is a naval city on the Ría de Ferrol in the north of A Coruña province, Galicia, about 18 km north-east of A Coruña across the bay and 52 km by road (spain.info). It is known for the 18th-century Magdalena quarter, laid out on a grid, and the Arsenal, which Turismo de Galicia calls the only military port of the Enlightenment left intact in Europe. You arrive by road, by train (Renfe and the narrow-gauge coast line) or on the English Way to Santiago, which starts here. It suits travellers interested in naval history, architecture and Holy Week; skip it if you want a beach resort, although open Atlantic beaches are a short drive away.

Quick facts

• Names: Ferrol in Galician and Castilian. The surrounding area is called Ferrolterra.
• Where: province of A Coruña, Galicia, on a peninsula on the north side of the Ría de Ferrol, one of the three estuaries of the Golfo Ártabro.
• Coordinates (Praza de Armas): 43.4845, -8.2329.
• Population: 64,367 (INE 2025, via Spanish Wikipedia).
• Landmarks: the Arsenal (begun in 1750), the Magdalena quarter (plans approved in 1761), the castle of San Felipe, the Naval Museum and Exponav.
• Main event: Holy Week, a Festival of International Tourist Interest (Turismo de Galicia).

Getting there and parking

By car: Ferrol is 52 km from A Coruña by road, according to spain.info. In a straight line it is about 18 km from A Coruña and 23 km from Betanzos.

By train: Spanish Wikipedia notes that Ferrol is the only Galician city on the metre-gauge line, which runs east along the coast towards Gijón, and the end of the Renfe line from Betanzos-Infesta. OpenStreetMap places the station about 400 m north of the Praza de Armas, with a paid car park for station users. We could not confirm current timetables.

By bus: the bus station is about 550 m north of the Praza de Armas (OpenStreetMap).

Parking: the centre is a grid of narrow streets; use a car park on the edge and walk. We could not confirm car park prices.

What to see

The Magdalena quarter. The historic centre of Ferrol follows plans approved by Carlos III in 1761: a rectangle of straight streets interrupted only by the Amboaxe and Armas squares (Turismo de Galicia). Turismo de Galicia compares it to a bar of chocolate. Walk the length of Rúa Magdalena for houses with glazed galleries and the Ateneo Ferrolán, then down Rúa Real to the Herrera gardens, which look over the Arsenal and the ría. The quarter is lit at night, and Turismo de Galicia recommends seeing it then. Nearby are the modernist Jofre theatre, opened in 1892, and the 18th-century co-cathedral of San Xiao.

The Arsenal and the Naval Museum. The dockyard was built from 1750 to a design by Julián Sánchez Bort and was the largest naval base of its day in Europe (Turismo de Galicia). The inside of the military area can only be visited with prior permission. The Naval Museum is open to visitors: it is in the former San Campio prison, entered from the Cantón de Molíns, and holds more than 2,650 catalogued items on the Navy and Ferrol (Turismo de Galicia). Exponav, in the Ferrerías building, is a permanent exhibition on shipbuilding. The Porta do Dique, the 18th-century gate with the arms of Carlos III, links the Arsenal to the Magdalena.

Ferrol Vello and the port. The older fishing quarter around the Praza Vella and the Curuxeiras quay predates the 18th-century city, with winding streets and galleried houses. The walk ends at the San Xoán fort, in the remains of the old wall, with a view over the port.

Castle of San Felipe. About 4.5 km west of the centre at the mouth of the ría, this fortified battery dates back to the reign of Felipe II and was rebuilt between 1731 and 1775 to designs by Francisco Montaigú, Juan de la Ferrière and Juan Vergel. With the castle of La Palma on the Mugardos shore opposite it guarded the entrance to the ría. The castle was bought by Ferrol council, which plans to restore it for cultural use (Turismo de Galicia). Reach it on the Canido road towards A Malata and A Graña, the old fishermen’s district below it.

Prices and opening

Opening hours published by Turismo de Galicia (checked November 2026):

• Naval Museum: Tuesday to Friday 09:30–13:30; Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10:30–13:30; closed on Mondays.
• Exponav: Tuesday to Friday 10:30–19:30; Monday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10:30–14:30.

We could not confirm entry prices for either, or visiting arrangements for the castle of San Felipe while it awaits restoration.

Food and festivals

Turismo de Galicia sends you to the Magdalena for food, around Rúa María and Rúa Sol, with Sol the street for tapas and seafood. Rice pudding is the city’s typical dessert and is served free on 7 January, the feast of the patron saint San Xiao. Holy Week runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday with five brotherhoods; the night procession of the Caladiños on Good Friday is the one not to miss. On 18 March, choirs serenade the women of Ferrol, the Pepitas, in the Praza de Amboaxe. The summer fiestas fill the first half of August, and on the Sunday nearest 25 August the city remembers the defeat of a British landing in 1800 with a 12 km walk to Brión.

Accessibility and safety

The Magdalena is mostly level, with straight streets and pavements. Turismo de Galicia lists the Naval Museum as accessible to people with reduced mobility. Ferrol Vello and the way down to the port have slopes and cobbles. The road to San Felipe is narrow and winding near A Graña.

Best time to visit

All year for the city and museums, which keep reduced hours on Mondays. Holy Week is the busiest time, with processions every day; book a room early. In summer combine the city with the beaches of Doniños and Valdoviño to the north.

Nearby alternatives

• Fragas do Eume Natural Park, about 15 km east to the Caaveiro monastery: Atlantic forest in the Eume gorge.
• Tower of Hercules, about 18 km south-west: the Roman lighthouse of A Coruña.
• A Coruña, about 18 km south-west: the old town, glazed galleries and city beaches.
• Betanzos, about 23 km south: medieval town with Gothic churches.
• Cedeira, about 24 km north-east: fishing town on its ría.
• San Andrés de Teixido, about 32 km north-east: pilgrimage hamlet on the Capelada cliffs.

Distances are in a straight line from the Praza de Armas. The beach of Doniños, 1,700 m of fine sand with a Blue Flag and a lagoon behind it, is about 7 km north-west (Turismo de Galicia).

FAQ

Can you visit the Arsenal in Ferrol?

The inside of the military dockyard can only be visited with prior permission, according to Turismo de Galicia. The Naval Museum and Exponav, both in the Arsenal area, are open to the public; see the hours above.

How far is Ferrol from A Coruña?

52 km by road (spain.info), about 18 km in a straight line across the bay.

Is Ferrol worth visiting?

Yes, if you like history and architecture: the grid of the Magdalena, the 18th-century naval dockyard and the castle of San Felipe are unlike any other Galician city. Allow a day.

When is Holy Week in Ferrol?

It follows Easter, so the dates change every year. The processions run from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, with the Caladiños procession on the night of Good Friday.

Does the English Way start in Ferrol?

Yes. Turismo de Galicia calls Ferrol one of the gates of the English Way to Santiago; the route passes through Pontedeume and Betanzos.

Sources and freshness