[7][8][9] Ferrol has been a major naval shipbuilding centre for most of its history, being the capital of the Spanish Navy's Maritime Department of the North since the time of the early Bourbons.

The first historical mention of this settlement, then called Burum[19][20][21] or Arotebrarum Portum,[22] appears in the history of Pomponius Mela,[22] a Roman historian who in the year AD 43 detailing a description of the Portus Magnus Artabrorum,[23][24] the "great port of the Artabri".

[31] The existence of prehistoric human settlements in the area that would later become Ferrol is suggested by the abundance of burial chambers and megalithic monuments, as well as petroglyphs and other archaeological findings.

[32] The Phoenicians[33][29][34] established in this area several dried and salted cod stations and their presence, together with that of the Ancient Greeks, is well documented by such classical historians as Herodotus, Strabo, Pomponius Mela, and Ptolemy.

[35] In Roman times, in the 1st century BC, a fishing port existed which also traded in metals (like silver,[36] gold,[37][38] tin[39] and iron[40]), and wild horses.

[39] Near Ferrol[41] there is a place called Naraío [42] (famous for its medieval castle), whose name bears a phonetic resemblance Strabo's Nerium,[32] modern day Cape Prior.

[63] Ferrol was made capital of the Maritime Department of the North, formed under Ferdinand VI and Charles III for the defence of the Spanish Colonial Empire in America.

[64] Rapid improvements followed, notably under the leadership of the Marquis of Ensenada, and the position of Ferrol was made almost unassailable from the sea, the difficulties of disembarking troops on its precipitous coast being strengthened by a renewed line of fortresses and newly built castles, including that of San Carlos.

[68][69] Ferrol is famous[70] in the history of the struggle between the Spanish Empire and the British for being one of the only enclaves in the world, together with Cartagena de Indias, that always resisted occupation successfully; Ferrol was virtually impossible to blockade in the age of sail, as strong westerly winds would take any blockading force away along the treacherous north coast of Spain towards the Costa da Morte (Coast of Death), where they had no safe haven.

Despite these advantages, a decline set in during the reign of Charles IV, and in 1800, during the Ferrol Expedition, after the defences had been reduced, a British fleet of 109 vessels landed troops on the beach of Doniños to take the Castle of San Felipe.

Although only equipped with meagre artillery, the castle's small defence force under the command Count Donadio, together with a sizable number of volunteer citizens of Ferrol, successfully resisted the attack and the fleet withdrew.

[71] When the war with Napoleonic France was over, many of the South American colonies[72] chose to pursue independence from Spain and the shipyards of Ferrol went into a serious decline, losing most of their civilian, clergy and military population.

The second half of the 19th century brought to the Royal Dockyards of Ferrol not only employment, but also concomitant social and political tensions,[81][82] which culminated in the failed republican uprising of 1872.

[102] In view of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, and due to the fear of social unrest in the naval station, the Foreign Office in London[103][104] organized a ship to repatriate all the remaining British citizens.

The end of the Spanish State and the arrival of democracy in 1978 did little to arrest Ferrol's economic decline,[106][107] and from 1982 to the early 1990s, the city faced numerous problems due to the waning of the naval sector.

Young shoppers and their families frequent the stores and enjoy weekend days out with amenities like bowling, cafeterias, fast food outlets, cinemas and sports facilities.

Historically, however, there have been many exceptions, with local businesses including PEMSA (timber), PYSBE (dried and salted cod) and HISPANIA (pencils), in addition to manufacturers of hats, paper and leather, plus naval and hardware stores.