San Carlos castle and fishing museum in Fisterra

Beside Fisterra harbour, on the rocks at the southern end of A Ribeira beach, the castle of San Carlos is a small coastal fortress that now houses the Museo da Pesca, with the history of the town's fleet and fishermen. It is a short visit, indoors, and a good plan for a rainy day or for killing time before sunset at the lighthouse.

Its history

It was one of four fortresses the Bourbons ordered built in the mid-18th century to defend this coast, designed by the French engineer Carlos Lemaur. The irregular wall follows the shape of the rocks it stands on, and its gun embrasures point in three directions: to Cape Fisterra, to the middle of the estuary and to the town. Inside there was a building for a small garrison.

In 1809 French troops invaded Fisterra, sacked the town and burned the castle. At the end of the 19th century, the local businessman Plácido Castro Rivas bought the ruins and gave them to the town council to build a school, but the project did not go ahead for lack of funds; after the war there was a plan to turn it into a museum, and that too failed. The building changed hands and use several times until the Fishermen's Guild raised the money to create the museum in 2006. It opened two years later and has received more than 100,000 visitors.

What you see

The museum tells the story of Fisterra fishing, with gear, boats and the history of the town's fleet, in the same walled enclosure from which the estuary was watched. For years, the local poet Francisco Manuel López Martínez, who signs as Alexandre Nerium, explained the visit to those who came. Allow half an hour.

Hours and how to get there

In 2025 it opened Tuesday to Saturday 11:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 19:00, and Sunday 11:00 to 14:00; on Mondays it is closed. The price does not appear in the official sources consulted: ask at the Fisterra tourist office, on the seafront, which will also confirm this year's hours.

You walk there from the harbour. Next to it is the fish market, which has a space from which you can watch the fish auctions. Afterwards, go up to Cape Fisterra and its lighthouse, about 3 km away, and for lunch, O Fragón, with views of the estuary, or Tira do Cordel, above Langosteira beach.