Camariñas town hall

Camariñas town hall (Casa do Concello) stands on Praza da Insuela, right in the heart of this small town on the Costa da Morte, in the province of A Coruña, Galicia.

Where is the town hall located?

The building sits at Praza da Insuela 57, in the central square of Camariñas, just steps from the fishing harbour. The same address houses a tourist information point linked to the Museo de Encaixe, a museum dedicated to the town's bobbin lace tradition, for which Camariñas is known throughout Galicia. It's a good first stop for visitors — you can pick up a town map and check for current lace exhibitions.

How do you get to Camariñas?

The town lies roughly 89 km from A Coruña and 80 km from Santiago de Compostela. Coming from A Coruña, the most convenient route is the C-552 toward Fisterra as far as Vimianzo, followed by the local LC-432 road straight into Camariñas. A car is essentially necessary — bus links from the larger cities are infrequent and usually require a change. The town hall itself is within easy walking distance of the main quay, so once you reach the centre no further transport is needed.

What's worth seeing near the town hall?

Praza da Insuela sits in the busiest part of Camariñas. A short walk away is the fishing harbour, one of the more important on the Costa da Morte, where sardines and octopus are landed and the lonja (auction hall) doubles as a meeting point for fishermen and buyers. Around the streets you can still spot palilleiras, lacemakers working traditional bolillos lace on wooden bobbins in the open air — a craft that defines the town and is the main subject of its local museum.

A few kilometres west, on a rocky headland, stands the Cabo Vilán lighthouse — the first lighthouse in Spain to run on electric power, perched on cliffs over a hundred metres high. Nearby is the Cementerio dos Ingleses, a cemetery established after the wreck of the British ship HMS Serpent, which sank off Punta do Boi in 1890, killing 172 people.

When should you visit?

Late spring through summer (May–September) brings the calmest Atlantic weather and the liveliest atmosphere around the harbour and old streets. It's worth checking the Museo de Encaixe's exhibition calendar, since live lace-making demonstrations are sometimes held near the town hall. Winter on the Costa da Morte tends to be windy and rainy, but it's also a striking time to see the Atlantic at its rawest from the cliffs around Cabo Vilán.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Camariñas town hall? It's an administrative building housing the local government, not a museum open for general sightseeing. Visitors mainly use it as the address of the tourist information point.

Can you learn about Camariñas lace at the town hall? Yes — the tourist information point at Praza da Insuela is linked to the Museo de Encaixe, making it the natural place to ask about exhibitions, workshops, and shops selling local lace.

What's the best way to reach central Camariñas? By car via the C-552 to Vimianzo and then the LC-432. Public transport options are limited, so most visitors exploring the Costa da Morte drive.

What else can you combine with a visit to the town hall in one day? The fishing harbour, the streets where lacemakers work, and a trip out to the Cabo Vilán lighthouse and the nearby Cementerio dos Ingleses — all close enough together to form a natural sightseeing loop.