A Coruña, the City of Glass by the sea

It only took a couple of days in A Coruña for this glorious and hugely underrated city to climb its way to the top of my fantasy ‘places I want to live’ list. While it retains the grittiness of a busy port town, a beguiling mix of history, culture, gastronomy, beaches and nightlife left us wishing we’d given ourselves more time to sample the delights of this ancient place. It attracts only small numbers of tourists today but, like Galicia itself, it’s only a matter of time before that changes.

A Coruna sits on the wild, rugged Atlantic coast in the far north of Spain and, not unlike the ocean that pounds into the nearby cliffs, its history has been turbulent. Originally a Celtic settlement before the Romans arrived and turned it into an important trading port, for which it suffered Viking raids. The Moors raided the city and region for three hundred years between the 8th and 10th centuries, but never conquered it. The Reconquista had its origins here.

A hint towards the Galician language, in the 14th century Portugal controlled the city, finally becoming Spanish in the 15th century. In 1588, the Spanish Armada sailed from here on its doomed mission to overthrow the English Protestant Queen Elizabeth. Sir Francis Drake returned the favour the following year, attacking ships in the port, sacking the lower city and besieging the Old Town.

This history was writ large as we walked from our hotel close to the main town beach, Praia de Orzán, through streets full of life in the Old Town. The small centre is filled with lovely winding streets that eventually lead into Praza de María Pita. This large central square has a statue of María Pita brandishing the spear she is said to have killed the flag bearer of Drakes’ troops when they attempted to storm the city centre.

A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

Pazo de Cornide, A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

John Lennon statue, A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

Port, A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

The port where Drake had done his worst is just a short walk from the statue and is a magnificent part of the city. It has been redeveloped and rejuvenated in recent years, the harbour backed by iconic houses with enclosed glass balconies that rise six stories into the blue Galician sky along Avenida de A Mariña. A true symbol of the city, these houses are the origin of A Coruna’s nickname, City of Glass.

Beyond the harbour is the modern commercial port, where we could see ships being loaded and unloaded as we strolled along the waterfront to where the 16th century fortress, Castelo de Santo Antón, overlooks the entrance into the port. We dove back into the Old Town filled with shady squares and ancient churches such as Igrexa de Santiago. In one square with a beautiful church a tour guide was talking about one of the houses.

Surfer, A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

Igrexa de San Xurxo, A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

Igrexa de Santo Domingo, A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

Tapas, A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

Pulpo, A Coruna, Galicia, Spain

I freely admit to eavesdropping, but controversy hangs over the 18th century Pazo de Cornide. It was built by José Cornide, a geographer, naturalist and humanist. The family donated it to the city but, in 1962, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco ‘acquired’ it by dubious means at a knockdown price. It is now at the centre of a bitter dispute between town authorities who want it back and the dictator’s wealthy heirs.

We spent a happy few hours meandering in the Old Town before heading to the tangle of streets on the other side of Praza de María Pita. This is where many of A Coruna’s best tapas bars serving its famed seafood are found. On a warm Friday evening the whole area was buzzing. We spent the entire evening grazing our way from tapas to tapas, including the best tortilla I have ever eaten (and there have been many) in legendary La Bombilla.

The food in A Coruna is a serious threat to the waistline, especially washed down with a chilled Albariño. Luckily there are plenty of parks in which to walk off some of the excess calories. The next morning we strolled through the Xardíns de Méndez Núñez next to the port and home to a terrible John Lennon statue, before heading to the beach for a splash around in surprisingly balmy Atlantic waves.

The walk from the port to beach takes only 15 minutes, but between the two A Coruna packs in a lot of city. One we will definitely be returning to even if it isn’t to start a new life here.