Max Abroad : The Best of Spain

The ruins of this ancient settlement exist only as a series of circular foundations, but what a view they had!

The village 'Castro de Baroña' was constructed not only in a strategic location but also one of incomparable natural beauty, surrounded by beautiful beaches and mountains. A completely excavated seaside example of a settlement dating from the first century BC to the first century AD (the Iberian Iron Age/Galician Castro Culture), it consists of 30 circular or oval stone houses within a double defensive wall. The settlement was not positioned in this isolated coastal spot simply to fend off attacks from the sea, but rather to defend itself from attacks from the mainland. It took full advantage of the protection afforded by it’s position, the defensive ramparts across the isthmus prevented attacks on land whilst a large, rocky cliff constituted an excellent sea defence.

Popular myth claims that these "castros" were inhabited by the "Praestamarcos" tribe and that it is actually on the "Vicu Sapcorum," an ancient Roman road that traversed the "Barbanza" hills, and was called "Per Loca Martimia." Whether this is actually true is hard to say, but it is claimed that people lived in this desolate spot for many centuries up until the arrival of the "Suevians."

It is difficult to determine what the site once looked like since there is no evidence of upper walls, roofs, windows or even doors. Some hypothesize that this was a storage settlement but most archaeologists posit that it was inhabited year-round since there is clear evidence of shellfish gathering and fishing. There is also a furnace located in the northern section which was probably used for smelting tin, gold, copper, and iron mined in the nearby mountains. The settlement could have been completely self-sufficient, except that no facilities to store freshwater have been found.