Noia in la Coruna

Noia is popular with tourists, many of whom visit it to see the old medieval parts of the town. Noia started life as a small fishing village, but was an important location in medieval times.

Some general information about Noia

Unlike many Galician towns, Noia has a well documented history dating back over a thousand years. This is due in part to the previous presence of the areas Arch Bishop in the town, but also because Noia was a busy port and had important ship yards. Today Noia is one of Galicia's larger and more tourist appealing towns. It has a compact and attractive centre along with a more modern, or at least updated, main plaza. The town benifts heavily from tourism and has plenty of bars and a cafe culture.

What to see and do in the town of Noia

Tip 1. Noia has a famous medieval area with some buildings dating back up to 1000 years. Although small, this part of the town is one of the best and most complete medieval areas in Galicia.

Tip 2. Within the medieval area, Noia has its famous church of Saint Martin with the former Arch Bishop's residence close by. This church is architecturally and historically important.

Tip 3. Every August Noia has a multi day festival attracting visitors from many of the surrounding towns and villages. This festival has music, dance, food and a range of typical Galician festivaties. The complete event is a year in the planning.

Tip 4. Just outside the town, and now located on private property, is an example of an ancient celtic burial site. The site is several thousand years old and is represented by a collection of large stones.

Tip 5. Driving out of Noia and upwards into the hills offers some stunning scenic views, whilst driving down the coast in either direction leads to several beaches of varying sizes and degrees of sunworshiper activity. During autumn many of these beaches become the harvesting grounds for the different shellfish found in the area.

Where is Noia and how do you reach it

It takes about 45 minutes to reach Noia from the regional capital of Santiago de Compostela by car. The town is also close to Muros in the same bay.

There is a large hotel just outside Noia that caters for international visitors. Travelling to and around Noia is best done by car although there is a bus station.