La Coruna

Confusingly, "Corunna" in English is spelt "la Coruna" in Spanish and "A Coruna" in the region of Galicia (gallego), but all refer to the same district and conurbation in northern Spain.

The greater province of A Coruna is Galicia's most significant district and has the highest population, the greatest number of towns and cities and the most prosperous economy of the region. Its three main cities are Santiago de Compostela, the Galician capital (which has its own section in galiciaguide), la Coruna, the provincial capital, and the seaport city of Ferrol. The area is also famous for its many fishing villages, amongst the most notable of which are Ribeira and Finisterre, the latter of which lies on the infamous "coast of death" (costa da morte). If you visit our Galician towns section you can find out about these and many other villages and towns of the province.

After Santiago de Compostela, la Coruna is probably Galicia's most visited locality. As well as acting as the provincial capital, it is an important location in its own right and possesses the world's oldest working lighthouse, the Tower of Hercules and the galeria (glass fronted) harbour buildings that have given rise to it becoming known as the "glass city". La Coruna city also has a medieval quarter, a 9 km promenade, a sea front tram system and an international port, offering UK flights to Heathrow via Iberia airlines. Its Maria Pita square, with the massive and palatial "Palacio Municipal" building is also a must see attraction for all visiting tourists.

La Coruna province

Moving away from the capital, the province of la Coruna offers the option of spectacular inland scenery, or a never ending supply of beaches punctuated with seaside towns. Many of the area's visitors, whilst initially exploring its main cities, ultimately get more enjoyment from renting a car and hopping around from town to town. Today there are also some tour companies (e.g Galicia Mystic Tours) offering trips that run down the La Coruna coast making stops at some of the larger towns and villages.

Over recent years the province of la Coruna has definitely seen tourism take center stage with its large port becoming a regular disembarking point on the cruise liner schedule. More often than not, passengers are transported from these ships to A Coruna's more famous sister city of Santiago de Compostela, but an increasing number of tourists are now choosing to explore la Coruna city itself.

When looking at Galica's four provinces, it is A Coruna that seems most at ease with international tourism. There are plenty of tourist information points and an increasing number of guides and town maps are now becoming available in English, French and German. Hotels, villas and apartments are also more easily sourced in this locality than in say in Pontevedra or Lugo and the big cities, especially Santiago de Compostela, have something of a cosmopolitan air to them. That said la Coruna is unmistakably a part of Galicia and it serves up the architecture, cuisine and Celtic ancestry of the region, but perhaps in a way that makes it a more easily accessible to the foreign tourist. Must see localities in the province as a whole are la Coruna itself, the magnificent city of Santiago de Compostela, and two or three of the areas coastal towns, Noia, Muros or Porto Sin being good examples.

Finally, reaching la Coruna has never been easier, especially if you live in the UK. The Province holds Galicia's two international airports at Santiago de Compostela and Coruna itself, and from the UK direct flights leave both Heathrow and Stansted airports on a daily basis.

There have been various changes in the city's structure over the last few decades — it now shares some administrative functions with the nearby city of Ferrol. Companies have grown, especially in sectors such as finance, communication, planning, sales, manufacturing and technical services. The port itself unloads large amounts of fresh fish, and with the increase in other port activities like crude oil and solid bulk, make up 75% of Galician port traffic.

Over the last few years, emphasis has been placed upon better access and infrastructure, especially cultural, sporting, leisure and scientific areas. Following a spectacular oil spill when the Aegean Sea wrecked and exploded, considerable resources have been used in the recovery of the shoreline and strengthening the tourist sector. All this has reaffirmed the city's existing character as a centre for administration, sales, port activities, culture and tourism. The city is served by a regional airport which operates services by Iberia, Spanair, easyJet and Portugalia to Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Lisbon, London and Paris.

 The climate of A Coruña is temperate maritime and heavily moderated by the Atlantic Ocean, however it does display some characteristics of a Mediterranean climate. Autumn and winter are often unsettled and unpredictable with strong winds and abundant rainfall, coming from Atlantic depressions and it is often overcast. The ocean keeps temperatures mild, and frost and snow are rare. In summer, it is quite dry and sunny with only occasional rainfall, temperatures are warm but rarely uncomfortably hot due to the sea's cooling influence during the day. Spring is usually cool and fairly calm.