La Coruna cruise port is located in the heart of La Coruna (A Coruña, in Galician; La Coruña, in Spanish), a port city in the Galicia region in the northwest of Spain. Known for its Roman historic heritage, sweeping coastal views of the Atlantic Ocean, beaches, bustling city center and a medieval old town, La Coruna has a lot to offer to everyone! In this article, read about:
- La Coruna cruise port (La Coruna cruise terminal, getting around)
- 11 best things to do in La Coruna Spain & top La Coruna shore excursions
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La Coruna Cruise Port
Cruise ships dock at Muelle de Trasatlánticos quay, only a 5-minute walk from the city center. The cruise terminal features a small building with facilities such as a tourist office desk (make sure you pick up maps), souvenir shops and security screening. Upon exiting the terminal, you’ll see large parking for tour buses on your left side.
To get to the city center, you need to exit the terminal, walk straight past the glass building of Los Cantones Village shopping center, cross Avenida da Mariña street and you’ll reach Rúa Real, a pedestrian shopping street. In Los Cantones Village shopping mall you can find numerous shops, cafes and bars.
The port of La Coruna is also a major cargo port that serves the distribution of agricultural goods from Galicia, which makes the city the region’s industrial and financial center.
Getting Around La Coruna Port
- The city center is walkable and the best part of it sits on a peninsula. La Coruna is perfect for biking as it’s flat, and the beach is located a few blocks away from the main street Rúa Real (a 15-minute walk from the terminal).
- You will find public transport (buses and taxis) on Avenida Marina, located only a few minutes’ walk from the terminal building. This notable street is famous for its charming Marina filled with recreation boats and beautiful glazed balconies that you’ll spot from the ship’s outer decks. You can reach many city attractions on foot, so you may not need public transportation. However, if you want to explore the city by bus, bus 3 goes to the major attractions including the Tower of Hercules. Taxis also offer tours and transfers to the nearby cities including Santiago de Compostela, Galicia’s capital.
- Free wi-fi is available in the Los Cantones shopping mall as well as cafes and restaurants in the city center.
- Shops are usually closed during the Spanish siesta time (from 13:30 to 16:00), except for the big department stores and supermarkets. Museums are normally closed on Monday.
- La Coruna train station (Estación de La Coruña) is located 2.5 km/1.5 miles or a 10-minute drive from the port. You can check the train schedules at www.renfe.com
- The nearest airport is Santiago Airport (Santiago–Rosalía de Castro Airport), located 66 km/41 miles, a 45-minute drive from La Coruna cruise port.
- Book a private transfer to/from the port of La Coruna
- Explore La Coruna tours and activities
- Check out the best hotels in La Coruna
11 Best Things to Do in La Coruna Cruise Port
La Coruna city center is located a 5-minute walk from the port and you can visit the main city’s landmarks on foot.
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1. Tower of Hercules
The Tower of Hercules (Torre de Hércules) is the UNESCO-listed ancient Roman lighthouse dating from the late 1st century A.D. Built on a 57-meter high rock overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the lighthouse has been in continuous operation ever since and is the oldest lighthouse in the world still in use. It is 55 meters (180 ft) tall, which makes it Spain’s second-tallest lighthouse. The whole site also features a sculpture garden, the massive statue of Breogán, rock carvings from the Iron Age and a Muslim cemetery.
The Tower of Hercules is located approximately 2.6 km/1.6 miles from La Coruna port (a 40-minute walk or a 15-minute drive). Due to the location of the tower facing the Atlantic Ocean, it can be very windy so make sure to wear appropriate clothes.
A portion of the slightly uphill road needs to be handled on foot to reach the Tower which sits on a promontory overlooking the ocean. At the foot of the hill, you’ll find a parking lot, public toilets, and a Visitor Center where you can purchase tickets to climb the tower. The Tower of Hercules is partially wheelchair-accessible.
Check out Tower of Hercules tours and activities
2. Saint Anton Castle
The Castle of San Antón is a 16th-century fortress strategically located in the Bay of Coruna, at the entrance to the harbour. It was built as part of a strategic network of castles and towers to defend the city back in history. Nowadays, it houses an archeological museum where you can see prehistoric and ancient artifacts, weaponry and medieval sculptures, and learn about the fort’s history and city.
From the castle’s ramparts, you can enjoy magnificent coastal views. The disadvantage is that all information in the museum is available only in Spanish and Galician. Saint Anton Castle is only 1.3 km/0.80 miles or a 15-minute easy walk from the cruise dock.
Explore Saint Anton Castle tours and activities
3. Maria Pita Square
Situated only 600 m from the La Coruna dock (a 5-minute walk), Praza de Maria Pita is the central square of the city dominated by the imposing building of the Town Hall (Concello da Coruña) and surrounded by a great number of shops, cafes and restaurants.
In the center of the square, you’ll find the statue of Maria Pita, the city’s heroine who played a significant role in reducing the losses of the Corunans during Sir Francis Drake’s attack on A Coruña in 1589.
While there, you can admire the beautiful historic buildings with galerias, balconies enclosed in a glass frame built to protect from the cold Galician winds in the wintertime. Because of the galerias, La Coruna is often called “the glass city” and “the crystal city”. Adjacent to Maria Pita Square, you’ll find a little Marqués de San Martín square dominated by the beautiful Baroque Church of Saint George (Iglesia de San Jorge).
4. Ciudad Vieja (Old Town)
While in La Coruna, don’t miss the chance to explore the medieval cobblestone streets of Ciudad Vieja (Old Town), situated only 1 km/0.60 miles or a 15-minute walk from the dock, near Saint Anton Castle.
Besides quaint tapas bars and restaurants, in the Old Town you’ll find charming historic buildings, monuments and landmarks, including the churches Santa Maria do Campo, Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Convento de Santa Bárbara and the 12th century Iglesia de Santiago. The best views of the harbour are from the historic San Carlos Garden (Jardín de San Carlos), a verdant, quiet garden dating from the 14th century.
5. Shopping, Wine and Food Tasting
I’ve been to La Coruna many times and this is one of my favorite ports of call for shopping (besides Cartagena, my number 1) and eating out. Only a 5-10 minutes walk from the port of La Coruna, you’ll find Rúa Real with its beautiful galerias, offering a variety of gift shops, clothing and shoe stores, and a few blocks away, Rúa Orzán that has the best bars and restaurants. The famous beach, Playa del Orzán, is located only a few minutes’ walk from the street.
Galicia is known for its award-winning wineries, vineyards and wine cellars spread across the region. If you want to try the region’s premium wines, you should book one of the wine tours offered by local tour agencies or your cruise line. I joined a wine and food pairing led by a sommelier at Hotel NH Collection A Coruña Finisterre as part of a cruise ship shore excursion, and the overall experience was amazing. This hotel is located next to the Marina, only a 5-minute walking distance from the dock.
Check out La Coruna food and wine-tasting tours
6. La Coruna Beaches
La Coruna boasts a beautiful, long coast ideal for activities like biking, segway or rollerblading. If you come in the summertime, you can surf, play volleyball or sunbathe on the wide, urban Playa del Orzán, backed by a waterfront promenade offering fantastic views of the bay. Another popular beach is Playa de Riazor, situated next to it, perfect for walking or running.
7. Gardens of Méndez Núñez
Only 750 meters from the cruise terminal (upon exiting, turn left), this lovely landscaped park dating from 1868 features old trees, colorful flower beds, fountains and sculptures, as well as areas for kids and walking. It’s a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city center. Public toilets and a coffee shop are available for visitors.
8. Aquarium Finisterrae
Aquarium Finisterrae is a public interactive science center that opened in 1999 and is dedicated to wildlife preservation, particularly the sea ecosystem and sea life. Here you can encounter and interact with the marine underwater life of Galicia’s coast and the Atlantic Ocean, including seals, sharks, rays and other types of fish.
The Aquarium features various interactive exhibits and fascinating exhibition rooms including Sala Nautilus, the most spectacular one, designed to offer an authentic emotional experience. The whole place is very scenic, offering unique views of the coast and marine life.
9. Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the Galicia region, located 76 km/47 miles (a 50-minute drive) from La Coruna cruise port. The fascinating medieval city is known as the final destination of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route and the 11th-century Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela which is the reputed burial place of the Biblical apostle St. James.
The Cathedral boasts an impressive Western facade that overlooks Praza do Obradoiro (“Square of the Workshop”), the main square of Santiago de Compostela’s old town, also surrounded by the university and a few more important buildings.
The medieval Old Town is filled with restaurants, bars, souvenir shops and landmarks such as the Museum of Pilgrimage, Mosteiro de San Paio de Antealtares (medieval church and monastery & a museum of historic art), Praza da Quintana de Vivos (a square behind the Cathedral), Mercado de Abastos (traditional market), and other medieval churches and monuments.
The medieval Old Town is a pedestrian-only zone. The parking lot where the tour buses drop passengers off is located a 15-minute walk from the Cathedral and main landmarks. Taxis and private vehicles can get closer to the downtown. Old Town is cobblestone, with narrow streets that wheelchair users may find difficult to handle.
Check out Santiago de Compostela tours from La Coruna cruise port
10. Betanzos
Nestled in a fertile valley 27 km/16.7 miles (a 25-minute drive) southeast of La Coruna, Betanzos is one of the best-preserved old towns in Galicia and one of the stops on the English Way path of the Camino de Santiago. Named “Brigantium” by the Romans, Betanzos sits on a hill at the mouth of the Betanzos estuary, where the sea mixes with the freshwaters of the Mandeo and Mendo rivers. Due to its architecture and historic heritage, the town was declared a Historic-Artistic Site.
Betanzos boasts three beautiful Gothic churches: Igrexa de San Francisco (St Francis Church) dating from the 14th century; Igrexa de Santiago (St James Church) built in the 15th century, famous for its main portal decorated with a horseback statue of Saint James; and Igrexa de Santa María do Azogue (Church of Santa María do Azogue) built between the late 14th and early 15th centuries.
11. Lugo
Located on a hill on the banks of the river Miño, 103 km/64 miles (a 1-hour 10 minutes drive) southeast of La Coruna, the historic city of Lugo is the capital of the province of Lugo and the fourth most populous city in Galicia.
Lugo is surrounded by completely intact Roman walls (Muralla Romana de Lugo) built between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD to defend the city against local tribesmen and Germanic invaders. The walls are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and they reach a height of 15 meters (49 ft), spreading along a 2.117-meter (6.946 ft) circuit ringed with the remaining 46 towers.
Nowadays, visitors can stroll along the whole wall length and admire beautiful views of the historic quarter inside the walls. The Old Town is filled with medieval buildings, squares and churches, among which the 12th-century Lugo Cathedral, the Episcopal Palace and the City Hall of Lugo with its magnificent 18th-century baroque façade stand out.
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I was just in La Coruna this past week. We did the wine tasting at the NH Collection hotel. Do you remember what brands the wines were that you did at your tasting?
Hi, amazing, I hope you had a great time! Unfortunately, I can’t remember the wine brands, it was a long time ago 🙂