A Coruña – Northern Galicia | Wolf Pup Adventures

Last month we decided to vacation in Northern Galicia, Spain, specifically the town of A Coruña. Only a 2.5 hour drive from Braga, the northern coast of Spain is a nice way to escape the summer heat that can occasionally blanket the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. Luckily we don’t get hit with many days of extreme heat in Braga but it does happen. For example, last year, Braga had 13 days over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. For our time in A Coruña, it was actually a bit chilly and a light jacket was needed most of the time. It did rain some but not enough to ruin any of our plans. As long as it is not a heavy downpour or thunder storms, the rain doesn’t bother us too much. Nothing an umbrella or rain jacket can’t handle.

When we arrived to our hotel in the city center, we “lucked” out and snagged a street parking spot across the street from the hotel. We planned to park in a pay lot but this will work. We began exploring right away. We walked around the Torre de Hercules, a Roman-era lighthouse, one of the oldest in Europe. Around the lighthouse is a park with a sculpture garden, one that resembles Stonehenge and another set of stone pillars with holes carved in them acting as windows to the ocean (Menhires pola Paz). A nice place for a peaceful walk. In the middle of town are a series of gardens that span a few city blocks. Featuring a rose garden, a variety of trees and flowers, another pleasant place to explore.

A Coruña had no shortage of good food and brew pubs. We had some excellent birria tacos at a Mexican restaurant. Seafood bocadillos – we tried the tuna belly and octopus – both very tasty. A bao spot in the touristy area was surprisingly much better than our expectations. But I think the highlight of our food adventure was a little tapas restaurant popular among the locals. We tried 4 or 5 dishes and each one left us craving more. After a good meal, we like to enjoy a nice beer, and the craft beer scene in A Coruña did not disappoint. A British-style pub, a Viking-themed pub, and a few other nice finds all with good tap lists featuring beers from Spain, Belgium, and Germany.

Earlier, I mentioned we were “lucky” on finding street parking for the car. Well, we were not aware there is no free parking in the city center. All spots are metered during the day and by permit (local resident permits) at night. We ended up with a nice surprise parking ticket. Trying to save a few euros didn’t work out too well for us. Oh well. We are still learning when it comes to parking in these European cities.

On our last full day in A Coruña, we decided to hit up the surrounding areas for a hike. The little ocean-side villages were stunning. Lots of beautiful houses (or mansions may be more appropriate) and lots of bike paths that seemed to provide some semblance of a cycling infrastructure. Most of these villages sit up on cliffs above the ocean which made for some dramatic views. Our hike in the Costa de Dexo Natural Monument followed along the cliff’s edge so the crashing waves were always within earshot. We hiked to a historic trading port that was no more than perhaps a 20 meter wide split in the cliff — seemed crazy boats would go in but I assume they were small fishing boats and there was an old lift and hand-crank pulley still present for loading and off-loading. A nice find along the trail and a good turnaround spot.

It was time to go back home, but we did enjoy our visit to A Coruña. I think I would like to go back with our bicycles and explore some of the bike paths we noticed outside of the city. Perhaps even use it as the launching point for a bikepacking tour along the northern coast of Spain and Basque Country. We shall see.