The remains of these medieval defence towers in Catoira were built on the orders of Archbishop Gelmirez to guard against Viking raids up the Ulla River toward Santiago de Compostela. The setting is dramatic — the ruined towers stand on a spit of land jutting into the river, surrounded by marshland.
Every August, Catoira hosts the Festa Vikinga, one of Galicia's most entertaining festivals. Thousands of people turn up dressed as Vikings, horns and all, clutching enormous pitchers of wine. The highlight is the re-enactment of a Viking attack, complete with a replica longship (a Drakkar built in Catoira using original designs provided by the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum in Denmark). The Danish museum sends a delegation every year.