Betanzos: The City of Knights
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Port
A Coruna, Spain
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Activity Level
Moderate Activity
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At (prices in USD)
$110
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 3½ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Departing A Coruña, enjoying the view of the Peninsula das Marinas during the 40-minute drive to the city of Betanzos. En route, you'll pass the Pazo de Meiras Galician manor house that once belonged to the Spanish dictator General Franco.
In Betanzos, begin a walking tour of this City of Knights, setting out from Hermanos Naveira Square. This is indeed the anteroom of the medieval historic center. A guide introduces you to the cruceiros (fountains), palaces, and the three churches of the city center. One church houses the 14th-century sarcophagus of the knight Fernan Perez de Andrade.
You'll have free time to relax in a pub under the arches in the main square or browse in the high street at your leisure.
Returning by coach to A Coruña, enjoy an orientation drive through the city. Admire the Riazor and Orzan Beaches, the House of Mankind by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, and the Aquarium Finisterrae.
Snap a few photos at the Tower of Hercules — the oldest Roman lighthouse in the world that is still in use today.
Continue along the coastline past the glass-window houses that gave A Coruña its Crystal City nickname. Your guide will point out San Anton Castle and the Mendez Nuñez Gardens before you return to the ship.