Vikings in Iberia

Viking activity in the Iberian peninsula seems to have begun around the mid-9th century as an extension of Viking raids and the establishment of bases in Francia in the early 9th century. While connections between the Norse and eastern Islamic lands were well-established, particularly involving the Rus' along the Volga and around the Caspian Sea, relations with the western edge of Islam were more sporadic. Although Vikings may have over-wintered in Iberia, no evidence has been found for trading or settlement. Indeed, the Iberian peninsula may not have offered particularly wealthy targets in the 9th to 10th centuries. Sporadic raiding continued until the end of the Viking Age.

The knowledge of Vikings in Iberia is mainly based on written accounts. There are archaeological findings of what may have been anchors of Viking ships, and some shapes of mounds by riversides look similar to the Norse longphorts in Ireland. These may have been ports or docks for longships. Since 1961, the Viking Festival of Catoira in Pontevedra reenacts a Viking troop landing on their shores.