The Three Wise Men have already left their load of gifts and fun, but if you’ve left yourself wanting more, here’s a small sample of what Galicia has to offer to anyone who wants to have fun between games, toys and other jolly objects. These are places to start the year with enthusiasm or to plan your excursions for the next few months. Enjoy them.
Ethnoludic Museum of Galicia (Melga)
Ponteceso
In the town of Ponteceso, in the Bergantiños region, you will find this authentic paradise for lovers of games and toys. More than 4,000 pieces from all over the world make up the collection of this center in which millenary cultures, traditional Galician games and examples of how sports have evolved coexist. Visitors will also have the opportunity to participate in some of the activities organised there, such as plasticine workshops, origami or toy construction. More information here.
Grobit Village
O Grove
The Hobbits, characters created by the writer J.R.R. Tolkien, have distant relatives on A Toxa, the small and famous island located in the Pontevedra municipality of O Grove. Their place of residence, the Grobit Village is a children’s park formed by small houses that seem to sprout from the ground (one of them can be visited), play areas and multicoloured logs. The space is located in a forest park of great natural value inhabited also by a couple of gentle donkeys, always ready to interact with visitors. More information here.
Illa do Covo
Pontevedra
This small river island located in the waters of the Lérez River combines culture, leisure and fun to become another ideal destination for families. There you can find the pieces of the artistic project called Illa das Esculturas, areas for walking and a space for family leisure. It is also the setting for an original proposal called Discovering the Illa do Covo, which encourages participants to discover the artistic and natural heritage of the place through a route guided by eight videos. More information here.
City of Culture
Santiago de Compostela
The complex built on Mount Gaiás offers numerous proposals to enjoy a day of games and fun with the family. The climbing wall and the skate track in the Theatre Garden and the play area in the Parque da Balea will delight children and young people, while those who prefer to walk or relax in green surroundings can do so in the Parque del Lago, the Literary Garden or the Galician Forest. More information here.
Domus
A Coruña
Its more than 150 interactive modules make this museum in A Coruña an ideal place to learn and reflect on human beings in a fun and playful way. At present, because of the covid, it offers three activities (maker@domus, atapuerca@domus and mission@domus) with prior reservation of places for groups of people living together. More information here.
Galician Museum of Toy
Allariz
Among the wide range of museums in the town of Allariz, there is also a place for the world of toys. The Galician Museum of Toy, located in the pazo of the old courthouse, houses a collection of games and toys from very different periods. More information here.
Fernández Pacheco Train Collection
Ourense
The history and evolution of the world of railways is condensed in the more than 4,000 pieces of this collection, which ranges from the first steam engines to high speed. Among its scale replicas there is no lack of mythical trains such as the Orient Express or the machine used by Buster Keaton in the film “The General”. The collection can be visited at the Marcos Valcárcel Cultural Centre. More information here.
Briz Farm
Marín
Lakes, slides, games integrated into nature and spaces for walking come together in an enclosure that until the beginning of the 19th century was part of the possessions of the monastery of Oseira. The place also includes a space called Park of the Senses with five different areas to stimulate the touch (with different textures), the ear (with large musical instruments), the eyesight (with the panoramic views offered by the place), the smell (with aromatic plants) and the taste (with fruit trees). More information here.
Kiko Pastur Magic Museum
Santiago de Compostela
Since November 2020, the world of illusionism has its own monographic space in the old town of Compostela. The magician Kiko Pastur is the driving force and director of this museum where it is possible to observe historical articles and pieces, see reproductions of some of the numbers of the great magicians of history and be surprised by optical illusions that will challenge our minds. More information here.
