Carballo dates back to 759 AD; the name is actually a Galician word meaning Oak, referring to the settlement's surroundings of forest on mountainous terrain. The Atlantic Ocean is a short distance to the west side of the town, to the north is the Bay of Biscay or Viscaya and to the east is the Mediterranean Sea, with a 1,130 km drive to La Marina de Port, Barcelona, Spain and 618 km drive east by south east to Madrid and 846 km drive south to Seville.