Spain Guide
Galicia
A Coruña
The fine port of A CORUÑA centres on a narrow peninsula that juts from Galicia's northern coast, 64km north of Santiago. A broad headland curves in both directions from the end of that peninsula to create two large bays: one faces across to Ferrol, and shelters a large harbour, while the other lies open to the Atlantic, and is lined by a long sandy beach. In the dynamic city in between, a five-minute walk takes you from a bustling modern port to a relaxed resort, by way of old stone alleyways where tantalizing restaurants, tapas bars and nightspots jostle for attention.
A Coruña is known as the "City of Glass", thanks to the distinctive glass-fronted galleries of its sea-facing houses. Originally designed so local residents, whose lives were so intertwined with the ocean, could watch the activity of the harbour in shelter, these form a magnificent ensemble. Rising to six or more storeys, they stretch along the Avenida da Marina in front of the port.
The heart of the city, just inland, is the colonnaded Praza de María Pita. A Coruña's role as the departure point for the Spanish Armada in 1588 earned it a retaliatory visit from Sir Francis Drake the following year. His attack was only repelled when a humble local heroine, María Pita, killed the English standard-bearer; her spear-waving statue now dominates the square.
To the east, the narrow and atmospheric streets of the old town wind around the Romanesque churches of Santiago and Santa María del Campo, and are shielded from the sea by a high wall. A small walled garden, the Xardín de San Carlos, holds the tomb of English general Sir John Moore, who died in battle near A Coruña in 1809 during the British retreat from the French during the Peninsular Wars.
The sweeping golden arc of the city's main beaches, Praia do Orzán and the contiguous Praia de Riazor, are on the opposite side of the peninsula from the harbour. They're surprisingly clean and unpolluted, and you need to arrive early in summer to grab a prime spot.
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