Ares town hall

Ares Town Hall is the seat of local government for the small municipality of Ares, on the Rías Altas coast in the province of A Coruña, Galicia. The building stands on Plaza de la Constitución, right in the town centre, and administers a municipality of roughly 6,000 residents.

Where is the town hall located?

The town hall sits on the main square, close to the waterfront of the Ría de Ares, where the estuary opens toward the Ferrol inlet. The square is the natural starting point for exploring the historic centre, with streets leading down to the fishing harbour and the oldest part of town.

What is Ares like, and why visit?

Ares grew up as a fishing village, and the sea still shapes its character. The town centre has kept its single-storey houses with wooden galleries painted in bright colours, a style typical of this stretch of the Galician coast. Some of the finer buildings belong to the "indiano" tradition — grand houses built by emigrants who made their fortunes in the Americas and returned to construct showpiece residences back home.

The area's history runs far deeper than its visible buildings. The municipality holds the remains of several Iron Age hillforts from the local Castro culture — Castro Mourón, Castro de Ares and Castro de Santa Mariña — evidence of settlement long before Roman times. The Romans themselves left behind the Ponte da Ciscada, a bridge that once carried the road between Ares and Pontumio. In the 15th century, a Jewish community fleeing persecution under the Catholic Monarchs settled in the coastal O Porto neighbourhood, where they worked the salt trade. The coastline still carries traces of artillery batteries built over the centuries to defend against seaborne attack.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

A short walk from the centre lies Redes, nicknamed the "Galician Venice" — a picturesque fishing settlement of colourful indiano houses recognised as a site of exceptional cultural value. It was here that Pedro Almodóvar filmed scenes for his movie "Julieta", and Galician broadcaster TVG shot the series "Padre Casares". On Redes' Area Morta beach, visitors can still see the wooden cabrias once used to dry fishing nets, a tradition kept alive today through the summer Fiesta de la Cabria.

The municipality also has several beaches worth a stop: Chanteiro, shell-shaped with golden sand and sheltered between two headlands; and As Mirandas and Centeas. Throughout the year the town keeps up local traditions, from the Voto de Chanteiro pilgrimage to Holy Week processions and the Corpus Christi flower carpets, which have earned recognition as a Festival of Tourist Interest of Galicia.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Ares town hall? On Plaza de la Constitución, in the centre of Ares, province of A Coruña, Galicia.

Is Ares a large town? No — it's a small coastal municipality of around 6,000 people, stretching along the coast from the mouth of the Ferrol estuary to the port of Redes.

What's the main nearby attraction? The neighbouring village of Redes, known as the "Galician Venice", famous for its indiano architecture and its role in Pedro Almodóvar's film "Julieta".

What does the local architecture look like? Typical Galician coastal style — single-storey houses with brightly painted wooden galleries, alongside grander indiano-style mansions built by returning emigrants.

Are there beaches near Ares? Yes, including Chanteiro, As Mirandas and Centeas, all within the municipality and close to the town centre.