A Coruña – August 2021

My personal “Camino del Norte” has taken me from San Sebastián to Bilbao and Asturia. However, my final destination in the north of Spain isn’t Santiago de Compostela. It’s A Coruña. I only know the port city in the northwestern most corner of Spain from the number of people who emigrated from there to Switzerland. All of them return to Spain regularly to visit family, but none of them have ever recommended it as a destination for a vacation.

After arriving at the (quite big) bus terminal, a 30-minute walk along the port takes me to the town center. That where my guest house is located. I’m treating myself to a single room, partly because I want to have some time to myself and partly because there are not many hostels available anyways. My first afternoon in town I spend at the cities beach. It’s quite pretty with the roadside part topped with small, round rocks which slowly blend into the sand washed ashore by the cold Atlantic waters.

There seem to be not too many people around – but I’m not sure if that’s because of the siesta or the actual unpopularity with tourists. For dinner I follow a recommendation from a former co-worker. Taberna da Galera is a small restaurant at the main restaurant alley: Rua de Galera. The tavern serves tapas with a modern twist, and I order the Tomatoes with Guacamole (again following my co-worker’s recommendation) and Ceviche with Arepas. Both dishes are incredibly tasty and so big, that I struggle to finish everything.

I take a little detour on my way back to my accommodation to witness this trip’s most magnificent sunset so far. The red glowing ball slowly behind the hill at the horizon and leaves behind a pink tinted sky. Once more in awe of mother nature’s beauty, I slowly head back to my room for an early night. I have many plans for the next day and need to get up on time in order to make them happen.

My first stop should have been the local fish market. Again, my former co-worker recommended this and mentioned that it’s the most impressive one he’s ever visited. However, after walking around the port struggling to find the entrance, and then reading online that apparently one needs a reservation to visit, I give up. Instead I head to the old town part further out on the small peninsula.

The architectural style is quite different from the buildings I’ve seen in the Basque Country and in Asturia. Most houses have a ground level floor built with concrete, topped by one or two floors featuring a window front with white wooden grid. It kinda reminds me of a Scandinavian fisher village. But then there is the heat and the number of roman style churches, which takes me back to Spain.

Talking about Roman architecture. The next sight on my list is the impressive Tower of Hercules. It’s one of the oldest, still existing lighthouses out there and built on the far end of the town’s peninsula. The stone structure has been refurbished in the 18^th century and is in very good condition. The short hike up the hill grants marvelous views of the surrounding bays in all directions, as well as the rocky coast and small fishing boats.

After a little break I make my way back to the town center, as I have a call scheduled with my new co-workers. Before I get to that, I am in desperate need of some lunch though. A Mexican restaurant around the corner has caught my eye before and so I grab some “Tacos al Pastor” at Nana Pancha.

The following evening is rather uneventful, I head to the beach for a couple hours, get myself a sunburn and some Pad Thai on the way back to my guesthouse. After some Netflix and a good night’s sleep, I wake up at 6am to catch a bus to Oporto.