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Tourist guide: what to do and see in A Coruña
The City of Hercules
A Crunia, Cronos, Clunia, or Cornia – many are the theories as to the origin of the capital of the Galician province also named A Coruña, sitting boldy astride the Atlantic coast. But regardless, two major assets stand out. The Tower of Hercules, the city’s symbol, is the world’s oldest functioning lighthouse, dating back to Roman Hispania, and the seafront promenade is Europe’s longest, a whopping 12 kilometres (7 miles), with the hues of beach and sea reflected in the glass panes of the famous galleries lining the port (especially green, the colour of a region with a marine climate which guarantees mild summers and days on end of chirimiri (fine drizzle). For a refreshing holiday full of good eating, lots of rest and relaxation, and a dose of culture and history, Galicia’s queen of the sea awaits.
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- Sights
- Shopping
- Leisure
- Dining
- Open air
- Museum
- Sights
- Shopping
- Leisure
- Dining
- Open air
- Museum
Árbore da Veira Restaurant
Haute cuisine right in the centre of town.
A Michelin star.
Luis Veira is the culinary wizard responsible for the Michelin star bestowed on this cosy restaurant serving a youthful take on high-quality dishes. Choose between two set menus, knowing that whichever you choose, your palate will not be disappointed.
A Estación Restaurant
Nouvelle Galician cuisine tastes even better in this romantic setting.
A Michelin star.
Call it Nouvelle Galician cuisine: Chefs Xoán Crujeiras and Beatriz Sotelo's updated, eclectic fare has been justly recognised with one Michelin star. Served in an old warehouse aptly designed to resemble a train wagon amid verdant scenery, this superb eatery at the Cambre rail station 15 km from A Coruña will introduce you to the best local dishes, old and new.
Pao de Toxo
Centrally located in Plaza de Lugo, it sells the best of Galicia's bounty as well as tasty treats from across the globe.
Top of the gourmet shops.
For some of A Coruña's top gourmet offerings, hie thee to Plaza de Lugo 23, where the impeccable Pao de Toxo will tempt you with its wines, cheeses, and other foodstuffs - not just the best of Galicia, but goodies from around the world, artisanally produced and for the most part organic.
Rei Zentolo Fashion Label
A label founded by three young designers that's all about pop culture.
Cheeky, fun casual wear.
Started in 2003 by a trio of young designers, this Galician clothing label specialises in fun T-shirts and other casual wear and accessories, especially with cheeky messages and brightly coloured graphics referencing pop culture. Its local branch is found at Calle Torreiro 24 (this is the street that links two of the city's most important shopping streets, Calle Real and Calle San Andrés).
Fish Exchange
Arrange an early-morning visit to watch the spectacle of the day's catch being auctioned off.
Another vital component of A Coruña's maritime heritage.
A Coruña's port is one of the most important in Europe, and a visit to its fish exchange on Linares Rivas Wharf displays a colourful (and important) side of the city's commercial vitality. Early each morning fish and shellfish freshly harvested from the estuaries and coastal waters of Galicia are received and auctioned off. The "catch" is that you have to apply for permission to visit, and only groups are allowed in; ring up the management at 981 164 600 or 981 242 326).
Other Galician Fashion Designers
Kina Fernández, Alba Conde and Sara Coleman further raise the profile and quality of Galician fashion.
A trio of designing women you should look up when in A Coruña.
Some lesser known but top-notch Galician designers also making their mark include Kina Fernández, Sara Coleman, and Alba Conde. Fernández, from the city of Ourense, made a splash in Paris before returning to Galicia to set up shop in A Coruña, where her flagship is at Calle Real 58. In her own very personal collections, meanwhile, thirtysomething Coleman focuses on attention to detail, melding tradition with cutting edge, and high-quality natural fabrics. Her fashions can be found at various fine retailers around town. Finally, Alba Conde is also a name worth remembering, with shops at Calle Real 25 and Calle Padre Feijoo 6.
Reknowned Galician designer boutiques
Galicia-born Purificación García and Adolfo Domínguez as well as international design star Carolina Herrera boost A Coruña 's glamour quotient.
Local and international designers making a splash.
Turns out Galicia is a bit of a fashion hotbed, and some of Spain's top designers and companies hail from here or have set up shop. Two excellent examples of the former are Adolfo Domínguez (born in Ourense), whose shop is located at Calle Juana de Vega 6, and Purificación García, at Calle Fonseca 7. Another extremely popular designer is jetsetting Venezuelan-American Carolina Herrera, at Calle Ciudad de Lugo 10 (all the aforementioned shops, by the way, are located around the Plaza de Lugo).
Zona Obelisco neighbourhood
Those interested in fashion, décor, art galleries and such should put it on their must-visit list.
A traditional downtown district great for upmarket shopping.
Once known as La Pescadería neighbourhood, the Zona Obelisco is a broad downtown area anchored by a pair of commercial thoroughfares, Calle Real and Calle San Andrés. These days the shops in the area specialise in fashion, décor, art, fine foods, jewelry, and the like.
Marineda City Shopping Centre
Also Europe's third largest mall, it offers a huge menu of shopping, eating, and entertainment options.
Spain's largest shopping mall.
At a half-million square metres (5.4 million square feet), Spain's largest shopping centre (and Europe's third largest) offers a wide range of not just retail but dining, drinking, and entertainment options. Among Marineda City's 180 establishments you'll find Ikea, Bricor, Worten, Deathlon, Primark, H&M, and Zara, as well as a dozen-screen cinema, a bowling alley, a go-kart track, and more. The mall's name, by the way, comes from the nickname given to A Coruña in the novels of the celebrated 19th-century novelist Emilia Pardo Bazán.
Inditex/Zara
One of the world's top fashion/retail companies is based right here - try that on for size!
The world's first Zara shop, and its powerhouse parent company.
Did you know that one of the world's top fashion/retail powerhouses, the Inditex Corporation, is Galician? Owned by Amancio Ortega, one of the richest men in the world, it owns nearly 100 brands - not just Spain's own Zara but also the international likes of Massimo Dutti. Its headquarters is located in the Arteixo industrial park, a 15-to-20-minute drive from downtown. Point of interest: the downtown street Calle de Juan Flórez was the site of the very first Zara shop, in 1975, and still in business at No. 64.
Calle Real
One of the city's oldest streets still offers great shopping, as well as history and handsome architecture.
A Coruña's classic shopping street par excellence.
Although a good bit of A Coruña's shopping scene has migrated to Plaza de Lugo and surrounding streets, there are still dozens of top international brands and other establishments to browse along Calle Real, one of the city's oldest streets (dating back to Roman Empire days) and traditionally its main shopping street par excellence. Right in the heart of downtown, it's lined with venerable stone buildings with handsome white galleries of windows. Point of interest: young Institute of Fine Arts student Pablo Picasso had his first art show at Calle Real 20, and also along here you'll find Galicia's oldest chemist, Farmacia Villar, founded in 1827.
Plaza de Lugo
A photo-op-filled food market plus top shops of all kinds.
Shopping ground zero.
Plaza de Lugo has become shopping ground zero in A Coruña, thanks to the upmarket boutiques as well as national and international brands in fashion, books, tech, decor, food, and crafts which have set up shop both on the square and the surrounding streets (Spanish brands include Hoss Intropia, Bimba & Lola, Dolores Promesas, and El Ganso). In the centre of the plaza is the Eusebio da Guarda Municipal Market, inaugurated in 2010; come early in the morning any day except Monday to watch locals do their food marketing among the stalls of produce, fish, meats, and other incredible edibles.
Luis Seoane Foundation, Afoundation and Barrié Foundation
Three very different Foundations but all three equally important for the city's cultural poster.
All kinds of cultural activities.
The Luis Seoane Foundation is located in the heart of the Old City, in the historic center of the city, more specifically, on San Francisco street. It has been operating since 2003 inside an old rehabilitated barracks, which will appear before your eyes as a large granary made of granite and glass, dedicated to disseminating the intellectual legacy of Luis Seoane. In addition, it develops exhibition projects around the most diverse contemporary culture (avant-garde, cinema, mass culture, architecture, theater, video creation, art theory...), with a dynamic program aimed at audiences of all ages and conditions. For its part, Afundación has its sociocultural center in A Coruña at number 21, Cantón Grande, in an avant-garde building popularly known as 'the crystal wave', designed by the British architect Nicholas Grimshaw. Here there is room for exhibitions and art shows, school activities, workshops and conferences, music, dance and theater, etc. Finally, the Barrié Foundation allocates its programs to promote sustainable development in Galicia, with socio-cultural initiatives linked to education and the promotion of talent.
Picasso House Museum, María Pita House Museum and Casares Quiroga House Museum
Visit the houses/museums dedicated to three extremely important celebrities for A Coruña: Picasso, Pita and Quiroga.
Particular tributes.
The great master Pablo Picasso lived in A Coruña for five years of his life, when he was a teenager, between 1891 and 1895. The Picasso House Museum is today a witness to his stay in the city by preserving some reproductions of the works (a total of 27) that the artist created at that time, known as blue, also keeping intact the appearance of what was the painter's residence, with the furniture, objects and household items of that time. You can visit it at number 14 Payo Gómez street. Your entry is free. Another interesting mansion in the city is the María Pita House Museum, whose purpose is to keep alive the memory of this Galician heroine, who in the 16th century fought against the English led by Francis Drake to defend the city from their onslaught. The museum house is located today at number 28 Calle Herrerías. Finally, the Casares Quiroga House Museum is located in the former residence of the former President of the Republic, today open to the public. It has four floors, where you will see exhibitions and reproductions of the different rooms in the home and garden. You can visit it from Tuesday to Sunday at number 12 Panaderas street.
Regional Military Museum and Museum of Clocks
Three centuries of military history in one, and a similar sweep of watches and clocks in the other.
Guns and clocks!
Open daily and free of charge on Plaza Carlos I, the Museo Militar Regional de A Coruña contains nearly 1,600 artifacts relating to military history of the 18th through 20th centuries - not just guns and ammunition but also paintings, sculpture, ceramic pieces, and other important items. Over on Plaza de María Pita, meanwhile, in several of the majestic salons of the City Hall, you'll find the Museo de Relojes, a timely collection of timepieces from the same centuries - with, however, rather limited hours: weekdays 5-7pm.
Museum of Contemporary Art Gas Natural Fenosa MAC
Avant-garde sociocultural center where any cultural expression fits. Don't visit him on Mondays!
Contemporary cultural activity.
Here is a space dedicated to contemporary creation that sets its sights not only on the plastic arts, but also on music, cinema, performing arts... It is a multidisciplinary sociocultural center with avant-garde lines that programs cycles conferences and congresses, recreational and educational activities around contemporary culture in its most diverse versions, courses and workshops for schoolchildren and professionals, etc. It also has an interesting permanent collection that has led it to be considered one of the three most important contemporary art museums in Galicia (being the only private one of them all). Visit it at number 151 Avenida de Arteixo. Open every day of the week except Mondays and admission is free.
Museum of Fine Arts
Galicia has a long and distinguished artistic tradition, and this may be the single best place to learn about it.
Galicia's premier showcase of Galician and Spanish art.
The Museo de Bellas Artes on Calle Zalaeta has an extensive collection of paintings, sculpture, drawings, engravings, decorative arts, and archaeological artifacts, focusing on Galician art from the 19th century to the present day, with prominent names including Luis Seoane, Jenaro Pérez Villaamil, and Álvaro Cebreiro. The permanent collection is supplemented by periodic temporary exhibitions. Admission 2.40 euros.
Archaeological and Historical Museum Castillo de Santo Antón Castle
Long-lived neoclassical fortress for a museum that preserves prehistoric and historical pieces, from A Coruña and Galicia.
Since 1968.
The Castillo de San Antón is an old fortress that was built in the bay of A Coruña between the 16th and 18th centuries with the aim of defending the city from maritime attacks. Flanked by a powerful wall, the castle is a beautiful neoclassical building, complete with a parade ground, a jetty, a boathouse and a low battery. Between the 18th century and the middle of the 20th century, the architectural complex functioned as a prison, where politicians, soldiers, enlightened people, thugs, etc. were held. The Archaeological and Historical Museum that is now housed in this complex opened its doors for the first time in 1968. In it you will be able to see pieces from prehistory and history related not only to the castle, but also to the city and all of Galicia. The exhibition is divided into different parts: medieval and heraldic arts and archeology and history of the building and the city.
La Coruña National Science & Technology Museum
Designed by award-winning young architects, it houses more than 15,000 objects documenting our scientific/industrial age.
An attention-getting glass cube showcases the history of science and tech back to the 16th century.
Popularly called MUNCYT for short, the A Coruña Science and Technology museum focuses on science education, conservation, and the history of science and technology. The main branch is housed in the so-called Glass Prism, at Plaza del Museo Nacional 1. This glass cube of a building, designed by architects Victoria Acebo and Ángel Alonso, was awarded the National Youth Architecture Prize at the Biennial of Spanish Architecture. In addition to plenty of temporary exhibitions, it also has a collection of some 15,000 artifacts - scientific instruments, tech devices, vehicles, tools - dating back to the 16th century. Open daily except Monday.
House of Sciences
A planetarium and three floors of entertaining, sometimes interactive exhibitions.
Spain's pioneer museum in melding science and fun.
One of A Coruña's three science museums (besides Domus and Aquarium Finisterrae), Spain's first interactive museum is housed in a villa in the middle of Santa Margarita Park. The Casa de las Ciencias focuses on presenting science in an entertaining way, consisting of a planetarium plus three floors of exhibitions both permanent and temporary about physics, biology, and other sciences and how they affect our lives. One of its most striking features is a Foucault's pendulum hanging in the museum's central stairwell.
Domus - House of Mankind
The first interactive museum about humanity is fascinating for young and old alike.
A pioneering science museum.
The science museum Domus lays claim to being the world's first interactive museum dedicated to homo sapiens,with more than 20 exhibition halls in three main sections which lay out the knowns and unknowns of our species. There's a section devoted to genetics which explores in detail the human genome and other issues; another on intelligence, the anatomy and functioning of the human brain; and evolution. There are also temporary exhibitions, a 3D movie theatre, workshops, and guided tours.
Aquarium Finisterrae
A great family option, with interactive exhibits including an underwater hall, all devoted to Galicia's coast and waters.
One of Spain's great aquariums.
One of the great aquariums and science museums of Spain, Aquarium Finisterrae is located out on the shore near the Tower of Hercules. It goes into fascinating detail through its exhibits about the coast and offshore waters of Galicia - and not just the marine life, but the lives of its fisherfolk, its fish markets, and its maritime traditions through exhibition spaces like the interactive Maremagnum. The complex contains one underwater hall called Nautilus, which recreates the adventures recounted by Jules Verne in 20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea, and lets you get up close and personal with a variety of finned critters including grouper, turbot, and tiger sharks. A visit with one of the aquarium's sea lions is also a delightful experience. Tours are both guided and self-guided, and there are also kids' workshops and a variety of other programs. Paseo Alcalde Francisco Vázquez 34.
Excursion to Santa Cristina
A getaway prized by A Coruña residents for its beach, restaurants/cafés, and nightlife.
A lovely port town just 15 minutes from A Coruña, with one of the area's most popular beaches.
Some 12 kilometres (7½ miles) out of A Coruña - barely a 15-minute drive from downtown - Santa Cristina is a small, pretty town in the township of Oleiros, famous for being a lovely place to live and for its especially fetching white-sand beach, which is particularly popular among the city's young people thanks to its calm waters and abundant water sports options. The waterfront promenade here is charming, as are the town's ample green spaces. Also well known are its restaurants and cafés with sea views, along with its nightspots, some of the province's most popular (especially on Sunday nights).
Excursion to Lorbé
Just a few kilometres from A Coruña is Galicia's (possibly Spain's) capital of mussels.
A charming fishing village for seafood lovers.
A wee, pretty fishing village some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from A Coruña, Lorbé is located along the coast of the Ría (Estuary) de Betanzos in Oleiros township. It's especially well known locally for its bateas (mussels- farming offshore platforms). Beyond these tasty mollusks, the town also is big on other seafood including oysters and salmon, but the claim to fame is first and foremost its high-quality farmed mussels - which of course can be sampled in any local eatery at quite affordable prices. Every August, Lorbé celebrates that fact with an annual mussels festival that's the highlight of its year.
Riazor Beach
A major element of A Coruña's downtown waterfront, it's fully equipped and a summertime hive of activity.
One of Galicia's best known, most popular beaches.
Playa Riazor is without a doubt this area's most famous beach, thanks in no small part to the fact that it's right in the centre of A Coruña, stretching out to very near the the Riazor Football Stadium. The partly man-made, blue-flag strand is also, as you might imagine, very popular with locals, and is fully equipped with amenities including lifeguards, parking, beach chairs, toilets, and disabled access. Amid the sunbathers you'll spot pickup volleyball and football games, and the robust surf and sometimes stiff breezes make Riazor a good spot for surfing, as well. The sands continue, turning into Orzán and Matadero beaches, which are also much to be recommended. In summer, Riazor hosts open-air concerts, and in late June it's also the site each year of the nationally recognised celebration of the Hogueras de San Juan (St. John's Bonfires).
Maritime Promenade
Breathtaking views, a bike lane, and funky street lamps make for a fab experience.
Europe's longest seafront promenade.
Thirteen kilometres (8 miles ) long, A Coruña's Paseo Marítimo can lay claim to being Europe's longest seafront promenade. It passes through the entire city centre, from the San Antón Castle to the Portiño, lined with 1,300 tall, reddish street lamps designed in neo-Modernist (Art Nouveau) style by celebrated local artist Julia Ares and inset with enamel depictions of highlights in the city's history. There's also a bicycle lane along here, so renting a bike and cruising along the waterfront is a lovely option, indeed.
Los Cantones
Great sea views and eating/drinking opportunities. An A Coruña must!
A stroll along the marina.
Outdoor cafés both classic and contemporary, ice cream shops, restaurants, and tapas bars of all types can be found along Los Cantones, the promenade which runs along A Coruña's marina, where yachts and other boats of all kinds, as well as cruise ships, regularly pull in for port calls. A Coruña being very much maritime oriented, you should make time for a stroll here, within metres of María Pita Plaza and the city's downtown core. The promenade is divided into two parts, one flowing into the other: El Cantón Grande and El Cantón Pequeño. Both offer lovely ocean and port views and things to do.
Méndez Núñez Gardens
Right in the city centre, a classic combination of local and exotic greenery as well as cultural monuments.
Impressive flora, landmarks, and memorials.
Dating back some 150 years, the Jardines de Méndez Núñez remain an impressive outdoor oasis in the centre of the city, named after a prominent naval commander of the day. It's full of lush, impressive flora, including century-old trees and species like magnolias, hollies, beeches, araucaria evergreens, Japanese yews, and more. There's also a palm-lined esplanade; a lovely rose garden; a floral clock; a pond filled with golden and red carp; and several structures of interest such as the Alfonso exhibition hall; a music stage; the local HQ of Spain's TVE TV station in Galicia; and of course sundry statues to various personages of the 19th and 20th century such as poet Manuel Curros Enríquez and Eduardo Pondal, novelist/journalist Emilia Pardo Bazán, newspaper founder Juan Fernández Latorre, and historian Manuel Murguía. Events regularly held in the gardens include food, literary, and crafts festivals, as well as live performances.
The Modernist (Art Nouveau) Route
Spanish Modernism may have been centred in Catalonia, but it was received with enthusiasm in A Coruña, too - as this itinerary shows.
The many local expressions of this organic art/architecture of the early 20th century.
Art Nouveau/Art Deco (called Modernism in Spain) made an impact all over the country, and arrived in A Coruña via architects Ricardo Boán and Antonio López Hernández around 1908. Coruña's Modernism was deeply influenced by British architect Owen Jones' Grammar of Ornament, which encouraged local artists to decorate the city's doorways, façades, and galleries with organic forms including plants, flowers, and leaves, as well as a more ecologically-inspired architecture. You can observe this influence in buildings such as Casa Molina, Casa Rey, Casa Fonte de San Andrés, Casa Salorio, the Plaza de Lugo, and more.
The Picasso Route
From a museum of Picasso's home to the school he attended and the places that inspired him, art fans can get insight into one of the 20th century's foremost artistic geniuses.
Where the focus is on Picasso, who lived and started painting in A Coruña.
Not many realise that Pablo Picasso lived in A Coruña when he was very young, from 1891 to 1895, when his father taught at the School of Fine Arts. Today the city has not just a Picasso Home-Museum (covered in the museums section of this guide) but also a testament to the bonds the future painter established with the city and its most beautiful places, such as the Tower of Hercules, Riazor Beach, and Santa Margarita Park. It was here that Picasso began painting, and where he had his first exhibition, in an old establishment on the popular, centrally located Calle Real. The Picasso Route will take you to the home-museum at Calle Paio Gómez 14; Plaza de Pontevedra, where young Pablo studied; Plaza de Riazor and the Tower of Hercules, where he painted and was inspired; the Santo Amaro Cemetery, where his sister Conchita is buried; the School of Arts and Crafts, which he attended; and other spots like the Rosalía de Castro Theatre and Calle Real, where Picasso was inspired to paint themes of Coruña's life and times.
The Old City Route
Take a couple of hours to stroll A Coruña's historic core.
Cobblestone streets, Romanesque churches, and tapas bars.
A Coruña old quarter, known as Ciudad Vieja (Old City), is a testament to the mediaeval and Baroque splendour that once filled this Galician city, and every visitor should take at least a couple of hours to wander its narrow cobblestone streets. You'll come across all manner of stone plazas, Romanesque churches, traditional Galician houses with galleries and pretty balconies, and little traditional taverns to stop along the way for a tapa and a cold one. At the following link you can download a map of all the main points of interest, including monuments, restaurants, pubs, and shops: http://www.turismocoruna.com/media/documentos/CiudadViejaIngles.pdf.
Calle de la Franja, Calle de la Barrera and Calle de la Estrella
The A Coruña tapas is a must, as well as trying its mythical tequeños, haven't you tried it yet?
Skewers route.
In the heart of the urban center of the metropolis is Calle de la Franja, which functions as the cradle of some of the best seafood restaurants in A Coruña (and also one of the most touristy). During the summer months, its terraces, where you can taste an endless number of products from the sea, are very crowded. In the surroundings of Calle de la Franja there are also two other famous ways to go out for wine and tapas in the city: Calle de la Barrera and Calle de la Estrella. Of course, when you enjoy a pintxo route through La Coruña, do not forget to ask one of the most typical snack proposals in one of its bars: the tequeños, which are nothing more than small thin bread dough buns that They can be stuffed with chorizo or ham and cheese. Other noteworthy streets in the area are Calle de la Galera, Calle Olmos and Calle Troncoso, also populated by interesting wine, beer and tapas bars.
La Bombilla
Oceans of beer, mountains of tapas, and amazing prices. Don't miss the croquettes and potato omelette!
A famous tapas joint.
La Bombilla is a Coruña classic for tapas, centrally located on Calle de la Galera, which you'll find busy at pretty much any hour of the day or night. It's an unpretentious hole in the wall, really, with affordable prices and a never-ending parade of beer and soft drinks with tapas which consistently wow all comers, with the likes of breaded steak with potatoes and pepper, meatballs with tomato, empanadas (turnovers), sausage with fried potatoes, and especially its most popular, fried croquettes and the classic potato omelette. And guess what? Each tapa costs just one euro.
Taberna de Cunqueiro and Mesón El Serrano
Tapas and Galician favourites a-go-go, with El Serrano serving up some of the best fried calamari of your life.
Home cooking.
If you're up for the tastiest fried calamari you may have ever had, fresh from the fjords of Galicia, head to Calle de la Galera 21. El Serrano's affordable prices, friendly service, and of course the great stuff coming out of the kitchen will win you over, for sure. Winners include potato omelette, empanadas (turnovers), and numerous other grazing options. For its part, Taberna de Cunqueiro on nearby Calle de la Estrella serves up traditional Galician cookery within reach of all budgets. You can stand and graze at the bar or have a seat in the rustic, woody dining room or outdoor terrace. House specialities include salads, local fish, octopus, and huevos rotos (fried eggs, potatoes, and sausage), washed down with a good selection of beer, Galician/Spanish wines, and vermouth on tap.
El Charrúa restaurant
Grilled meats are the thing here, with an excellent Galician/Spanish wine list and dessert menu playing a strong supporting role.
A solid meat-and-red-wine kind of place.
Centrally located at Calle de la Estrella 6, this lively grill restaurant specialises in meat dishes and cuts such as sirloin, tenderloin, ribs, Galician beef ribeye, steak tartare, beef carpaccio, and so on. Its warm, high-design dining room is also a welcoming place to sample a variety of salads, roast veggies, and homemade desserts, with impeccable attention to detail. The wine list features reds from Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Ribeira Sacra, Toro, Somotano, Catalan Priorat, as well as whites of Rías Baixas, Rueda, and Valdeorras.
Domus Casa Pardo restaurant
A handsome eatery, part of a science museum, with fine cuisine and a per-person price around 45 euros
Goodies with a view.
With unbeatable views out over the ocean and the Orzan cove, this stone building with large windows is part of the complex designed by Arata Isozaki and César Portela to house the Casa del Hombre (House of Man), one of the city's science museums. It's a sure bet for its tasteful décor and equally tasteful menu items cooked up in generous portions by Eduardo Pardo with local ingredients. Examples: grilled scallops with roast tomatoes and wild asparragus; grilled squid on a a bed of vegetables; confit of cod with stewed greens; grouper with turnip tops, potatoes, and garlic sauce; sweet rice with duck, mushrooms, and langoustines; and deserts like Arzúa cheese tart with berries.
Pulpería O Fiuza and Pulpería Melide
Restaurants specialising in octopus are a thing in Spain and especially Galicia. Here are two of the best around.
Tempting tentacles, in top spots for a Galician national favourite: octopus.
A pulpería is perhaps unique to Spain and especially popular in Galicia: a restaurant specialising in squid, and O Fiuza and Melide are at the top of the category - the first in the Montealto district and the second right downtown on Plaza de España. The former, crowded any given day of the week, is a traditional spot with barrels and low wood tables, along with a menu that's simple and to the point: Galician empanada (tuna turnover), sausages, and the speciality of the house pulpo à feira - boiled sliced octopus sprinkled with coarse salt, paprika, and olive oil (often served con cachelos, with local potatoes). It should set you back an average of just 10 euros a head. For its part, Pulpería Melida has earned a reputation as not just the best pulpería in town but in all Galicia - no small achievement. The quality and affordability of both spots make them local favourites as well as your own best bet to sample a Galician classic.
Manda Truco seafood restaurant
Seafood is one of the mainstays of Galician cuisine, and this is one of the best spots in town to sample it.
A menu just swimming in seafood.
Seafood is central to Galician cookery, and Manda Truco, out near the famous Tower of Hercules lighthouse, is one of the best eateries in town for enjoying the abundance of the local waters and the uniquely Galician take on their preparation. You've got your clams, razor clams, hard- and soft-shell crabs, langoustines, octopus, crayfish, several types of scallops, as well as fish such as sea bass, hake, monkfish, turbot, and more. And try to save room for their homemade desserts such as cheese with quince paste and apple or almond tart. The tab will come out to about 40 euros a head. Avenida de Navarra 21.
Adega O Bebedeiro restaurant
A rustic-feeling dining room with a menu where traditional meets innovative.
One of A Coruña's top restaurants.
One of Coruña's top restaurants, more than three decades old, has a rustic feel and a menu that superbly updates traditional cuisine with innovative techniques and styings. Examples of dishes include beef carpaccio, octopus and clams sautéed in garlic and olive oil, rice dishes, creamy Cebreiro cheese soup, and Celtic-style presa de porco (Dam pork). Don't miss the Galician sirloin steak with roast pineapple, foie gras and sherry sauce; roast turnips with Cebreiro cheese sauce; and puff pastry with sea bass stuffed with scallops. Calle Ángel Rebollo 34; closed Sunday nights and Mondays; average price per person 30-40 euros.
Restaurante El de Alberto
Delicious and affordable, with a superb wine list.
Top-notch Galician cuisine.
A welcoming dining spot at Calle Ángel Rebollo 18, in the Montealto district, El de Alberto specialises in delicious dishes at affordable prices, and the eponymous owner Alberto will explain the menu in detail. Star choices include racatuli (a tasty veggie-shrimp sautée with cheese gratiné), grilled octopus with langoustines, grelos (turnips, a big thing in Galicia) with potato foam, pork ravioli with turnip cream and sausage cracklings, steak with foie gras, and scallops on a bed of langoustines and shiitake mushrooms. Its wine list is no less topnotch, and includes of course a great selection of local vineyards.
Alborada Restaurant
Perhaps the city's most distinguished dining spot marries tradition and modern creativity.
A Coruña's only Michelin-starred restaurant.
A Coruña's only Michelin-starred restaurant mixes Galician tradition and innovation in its menu utilising the very best local ingredients. Top dishes include roast scallops with mashed potatoes and truffles; crab ravioli in lobster broth; Galician lobster medley; sardines marinated in a cauliflower/truffle emulsion; Galician steak with thyme; and boned red mullet with black rice, aïoli foam, and romesco sauce. The menu strives to marry authenticity with culinary creativity and elegance, and the location at Paseo Marítimo Alcalde Francisco Vázquez 25, provides bonuses of great views out over the Atlantic.
Mardigras Concert Hall
One of Galicia's top spots for live music showcases talent from around the corner and around the world.
A top venue for alt-music acts.
This well-known Coruña alt-music concert hall at Travesia de la Torre (Montealto neighbourhood) has been around since 1999 and brings in all manner of live acts, local, national, and international, making it one of the top Galician venues of its type. Here you'll hear folk, rock, blues, jazz, ska, psychadelic, and much more - plus on Thursdays, after the mandatory concert, there's an original programme called Crápula Club, blasting rock, garage, and punk till closing time.
Exit through the areas of Plaza de España and Calle Orillamar
Good music and a casual code are the keys to this area with a lively nightlife. Recommendable.
Night fun.
To enjoy a carefree night, to the rhythm of good music and away from clothing labels, the Plaza de España and Calle Orillamar are, without a doubt, the places you were looking for, where a lively, modern, young and absolutely scoundrel atmosphere. La Sala Filomatic and O Patachín are two of the most legendary indie bars in the area. Both pubs taste of counterculture, open until around 5.30 am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and schedule theme parties, DJ sessions or live music concerts.
Playa Club
After more than a half-century, this superbly located club is still king of the Coruña night.
A longtime, and still popular, nightlife classic.
With a fantastic location next to the Riazor Beach and a few metres from the Deportivo football stadium, the Playa Club has been a venerable classic since 1957 but remains popular by keeping up with the times. The complex features a locally reknowned disco spinning alt-pop, soul-jazz, funk, electronica, with occasional live performances; there's also a café, a restaurant, and banquet hall on premises.
Moon 57 and Soho Café Coruña
This well-known dance club and café provide superb nocturnal diversion.
A pair of reknowned local nightspots.
An upscale café in the afternoons, at night Moon 57 (Paseo de Ronda 57) becomes one of the city's best known dance spots, with a lot going for it: sounds including chill, jazz, funk, soul, disco, and more; different spaces and environments; a superb drinks menu; and splendid views of the bay and ocean. On Fridays and Saturdays the party continues till 6.30 am. Over in the Matogrande district, another hot spot worth a visit is the Soho Café Coruña.
Los Cantones Village
Shopping, dining, and drinking with spectacular views of Coruña's port and the Atlantic.
A cool waterfront shopping/entertainment centre.
A multifaceted complex of restaurants, shopping, and entertainment options. In addition to a multi-screen cinema, Los Cantones' dining spots include Vips, Gino's and the Japanese Shouri. Its pubs have also been quite the hotspots of late, such as Dux, Amura, and Brit Coruña - perhaps due in part to fantastic views out over the port and the ocean beyond; their lively terraces make superb spots for a pint or a cocktail. For details, check out the complex's website www.LosCantonesVillage.es.
Ágora Centre and Metropolitan Forum
Exhibitions, stage performances, films, and more.
A marvelous multi-media cultural menu.
Named after the Calle Ágora on which it's located, the multidisciplinary Centro Ágora appeals to a wide range of tastes, staging painting and photography exhibitions; offering dance, theatre, and musical performances; and screening a variety of art films and documentaries. The Fórum Metropolitano over on Calle Río Monelos, meanwhile, specialises in films, many of them in the original version with Spanish subtitles, as well as live stage shows.
Rosalía de Castro Theatre
Another superb venue for experiencing high culture locally.
Municipal Theatre
At Calle del Riego de Agua 37, very close to the Plaza de María Pita, the municipal theatre dates from the 19th century and is named after the Galician writer and poet who is one of Spain's premier literary figures of that century. It boasts a capacity of up to 666 seats and a 150-square-metre (1,615-square-foot) stage. This and the other venues covered in this guide makes A Coruña the Galician city with the greatest variety of cultural offerings.
Opera Palace
Spectacular building and magnificent programming to match.
Home of the Galicia Symphony Orchestra.
The city's former convention hall, an impressive, column-lined bit of business on Glorieta de América roundabout at the edge of Santa Margarita Park, has been turned into a performance and exhibition venue seating more than 1,700 which does indeed stage operas, and is the home to the Galicia Symphony Orchestra. But its offerings are extremely eclectic, including all manner of concerts, ballets, and stage works both dramatic and musical (including road shows of the likes of Grease and Beauty and the Beast).
Colón Theatre
A cultural stalwart with a varied and compelling programme.
An 845-seat classic.
Built in 1948 on Avenida de la Marina, steps from the port and the old town, this 845-seat, neoclassical-style theatre is one of A Coruña's cultural lodestars, with a rich cultural programme over the years ranging from cinema to concerts and dance performances to plays and stand-up comedy. It has hosted some of Galicia's and Spain's top talent, as well as visiting international headliners. Culture vultures will definitely want to see what's playing when they're in town!
Riazor Stadium
Any resident of A Coruña will profess his love for the home team.
The premier temple of the local civic religion.
The local football team El Deportivo, active in the first division of the Spanish Professional League until its decline in the 2012-2013 season (it had already dropped declined in 2010-2011 but regained its place in the top tier a year later), is like a religion in this city. On game nights, the fans form a human tide that floods the streets, either in the lively pubs that tune the encounter in any neighborhood, or in the area surrounding Riazor Stadium on Calle Manuel Murguia, where El Deportivo play their home matches. Inaugurated in 1944 and refurbished in 1995, it can accommodate 34,600 spectators. Three games of the 1982 World Cup took place here.
Las Bárbaras Convent and Santo Domingo Convent
The medieval reliefs of the first are a must, as are the sculptures hidden in the second.
More important monuments.
Dedicated to Santa Clara, the Convento de las Bárbaras was built in the second half of the 15th century. Today it is the cloistered convent of the Madres Clarisas. It is located in the heart of the Old City, at number 5 Santa Bárbara square. It has beautiful stone walls and, of the architectural ensemble, the medieval relief on its façade, which represents the Last Judgment, and another relief inside the chapel, in the vestibule, which illustrates the Virgin with the Child, Santa Barbara and Santa Catalina. For its part, the Convent of Santo Domingo, located in the Plaza de Santo Domingo, was built in the 13th century outside the city walls. In the year 1589 it was used by the British Francis Drake as a fortress. The Gothic-style construction would be destroyed when the pirate fled and only a few remains are preserved in the current convent. From then on, the building would be rebuilt twice: between 1596 and 1617, under a Renaissance idea, but with Baroque influences; and in 1762, due to a collapse. Inside there are three sculptures made by Mateo Prado in 1653: Santo Tomás, San Pedro Mártir and Santo Domingo.
Collegiate Church of Santa María del Campo and Church of Santiago
Monuments revered and admired in the city. Its Galician Romanesque style does not go unnoticed.
Crowning the Old City.
In the highest part of the Old City you can visit one of the most admired examples of Romanesque style in the city, the Collegiate Church of Santa María del Campo, which was built during the 12th and 13th centuries, although its façade would be modified centuries later. in the year 1880. It has a floor plan with three naves without a transept (where there are medieval tombs), with a bell tower, an ogival rose window from the 14th century and a capital that dates back to the 15th century. Since 1931 it has been considered an Asset of Cultural Interest and inside it houses the Museum of Sacred Art. Another of the most notable religious buildings in A Coruña, also located in the Old City, is the Church of Santiago, which is the oldest in the Herculean capital and one of the most representative buildings of the Galician Romanesque, the starting point of the Camino Xacobeo English http://camino.xacobeo.es/caminos/camino-ingles.
Garden and Viewpoint of San Carlos
Its two imposing hundred-year-old elms and the funeral tribute to Sir John Moore will draw your attention.
Nice green lung.
The San Carlos Garden, one of the most beautiful green lungs of the city, brings together numerous species of trees, both native and exotic, among which two large centenary elms are particularly striking. Inside the garden, there is a funerary monument erected in honor of Sir John Moore, where the remains of the Scottish general rest, who died in the Battle of Elviña in 1809. Indeed, inside the garden you will be able to appreciate some tombstones that say, in English and in Galician, a poem that Rosalía de Castro dedicated to the Scotsman, entitled 'In the grave of General Sir John Moore'. The garden and the walls that surround it have been declared a Historic-Artistic Site. The great charm of the complex resides, in addition to the romantic beauty of the garden, in the Mirador de San Carlos, which offers beautiful views over the bay and the port of the city.
Royal Galician Academy/Emilia Pardo Bazán Museum
If you're curious about the Galician language and/or its literary history, this stone manse is definitely worth a stop.
A twofer, covering Galicia's foremost cultural protector and a literary light of the past.
The Royal Galician Academy is the institution which promotes Galicia's language and culture, and its headquarters is currently located in the family manse of the novelist, essayist, and journalist Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851-1921) at Calle Tabernas 11. Within this beautiful stone pile you'll also find the home-museum devoted to this author and her work. With regard to the Royal Galician Academy, you'll find here a library, newspaper room and archives, as well as the secretariat, consultation room and the auditorium.
Cornide Palace
An early 18th-century manse with a distinguished pedigree.
A stately example of the Galician Baroque.
This stately manse of pink granite stands in the heart of the old city, near the Royal Galician Academy (the organisation which promotes Galician language and culture). Built in the early 18th century, it's one of the most representative samples of the Galician Baroque, its façade all cantilevered balconies and topped by a pediment with the coat of arms of the Cornide family carved in stone. It was the residence of the historian, geographer and naturalist José Cornide Saavedra (1734-1803), a member of the Royal Academy of History. The building, designed by Francisco Llobet, was used as a cinema in the early 20th century, and in 1962 it was bought by Spain's Ministry of Education and Science and shortly thereafter by the Conde de Fenosa, who registered it in the name of Carmen Polo, wife of Francisco Franco.
Mount San Pedro and overlook
Get some perspective on A Coruña and its setting by seeing it from this beautifully landscaped hilltop park - complete with fossilised Ice Age dune!
A lovely spot for lovely views over the city and sea.
The Municipal Park of Mount San Pedro, formerly pasture and farm land as well as a military zone, was in 1999 turned into a nature park with lovely views over the city, the Atlantic and the surrounding countryside. It has pretty gardens planted with flora typical of the Galician coast, as well as rock formations where native birds shelter. On the slope leading down to the sea there's a fossilised dune left over from the last ice age 28,000 years ago. There's also a visitor centre and restaurant; more details at www.miradordesanpedro.es.
The Milennium and Canton Obelisks
Contrasting monuments a century apart, providing snapshots of the city at two very different points in its history.
Something old and something new.
Here's a tale of two obelisks, one old and one new. The old one is the Obelisco de los Cantones on Calle del Cantón Grande, built in 1895 in memory of a prominent Galician parliamentarian and government minister, Aureliano Linares Rivas, including a clock and meteorological equipment. The new was built of steel and rock crystal to mark the dawn of the 21st century. Standing 46 metres (151 feet) on the waterfront promenade, it's illuminated at night by 142 spotlights. At its base you can see an account of the city's history carved on the glass.
María Pita Plaza
An architectural gem named after a local heroine.
The city's lovely main plaza.
At the heart of A Coruña's historic centre stands this beautiful rectangular plaza, also its most important, and one of the jewels of the city's architecture. Built between 1860 and 1926, it features an arcade and fortified courtyard, similar to the royal plazas of France. It's named after María Pita, a local heroine who in 1589 fought to defend the city against the English led by the privateer Francis Drake. At its centre you'll see a nine-metre (30-foot) bronze of her by artist Xosé Castiñeiras. Also on the plaza you'll find the Palacio Municipal (city hall) and the Church of St. George, Baroque in style and built in the 17th century.
Eliviña Bronze Age Settlement
Before the Romans came, northwest Iberia belonged to the Celts! And this is one of their settlements.
A castro, or ancient fortified settlement typical of northwest Iberia
In the parish of San Vicente of Elviña, very near the city's university campus, the Castro de Elviña is a typical fortified settlement of the pre-Roman, Bronze Age Celtic culture of the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, often referred to as the castro culture. This castro, atop Mt. Zapateira, is about four hectares (10 acres), consisting of three concentric walled enclosures, with a sloping entrance flanked by large towers. Treasures unearthed by excavations at the site are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of the San Antón Castle. From July 1 through September 30, you can visit Thursdays at 7 p.m. and weekends and holidays at 12 noon; the rest of the year, only on Sundays at 12 noon.
Tower of Hercules
If there's a symbol of A Coruña, it's this enormous lighthouse dating back to the 2nd century AD.
A legacy of ancient Rome
The Roman Empire left a number of ruins scattered around Iberia, but this is the only structure that is still in working use in Spain. Known to have been in existence in the 2nd century during the reign of the emperor Trajan this UNESCO World Heritage Site is 55 metres (180 feet) high, has a square foundation and an exterior structure in the form of a prism. Around the tower there's an attractive beautiful 47-hectare (116-acre) park that's an outdoor museum with mythological or sea-inspired sculptures including Peninsula de la Torre, Punta Herminia, O Acoroado, and Cabal de Pradeira.
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