A Coruña is the oldest city in Galicia, an important port and commercial centre. It is after all the capital city of the province. You will find a bit of everything; a harbour, a good beach, exquisite seafood, great nightlife, Romanesque architecture, entertaining museums and the football team Deportivo.
Most of the city can be explored by foot. A Coruña is home to one of the longest promenades in Europe. Luckily, there is a half hourly tram ride that runs along it if you don't fancy the long walk.
Avenida de la Marina is one of the city's landmarks. Here you will see houses with gleaming glass fronted balconies called galerías. They make up the largest glass facade in the world. It is because of this that it is often called the crystal city or the glass city.
Close by is the Plaza María Pita, a popular spot for pavement cafés. This lovely square is named after the local heroine. She was a formidable character who was married and widowed four times! It is said that she refused marriage a fifth time due to her forth husband's will. In 1589 the English led by Sir Francis Drake, besieged the city. After several days of fighting, most of the town took refuge in the Old City. Men, women and children all did what they could to barricade themselves. The English, however, managed to penetrate their defences. When all seemed lost María Pita came armed with a pike and stabbed the English flag bearer. She then took the colours, rallied the people and sent the English packing. In the middle of the square is a statue of her, pike in hand and a couple of dead Englishmen at her feet.
Just to the east is the Colegiata de Santa Maria del Campo. Many local sailors pray to her for protection before a sea voyage. One of the oldest churches in the city is the Iglesia de Santiago. It is also the start of one of the stages of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.
If you fancy a quiet spot then head over to Jardines San Carlos. This Romanesque styled garden is laid out on the site of a fortress whose walls you can still see today. Buried here is General Sir John Moore, who was killed by a French cannonball at the Battle of Elviña in 1809 during the Peninsular War.
If museums are your thing then there are three good ones. Museo de Bellas Artes is an art museum featuring Spanish and European painting as well as Galician art. There are some prints by Goya and ceramics by the local pottery firm of Sargadelos. Museo Arqueológico is housed in the ancient fortress of Castillo de San Antón. Here you can see the history of Galicia from the Palaeolithic Era to the time of the Roman Conquest. It also illustrates the culture of the castros or fortified villages and medieval sculptures in A Coruña's history. The newest museum is the Domus, housed in a futuristic looking building. It is also known as Casa de Hombre or Museum of Mankind. It is the world's first interactive museum devoted entirely to humankind.
Your stay is not complete until you visit the famous The Tower of Hercules. Built by the Romans, it is the world's oldest working lighthouse and has been lighting the way for ships since the 2nd Century. Local legends however say that a giant called Gerión fought for three long days with Hercules, Zeus's son. Hercules won and cut off the head of the giant. He then ordered a tower to be constructed to commemorate his victory. If you climb the 234 steps to the top you will be rewarded with an awesome panoramic view of the city and across the sea.
Close to the Torre de Hércules are two small beaches of Das Lapas and San Amaro. The city's main beach is Riazor-Orzán. During the summer months the beach is packed out. At the far end of the beach is the Estadio de Riazor which is the home ground of Deportivo. For decades this tiny football club struggled in the lower divisions but by the 1990s rose to the top of the division. Since then it has grown in strength to become one of the more popular European football teams.
