Dombate Dolmen and Its Archaeological Centre, in Cabana de Bergantiños

In Borneiro, in the interior of Cabana de Bergantiños, the Dombate dolmen is a Neolithic tomb: a chamber of large granite slabs that was used for more than a thousand years, from around 3800 BC, and that preserves paintings on its stones. Today it is protected under a cover and has an archaeological centre next to it. The Deputación da Coruña, which manages it, opens it every day from 10:00 to 20:30.

What you see

Dombate is not one dolmen but two, one on top of the other. The old mámoa, the earth mound that covered the tomb, measures about 10.5 metres in diameter and holds a small chamber of nine stones that was entered through a shaft. On top the large one was later built, about 24 metres in diameter and 1.8 high, with a polygonal chamber of seven slabs and a corridor facing east, where the sun rises. In the chamber and the corridor there is painted and engraved art; in the archaeological centre you can see a reproduction and understand how it was built, how it was used and what it meant to those who raised it.

The monument was abandoned around 2700 BC. It was studied in the 19th century by the historian Manuel Murguía, who took it to be Celtic, and excavated by José María Bello between 1987 and 1989; after new excavations in 2009, the cover that protects it was finished in 2011. It is a Bien de Interés Cultural (a protected heritage site).

Opening hours, guided tours and how to get there

Self-guided visits are Monday to Sunday, 10:00 to 20:30. From 1 July to 13 September there are also guided tours every day, from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, and on some nights in July and August the Deputación organises one-hour night visits, from 23:00 to midnight. The Deputación's page does not publish a price or booking method: for the guided and night tours, call the visitor and guide service on 672 435 736, or the archaeological centre on 619 914 973.

You get there by car: it is at the place of Dombate, parish of Borneiro, about 20 minutes from Laxe and about half an hour from Razo beach. It is a good indoor stop for a rainy day in the northern part of the coast, or to combine with a morning of surfing at Razo. If you come from the south, from Muxía and the Sanctuary of the Virxe da Barca it takes about 40 minutes.