A Coruña is Galicia and it is a city and municipality at the same time. Its port has always been important and today it attracts tourists from all over the world.
But with little time, no more than 24 hours, what can we see? You can always do something, so today it's about what to see in A Coruña in one day.
Galicia
You have to say first that the landscapes of Galicia are beautiful: its coastal cliffs, its greenery, it really is a destination worth knowing. In the case of Coruña itself, it is a ancient city, the largest city in this province. It has cultural influences from the Celts, Romans and Phoenicians also.
There is no single answer to why is it called A Coruña, so theories abound. One says that the name derives from some Celtic Scottish explorers who reached the Galician coast. The Gaelic term cork arunack It literally means "port of brave men", but as the area has changed, that distant name led to the current one. What do you say?
Galician is an officially recognized language and is what you will hear in this part of Spain. It resonates with Portuguese. Finally, the famous port is just a seven-minute walk from the historic center and main square.
The city itself only has a few 24 square kilometers and inhabited by around 244.850 people. But with little time you will most likely stay in the historic center and here you can walk and walk.
La Coruña is known for its fish, its views of the sea, its coastal galleries, the Hercules Lighthouse and for being the birthplace of Zara, the popular clothing store.
24 hours in A Coruña
We can start with a breakfast by the sea. It's time to start the day with batteries, with a good coffee (perhaps a chocolate coffee with sugar and condensed milk), and pastries. A couple of hours on the terrace, ideal to plan the rest of the day.
The second thing we can do is walk down the street on Mariña Avenue, which is where you will have some spectacular views of the glass front of the buildings, which is therefore known as the "crystal City".
Across the street is the Marina Park which, depending on the day, will have an event or a market. Then your steps can guide you to one of the best squares in the city, the María Prata Square.
The square is square and is surrounded by many buildings that have glass balconies. It is dedicated to María Prata, a local heroine, wife of the captain of the Spanish army during the English invasion of 1856. During the battle her husband died, she took the spear that had the English flag on it and stuck it at the English commander. If history attracts you more you can visit the María Prata House Museum.
At one end of the same square is the Concello da Coruña, the local town hall, a beautiful building with bronze domes. Nearby, leaving the square next to the Tourist Office, you can reach the old town, the Cidade Vella.
A walk through these old streets is delightful. Be sure to observe the doors, ceilings, decorations and paintings. In this small apart geography that is the old town of A Coruña you will find a private house, the Cornide Manor.
It is a charming Galician baroque style house which once belonged to the local nobility. Jose Cornide, one of the most important men of the Spanish Renaissance, was also born here.
Churches cannot be missing in any city in Spain. In this case one of the oldest churches, in addition to One of the oldest buildings in all of A Coruña is the Collegiate Church of Santa María do Campo.. It dates from the late Roman period and was built in 1120.
Another ancient church is that of Church of Santiago. The Church of Santiago was built in the XII century and it is small and old. Just outside begins the the Camino de Santiago, the English trail. Other churches here you will find around the Constitution Square, but there are also bars and restaurants and the Pazo de Capitana, former royal military barracks, now a military museum.
Continuing through the streets of the old town of A Coruña you reach another square, quieter, shady, square, with a life-size statue of John Lennon. That's right, it's about the Azcarraga Square, and there are usually street artists.
El Castle of Santo Anton It is a coastal construction that dates back to XVI century. Its function, protect the city. Today it houses a museum of history and archeology and admission is free on Saturdays.
Since you are close to the sea you can wander along the boardwalk or Promenadeeither. And if you continue on foot you can reach the popular San Amaro Beach. Here you can visit a Moorish-style construction surrounded by a beautiful garden. Nearby is the entrance to the local nudist beach, Praia do Mouros.
The boardwalk ends at San Amaro Beach, then it continues but without paving, on a dirt road. If you follow this route you will reach a place that is the Tower of Hercules Sculpture Park. There are many sculptures here and you can even see one reproduction of Stonehenge. And of course, the impressive Tower of Hercules.
La Tower of Hercules It is one of the pearls of A Coruña. It was built in the XNUMXst century marking the border of the Roman Empire, and has always guided sailors safely along the west coast of Spain.
At the base of the tower is the Compass Rose, a compass adorned with local symbols, marking the bond that unites these lands with the Celtic nations of Europe. In fact, each figure around said compass represents a different part of Celtic culture.
It is not far away Alto City, a place that you can visit while wandering around in the afternoon and that has many restaurants that overlook the sea. In turn, continuing along the coastal promenade you will reach the largest beach in the city: the Orzan Beach.
It is a beach white sands and crystal clear, Atlantic waters and very clean despite its central location. What better place than here, contemplating the sunset, to end the 24 hours in A Coruña.
Do you have more than one day and want some day trip? You can go to the Mera Lighthouse, 17 kilometers away, follow the Lighthouse Route 200 kilometers along the Galician coast, take the train and visit Santiago de Compostela, go to Vigo and jump to Cies Islands or go to the Cathedrals Beach, an hour and a half from A Coruña, on the north coast.