A Coruña, La Coruña in Spanish, with about 250,000 inhabitants, is with Vigo the largest city in Galicia. It stands on a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic, with the port on one side and beaches on the other. It is lively, elegant and commercial: the Inditex group, owner of Zara, was born here.
History
It was the Roman port of Brigantium. In 1589 it held out against the English fleet of Francis Drake: the heroine of the defence, María Pita, is the city's symbol. In the 19th century it was a liberal centre, and thousands of Galician emigrants left from here for the Americas.
What to see
- The Tower of Hercules, built by the Romans in the 1st-2nd century AD and restored in the 18th: it is the world's oldest working lighthouse, a UNESCO site since 2009, surrounded by a seaside sculpture park.
- The galerías of the Avenida de la Marina, façades of white glazed balconies that earned it the nickname "city of glass".
- Plaza de María Pita, with the town hall.
- The Old Town, with the Romanesque churches of Santiago and Santa María del Campo, the San Carlos garden, with the tomb of British general John Moore, and San Antón castle, now an archaeological museum.
- The Paseo Marítimo, one of Europe's longest seafront promenades, for walking or cycling.
- The science museums: the Domus, the House of Humankind, the Aquarium Finisterrae and the House of Sciences.
Beaches
The city beaches of Riazor and Orzán, popular with surfers, and Santa Cristina and Bastiagueiro nearby. The Atlantic is cool even in summer.
Festivals and food
On the night of San Juan, 23 June, the beaches fill with bonfires and people grilling sardines. In August the María Pita festivals are held. Food: pulpo á feira, octopus with paprika and oil, seafood, empanada and Galician wines.
Around and getting there
The Costa da Morte, the Rías Altas and Santiago de Compostela, about half an hour by train. A Coruña has an airport, Alvedro, about 8 km away, and high-speed trains to Madrid.