Betanzos is a very old town, the Romans called it Brigantium, and it is located between two rivers the River Mendo and the River Mandeo at the point where they meet the sea. <\/p>\n
It has been declared a historic-artistic site and is considered to be the Gothic capital of Galicia. This is clearly seen in the churches of St. James, St. Mary of the Azougue and St. Francis<\/strong>. In the church of St. Francis we can see medieval tombs such as that of P\u00e9rez de Andrade. It is very pleasant to walk through the town and look at the streets that go up to a quiet medieval quarter, which is still lived in. You can admire the houses, arcades and covered balconies and then you can take a rest and regain your strength while having something to eat or drink in the \u00abas calexas\u00bb<\/em> area of town. There are many spots in Betanzos where you can get breath-taking views.<\/p>\n On the outskirts of town is the park O Pasatempo, which was constructed by the Garc\u00eda Naveira brothers, who emigrated to America and then returned to Betanzos. The park was conceived as an encyclopaedia that would show their fellow citizens the things that they had seen in the outside world. <\/p>\n \tThe most popular festivals are during August, during San Roque a huge hot air balloon made of paper is let loose. The festivals of Os Caneiros are very popular and take place on the banks of the river Mandeo, many people go in boats but it is also accessible on foot.<\/p>\n \tBetanzos is the capital of the borough of As Mari\u00f1as and there are fairs on the 1st and 16th of each month, furthermore there are markets for fresh produce on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. <\/p>\n