The city of la Coruna
La Coruna is not just a city, but also the province that contains Santiago de Compostela. The other notable city in this municipality is Ferrol. The la Coruna province as a whole is the one most visited by holiday makers from the UK.
General information about la Coruna
La Coruna is one of Galicia's few genuinely prosperous cities and is a major sea port, although used for commercial rather than fishing cargos. Historically the city has been the scene of battles and repelled invasions against the British and French and its coast has several sea facing castles that testify to these events. Today la Coruna is a large and modern city, but it still retains a link with the past in the form of its old town and the area by the harbour that was once famous for the glass fronted fishermens houses.
What to see in la Coruna
Tip 1. The symbol of the city of la Coruna is the Roman built lighthouse called the Tower of Hercules.
Parts of this structure really do date back almost 2000 years and it is the oldest working lighthouse in the world. The more adventurous of the building's visitors can climb its internal steps and feast on the panoramic views of the cityscape and sea beyond. There is a myth that connects the lighthouse with a giant, but the true history of this immense structure is more than adequate in itself. The Spanish name of the building is the Torre de Hercules.
Tip 2. During one of la Coruna's battles, this time against the British, a female folk hero called Maria Pita rose to fame and a square in the city now comemmorates her. This plaza also has a rather spectacular building on it called the Municipal palace. The word palace is totally appropriate in the case of this building.
Tip 3. La Coruna's second most famous feature is the collection of glazed buildings that arc around its harbour area and have given rise to its nick-name of the Glass city. These buildings face the evening sunset and the name literally reflects this. The reason the facades of these building contain so much glass is because they have been built using a regional architectural trait called the galeria. This translates to a projecting balcony encapsulated in glass panelling.
Tip 4. Of interest to many British holiday makers is the tomb of Sir John Moore in the San Carlos Gardens overlooking the sea. Sir John Moore died in battle helping the Spanish fight the French and is a provincial hero. These gardens are in the heart of the oldest part of town and are a good starting point from which to explore the rest of the city.
Tip 5. The sea front area attracts many of la Coruna's tourists. It has a castle, the remains of a Roman wall, a large commercial and leisure harbour, a modern museum and has recently been renovated to include wide walkways and even a tram system that takes you to the far end of the city, a definate plus since la Coruna is bigger and more elongated than Santiago de Compostela.
Travelling to and from the city of la Coruna
You can fly direct, via Iberia airlines, from London Heathrow to la Coruna international airport. This is a new service and only commenced in Spring 2006.
La Coruna is approximately one hour's drive north from Santiago de Compostela, although there is also a train service between the two cities. The city of Ferrol is a short drive up the coast, whilst a little bit further away is the province of Lugo.
La Coruna has an increasing number of tourists on day visits from cruise ships and has a number of tourist offices in the main city.
