García Naveira Brothers

The social, cultural and urban legacy of the García Naveira Brothers, key figures in Betanzos’ modern transformation.

Pasatiempo Park

Pasatiempo Park

Historic garden created by Juan García Naveira in the late 19th century, famous for its grottoes, sculptures and social and cultural symbolism.

Located on the outskirts of Betanzos, the construction of this garden began between 1893 and 1895 and was designed and financed by Juan García Naveira. Of the original 90,000 m² that the garden once covered, only one tenth has been preserved. The list of elements that can be seen in the section known as the caves speaks for itself of the site’s eclectic nature, with a wide range of cement reproductions, a material that was innovative at the time. In addition to grottoes and underground passageways, noteworthy features include the Pond of Retirement, polychrome murals depicting means of transport such as the aeroplane and the funicular, maps of the Panama Canal, the Pyramid of Cheops as testimony to a journey through Egypt, the mural of monarchical Spain and its eighteen republican daughters, the tribute to Argentina, the clocks showing the world’s time zones, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, elements of mythology, exotic animals, and more.