The five must-see places in A Coruña

The city of A Coruña is the scene of legends and thousands of incredible stories. Whether fiction or reality, A Coruña has magical and essential places in its heart that you cannot miss if you want to boast that you know Galicia. Let's do a little review!

Tower of Hercules

Of course, the most famous lighthouse in the world could not be missing. Located between the Orzán inlet and the Gulf of Ártabro, on a hill sixty metres above sea level, the building holds the title of the oldest working lighthouse in the world.

The protagonist of many myths, it was built in the second half of the 1st century by an architect from Coimbra called Gaio Sevio Lupo. On the other hand, the current exterior cladding dates from the 18th century and is the work of Eustaquio Giannini.

The 50-metre-high Tower of Hercules was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1931 and a World Heritage Site in 2009. The surrounding area is also home to the Sculpture Park of the Tower of Hercules, with more than fifteen works by different 20th century artists.

A Mariña Avenue Galleries

In the port of the city there are buildings with such a long tradition as the Casino and the galleries of A Mariña Avenue. The latter, according to the A Coruña tourism website, make up one of the largest glazed complexes in the world.

In the second half of the 19th century, the architect Juan de Ciórraga designed a model of colonnade that imitated a covered walkway along the seafront. The galleries, which belonged to fishermen's dwellings, not only protected the façades from the rain, but also regulated the temperature inside: they kept the heat in winter and cooled the air in summer.

Modernism in the glass city

In 1883, the city was extended with the Ensanche, the current streets of Juana de Vega, Picavia, Feijoo, Plazo de Lugo and Plaza de Pontevedra. A local bourgeoisie, enriched by overseas trade, built luxurious spaces that still show the cosmopolitan and disruptive mentality of the time.

Modernism was introduced in A Coruña in 1906 by architects such as Ricardo Boán y Callejas and Antonio López Hernández.

Thus, we can find buildings such as Casa Rey, Casa Molina, El Diente de Oro, Kiosko Alfonso and other constructions along the Plaza de Lugo.

María Pita Square

This is one of the nerve centres of the city of A Coruña. The Plaza de María Pita, dedicated to the heroine of the defence of A Coruña in 1589 against the English Invincible, is crowned with a bronze statue by Xosé Castiñeiras. The space was designed in the mid-19th century and also houses the Municipal Palace, a modernist building constructed between 1908 and 1912.

The triad of Domus, Casa das Ciencias and Aquarium Finisterrae

If you come to the city with the little ones at home, they are sure to have a great time at the Domus, an interactive museum dedicated to the human being. In addition to this, there is the Casa de las Ciencias, located in the small palace in Santa Margarita Park, and the Aquarium Finisterrae, dedicated to environmental education and the dissemination of marine science.

Let yourself be carried away by the charm of Galicia and discover all our organised excursions.