The Port of La Coruna, Spain
ABOUT
La Coruna is an ancient city which legend has it was founded by Hercules. The lighthouse is known as the Tower of Hercules and is the oldest known extant lighthouse. The city has been occupied by the Celts, Phoenicians, Romans, Moors and Portugese over the centuries until finally reconquered by the Spanish in the 15th century.
Famously the Spanish Armada sheltered here prior to sailing against the English in 1588. The following year Francis Drake and John Norris led the English fleet to burn the Spanish fleet at La Coruna and sacked the lower part of the port.
In 2018 population of the city was approximately 245,000
Currency is the Euro.
THINGS TO DO
With a history as long and varied as La Coruna there is lots to see and do. It has everything from ancient buildings which include the Tower of Hercules, through to the beautiful town hall in the Plaza de Maria Pita, and more modern additions including an aquarium.
Maritime history is very important here and you can even see links to the sea in the pavements – as you can see below.
There are pleasant walks in and around the centre, beaches to enjoy and a wonderful cafe culture where you can sit and watch the world go by as you enjoy some local fare.
It is a great place to visit for a day and if you wish to venture further it is possible to visit the famous Santiago de Compostela.
OUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO
This is not our first visit to La Coruna and we always enjoy a stroll around taking in the ambience of the town.
As you leave the ship it is very easy to stroll along the promenade and then into the town to the Town Hall in the Plaza de Maria Pita. This is a huge area where locals and tourists alike congregate to socialise or trade and is dedicated to a local heroine. There are plenty of local offerings to try.
During one visit we headed back to the seafront where we could get a good look at our ship, Celebrity Silhouette but it was also a great place to view the harbour.
A quick stop for a local beer and some tapas (well it would be rude not to) and we headed back to our ship and up a steep gangway.
A great day out and we look forward to our next visit.
In May 2024 we were lucky enough to sail on the Maiden Voyage of Cunard’s Queen Anne – her very first port of call on that trip was to La Coruna. It was the first time that we had the opportunity to photograph her from the outside as you can see in the photos.
As this was the first port of call for Queen Anne on her Maiden Voyage, the port authorities celebrated the occasion with tugs creating a water Salute as we left. You can see some of this in the attached video
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