A CORUÑA

Hercules Tower
Hércules Tower

A Coruña, capital of the Galician province of the same name, is one of the main port cities in Europe. In the last years it has been renewed thanks to the improvements in its accesses, the increase of its cultural, sports, leisure and scientific infrastructures and by the embetterment of the urban centre, the recovery of the seashore and the potentiation of tourism. La Coruña, its name in Spanish, is a city of contrasts where you find united the ancient and new, the classic and avant-garde, the past and the future. Inhabited in remote times by the Brigantine Celtic tribe and repopulated by Alfonso I it suffered a Normand invasion in the year 844. During the Middle Ages it depended of Santiago de Compostela untill it was freed as a noteworthy municipality in times of Fernando II.

The city has, in addition to its touristic value, important industries: salted fish and canning, chemical, metallurgy, electrical, litograph, tobacco, etc. Even though its main economic activity is bound to the port, one of the main ones in Spain with trasatlantic traffic.

Places of interest

A Coruña posseses very beautiful historical buildings as could be the Iglesia de Santiago (Church of Santiago) that has a Romanesque style with Gothic elements. Other examples would be the Iglesia de Santa María (Church of Santa Maria) from the XIIth century and also of Romanesque style and the Iglesia de San Fernanado (Church of San Fernanado). There are also other more modern buildings like the Colegiata (Collegiate Church), San Andrés and Santa Bárbara. Among the civil buildings of the city of A Coruña it is important to highlight the City Hall (Ayuntamiento), the National Institute (Instituto Nacional) and the Fine Arts Museum (Museo de Bellas Artes). But without any doubt the greatest treasure of the people from A Coruña is the Torre de Hércules (Tower of Hercules), the most ancient lighthouse in the world, restored in 1785.

Tours around

The province of A Coruña is full of possibilities and replete of countless places to visit and admire. It is constituded by numerous capes, Northern estuaries, Southern estuaries, islands and other small uninhabited islands.

Carballo is one of the most important municipalities of the Coruña province and has two beaches: The Beach of Razo and the Beach of Baldayo. In Carballo, as in any other good Galician town, the fishing of seafood is one of the main economic sources, but they also farm vines, cereal, vegeteables and fruits.

In Ortigueira, the same as occurs in the town of Carballo, the population is dispered throughout the territory that skirts the Estuary of Santa Marta. This town, which is also one of the most important ones in A Coruña, bases its economy on the fishing and derived industries, the farming of agricultural products and linen textile factories. Visiting the Ponto district and Ontigueira`s ancient market is a must.

But it is maybe Ferrol the best-known town of the A Coruña province. Ferrol is located over the estuary of its same name. It is a new city, with straight lined streets and Neoclassicist style buildings. It is composed of three large districts that shold be visited: the old Ferrol, the Magdalena or new Ferrol from the XVIth century and the Esteiro, it is more modern, from the XVIIIth century. This municipality of Coruña gained naval importance when Felipe II built its first shipyards. The modern shipyard, La Baraña, started to be bult in 1726 when the city became the capital of the naval department that reached a great importance under the rule of Carlos II.

Links:

Services Directory

Hotels:

HOTEL MELIÁ CONFORT ****
Ramón y Cajal 53
A Coruña
+34981242711
181 rooms

HOTEL CIUDAD DE LA CORUÑA ***
Paseo Adormideras s/n
A Coruña
+34981211100
131 rooms

HOTEL NH ATLÁNTICO ****
Jardines Méndez Núñez 2
A Coruña
+34981226500
www.nh-hoteles.com
200 rooms

HOTEL ESPAÑA ***
Juana de Vega 7
A Coruña
+34981224506

HOTEL TRYP MARIA PITA ****
Avenida Pedro Barrié de la Maza 1
A Coruña
+34981205000
180 rooms

Museums:

ARCHEOLOGIC AND HISTORICAL MUSEUM
(MUSEO ARQUEOLÓGICO E HISTÓRICO)
Castle of San Antón (Castillo de San Antón)
981205994
Visiting Hours: 10-14 h.
16-19.30 h.
www.ctv.es/USERS/sananton


FINE ARTS MUSEUM OF A CORUÑA
(MUSEO BELLAS ARTES DE LA CORUÑA)
Zalaeta s/n
981223723
Visiting Hours: Tuesdays: 10-15 h.
Wednesdays and Fridays: 10-20 h.
Saturdays: 10-14 h., 16.30-20 h.
Sundays: 10-14 h.
Closed on public holidays
Admisión Fees: General: 400 ptas.
Reduced: 200 ptas
Free: Under 18, senior citizens over 65 or pensioners; cultural and educational voluntaries: every day
General public: Saturday afternoos and Sunday mornings
Special days: 18th of May, 25th of July, 12th of October, 6th of December
www.amigosmuseo.com

EMILIA PARDO BAZAN HOUSE MUSEUM
(CASA-MUSEO EMILIA PARDO BAZAN)
Rua Tabernas 11
981207308
Visiting Hours: Monday to Friday: 10-120 h.
Closed on public holidays.
Free Admission.

REGIONAL MILITAR MUSEUM
(MUSEO MILITAR REGIONAL)
Plaza Carlos I s/n
981206791
Vissiting Hours: Monday to Friday: 10-14 h., 16-19 h.
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: 10-14 h.
Summer, only opens mornings
Free Admission.

Restaurants:

El Manjar
Adress: Alfredo Vicenti 29, A Coruña
Telephone: 981251885
Price: 18-30 €

La Viña
Adress: Avenida del Pasaje, 123 (A Coruña)
Telephone: 981280854
Price: 30-48 €
Menu: 18-30 €

El 10
Adress: Plaza de España 8, A Coruña.
Telephone: 981207153
Price: 21-24 €
Menu: 15 €

Casa Pardo
Adress: Novoa Santos 15, A Coruña
Telephone: 981287178
Price: 30-48 €
Menu: 18-30 €

Transports:

Buses
Bus Station
Paseo de la Estación s/n
981239099

Main destinations from A Coruña: Lugo, Orense, Santiago de Compostela, Pontevedra, Barcelona, Bilbao, Burgos, Cáceres, Cádiz, Gijón, Irún, León, Madrid, Oviedo, Salamanca, San Sebastián, Santander, Valladolid, Zamora, Zaragoza.

Trains
Train Station RENFE
Plaza San Cristóbal s/n Avenida de Compostela
981230399 981150202

Main destinations from A Coruña: Madrid, Barcelona, Albacete, Ávila, Bilbao, Burgos, Hendaya, Irún, León, Lleida, Logroño, Lugo, Orense, Palencia, Pamplona, Pontevedra, Vigo, Vitoria, Zamora, Zaragoza.

TAXIS:

Radio taxi 981243339

Emergency:

Emergency 112
Cruz Roja 981205975
Ambulances 981230810
Hospital Juan Canalejo 981205350