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
We have visited La Coruna on a number of occasions and 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 to the seafront where we could get a good look at our ship, Celebrity Silhouette. It is 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.
Queen Anne's Maiden 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
Cunard Queen Victoria
We also visited La Coruna during a visit on Cunard’s Queen Victoria.
This time, it was a December visit and so the city was gearing up for the Christmas period.
Although the ship left port before darkness fell, we were able to see some of the decorations.
Despite being chilly, we did take a walk around the port area. We saw some large decorations on the sea front which would be lovely lit up later in the day. Then found our usual spot and managed to take some nice photographs – one of which you can see here.
The ship certainly looked resplendent in the winter sun.
With time on our hands we decided to walk further along the quay. In the distance we could see an old fort in the distance. We discovered this to be the Castillo de San Anton.
The castle dates back to the 16th Century when it was part of the defence network for the city. Over the centuries it continued to be a military base and at one point was a prison.
It is now considered to be a Historic Artistic Monument and houses the Archaeological and Historic Museum of the city.
Entrance fee is €2 per person and entry times vary. On the day we attended, entrance was free but we don’t know why!
It didn’t take long to stroll through the exhibits (there was little written in English). However probably the biggest bonus is the view from the upper part of the structure. Here you can look out to see and across to the port. It gave a view of the city that we wouldn’t usually see.
At the end of our walk around the Castillo de San Anton we made our way back to the old town. We made our way past some more of the iconic buildings. We also saw some of the wonderful produce sold here before meeting our friends, Paul and Carole of Paul and Carole Love to Travel.
Continuing our way through the old town we happened across a couple of bars that looked inviting. Of course we went in for a drink – it would have been rude not to!
To check out our experiences in La Coruna just click the videos below – and if you enjoy the content simply ‘Like’ and ‘Subscribe’ to see more (subscription is free)