Portray of the Destination
Corunna is one of the Galicia autonomous region’s four provinces, and it is located in the north-western end of the Iberian Peninsula. It bounds to the north with the Bay of Biscay, to the west with the Atlantic Ocean, to the east with the Lugo province, and to the south with the Pontevedra province. The climate is European Atlantic, reason why temperatures are mild and almost the same during the year. Corunna is the second most populated city in Galicia and is based on a small rocky islet connected by a narrow mainland strip. The Hercules Tower rises in the north, it was built in the 2nd century and it is the most ancient active light house in the world; to the south, Spain’s sixth most important port uncovers, mastered by the spectacular crystal tower that belongs to the marina; and, to the west of the isthmus, the beaches of Riazor and Orzán stretch.
The old city, located on the ancient islet, with narrow streets and charming little squares, is a quiet district, with many interesting places for the visitor. The downtown is a prolongation of the ancient city and it occupies the isthmus with its wide avenues and commercial streets. The Avenida de la Marina is situated here, where important galleries have been the inspiration for the Corunna’s nickname, the Crystal City; and the Plaza de María Pita, a pedestrian street, which recalls the heroin that in 1589 pull up the flag from an English bearer who was leading an invading army commanded by Drake; porticoes, galleries and lively terraces, also share the place with the Town Hall.
We would like to thank the Corunna tourist board for the texts and photographs provided.
Visit:
www.turismocoruna.com
Geography
Corunna Province (whose official denomination in Galician is: A Coruña) is situated in north-western Spain, and belongs to the autonomous region of Galicia. It is the most populated province of the region, whose capital is Corunna city. It is bordered by the province of Lugo to the east and Pontevedra to the south, and by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Bay of Biscay to the north. To the north-east of Galicia, four sea inlets that form the Bay of Artabro are found: Corunna, Betanzos, Ares, and Ferrol.
Between the Corunna and Ferrol cities the impressive steep coast rises, with few precipices, next to Costa da Morte as well as a great number of dreamed beaches with mild swell. The sea inlet of Corunna looks to the north-south and it is flanked by the Punta do Seixo Branco by the east and Punta Herminia by the west. The sea inlet is dominated by the peninsula on which the city is located.
Climate
Corunna enjoys a mild and humid Atlantic climate, with moderate temperatures throughout the year, fluctuating between an average of 11ºC in January and an average of 19ºC in August. Rainfalls are regular throughout the year, surpassing an average of 100 mm in autumn and winter, whereas in summer it doesn’t reach 30 monthly mm.
When to go
This city enjoys a climate with no harsh temperature variations during the year; although one of the best seasons to visit it is during summer (as in winter temperatures are quite cold), but the festivities calendar encourages the tourist to visit all year round in order to enjoy celebrations such as carnivals or the San Juan bonfire.
History
There is evidence of pre-Roman settlements such as the Castro de Elviña. The “ártabros” tribe were the settlers of the area which includes the Ría de Coruña (Corunna sea inlet) and the Ría de Ferrol (Ferrol sea inlet) at the time when Julius Caesar get there in the year 62 B.C. The Romans called this area Brigantium; they created a very important port as witnessed by the lighthouse Tower of Hercules erected in the 2nd century, still working today. Nowadays this tower is the only active Roman lighthouse in the world.
During the Middle Ages the city fell under Arab rule, this was temporary and of little importance due to the resistance of the Galician citizens. The population settled in the Old City as Alfonso IX transferred the citizens living in El Burgo to Corunna city, and also granted them the “Fuero de Benavente” -Benavente Jurisdiction- in 1188. Alfonso X gived the village the privilege to disembark and sell salt without paying any tax, conferring prosperity to the village. In 1446 the villa was declared City by John II. Charles I established in the city the “Casa de Contratación” for the spices, which causes the construction of the San Antón Castle to protect this new infrastructure.
Between the 17th and 18th centuries, the Spanish monarchy’s continuous wars caused a great increase of the taxes and the recruitment of the population. Therefore the city underwent a recession process. The Muchachos del Mar College is created in 1620 by Philip III. In 1682 the Tower of Hercules is renovated by architect Antúnez. During the Succession War, the city underwent a rise of the taxes and the recruitment of the population again. The war finished in 1716 and the economic recovery began caused by the production and export activities of the settled down Catalan industrialists in the city.
During the French invasion, the city resisted the occupation since the beginning and due to the Elviña Battle between English and French, that occurred on January 16th , 1809, the invaders were expelled. The mortal remains of General Sir John Moore, who participated in the battle, are in San Carlos Garden. At the end of the 19th century new industries and banks laid the foundations for what is today the modern city.
Traditions
Corunna city and its environs are a privileged place to know and to enjoy Galician traditional festivities and celebrations. The most known in the city are:
Carnivals: Corunna, like most Galician cities, celebrates carnival in a very special way. The floats and “comparsas” (groups) are intermingled with the lively streets of Corunna’s popular "entroido" (carnival). The "choqueiros", people dress up in anything they find in their house, are the true entertainers of this popular carnival. The spectacular floats parades cross along the ample avenues of the city, although the great day of the Corunna carnival is Tuesday, where thousands of colourful dressed up inhabitants walk around the street La Torre.
Festivity of María Pita: August in A Coruña, is synonym of celebrations, there is not a single day in which there are not several festive events somewhere in the city. Amongst a great many of concerts and diverse cultural activities, the inhabitants and the numerous visitors can enjoy the Medieval Market, in which the Old City returns to its long ago splendour, the Naval Battle, a recall of the English assault in 1589 and the Flowers Battle, a floats parade that ends the celebrations, together with great fireworks on the Orzán inlet, the comic exhibition and the spectacular Galicia’s Symphonic orchestra free concerts in the Plaza María Pita.
The popular San Juan Bonfires: During San Juan night, the shortest of the year, Corunna becomes an immense bonfire. All the city districts participate in this celebration although probably the bonfires in Riazor and Orzán beaches are the most spectacular ones. Hundreds of bonfires illuminate the sea and thousands of people celebrate the arrival of summer.
Gastronomy
The Galician gastronomy is really ample, its products are found in very different elaborations, reason why it is difficult to point just a typical dish. The dish called "lacón con grelos" is very common all over the region: it is a pork cooked with turnip, potatoes and chorizo. Similarly, the Galician stew is made up of chorizo, beef and hen, ham, cabbage, chickpeas and potatoes. Both are typical winter dishes.
There is a long Galician tradition concerning the elaboration of recipes, with fish and seafood, such as hake, turbot, sole, grouper and sea bass, together with squid, and other molluscs like the small cuttlefishes or velvet swimming crabs. And the seafood list continues: clams and oysters, spiny lobsters, European lobsters, triple-grooved shrimp, scallop, mussel and octopus (sliced in pieces, paprika and salt marinated and sprayed with olive oil).
Other popular dishes are the “empanadas”: a thin stuffed bread-like pastry.
Finally, some typical desserts are: Santiago Tart, almond based, and the “filloas”, thin pancakes made of wheat. All this exquisite temptations combined with the best wines with designation of origin: Monterrey, Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro or Valdeorras.
Basic Dictionary
Yes:si. No:no. Hello:hola. Good bye:adios. Good morning:buenos días. Good afternoon:buenas tardes. Good night:buenas noches. Please:por favor. Sorry:lo siento. Thank you:gracias. Doctor:médico. Pharmacy:farmacia. Numbers: 1:un. 2:dos. 3:tres. 4:cuatro. 5:cinco. 6:seis. 7:siete. 8:ocho. 9:nueve. 10:diez. 11:once. 12:doce. 13:trece. 14:catorce. 15:quince. 16:dieciséis. 17:diecisiete. 18:dieciocho. 19:diecinueve. 20:veinte. 21:veintiuno. 22:veintidós. 30:treinta. 40:cuarenta. 50:cincuenta. 60:sesenta. 70:setenta. 80:ochenta. 90:noventa. 100:cien. 1000:mil. Days of the week: Monday:lunes. Tuesday:martes. Wednesday:miércoles. Thursday:jueves. Friday:viernes. Saturday:sábado. Sunday:domingo. Common words: big/small:grande/pequeño. Hot/Cold:caliente/frío. Open/Clossed:abierto/cerrado. Good/bad: bueno/malo. New/old:nuevo/viejo. Push/Pull:empujar/tirar. Entrance/exit:entrada/salida. Ladies/Gentlemen:señoras/señores. Far/near:lejos/cerca. Left/Right:izquierda/derecha. Taxi:taxi. Bus:autobús. Meals: Breakfast:desayuno. Lunch:comida. Dinner:cena. Menu:menú. Wines:vinos. Dessert:postre. The bill:la cuenta. Common sentences: Do you speak English?:¿Habla inglés?. I don´t understand:no entiendo. where is it?:¿donde está? How much is it?:¿Cuánto es? What time is it?:¿Qué hora es? Could you help me?:¿Puede ayudarme?
Currency
The oficial currency is the Euro. It is divided into 100 cents. There are 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euro banknotes. There are also 1 and 2 euro coins, together with 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent coins.
Currency Exchange
1 EUR (Euro) = 1.20 U$D (United States Dollar), 1 EUR (Euro) = 0.66 GBP (Pound Sterling)
Prices
In comparison with other European Union countries, and perhaps due to its high tourist vocation, Spain is one of the cheapest countries. Obviously, prices vary depending on the season being higher during the summer and lower in the winter.
Useful Info
Official nameCorunna
CountrySpain
Time ZoneGMT +1
Official LanguageGalician, Spanish
Surface area36.8 km²
Population246,500 inhabitants
Political RegimeConstitutional Monarchy
Public holidays
January 1st: New Year
January 6th: Epiphany
March: St Lazaro “Romería” (Celebration of a Saint’s day held close to a country church or shrine), no fixed date
March-April: Easter, no fixed date
April 24th: St. Marcos "Romería"
April 29th: St. Pedro Martir "Romería"
May 1st: Labour Day
May 17th: "Día de las Letras Gallegas" (Day of the Galician Arts)
May-June: Our Lady of Ascension festivity, no fixed date
July 25th: Festivity of the Apostle and the Galician region (from the 15th to the 31st)
September 8th: Our Lady of El Portal celebration
November 1st: All Saints' Day
December 6th: Day of the Spanish Constitution
December 8th: Day of the Immaculate Conception
December 25th: Christmas day
Religion
Galicia is mainly catholic. Santiago de Compostela, located a few kilometers away from Corunna, is the epicentre of the well-known “Road to Santiago” peregrination and where thousands of devoted people converge in the city’s main temple, to honour the remains of apostle Santiago. Faith is present also in the numerous festivities celebrated year after year in the city.
Religion90% Catholics, 8% Muslim and 2 % Jews
Arrival / Departure
Corunna can be accessed by multiple routes: By road: the AP-9 toll motorway is situated nearby the airport, which connects Corunna with Santiago de Compostela, Pontevedra, Vigo and Tuy, and the N-550 road, between Corunna and Santiago. From this last one, towards Culleredo, it is possible to reach the Airport. By bus: The Corunna-Vilaboa-Sigras line operates from Monday through Friday opposite to the terminal, Saturdays and Sundays less than 1 km away from the airport. From the Airport, buses also operate from Monday to Friday: 8,50, 10,50, 12,50, 13,20, 16,50, 17,20, 19,20, 21,20 and 22.20. Ten minutes after these hours on weekends. It is also possible to access the city by taxi, for, approximately, a fare of 12 euros.
Safety
Taking into account the importance that tourism has in Spain, the security of the tourists is a true priority for the country. However, some general recommendations are given to visitors like carrying the required money when going out and not the total amount taken for the holidays, also precautions need to be taken in busy places to prevent possible thefts.
Visa
The European Union tourists do not need visa to enter Spain. Neither those citizens of the United States, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and the rest of the Latin American countries, though a return ticket must be bought. Travelers from Australia, Anguilla, Bermuda, Canada, Cyprus, South Korea, Hong Kong, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Israel, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Saint Helena, Singapore and Turk & Caicos do not either need visa provided that they do not stay more than 90 days in Spain.
Clothing
It is recommended to wear warm clothes in autumn, winter and spring. The humidity conditions often act like a low temperature effect amplifier. Due to the often rainfalls it is recommended to take a raincoat.
Electricity
220 volts, 50 mhz. Sockets takes two round plugs.
Radio and Television
The main radio Stations in Corunna are: SER radio Galicia Santiago, Onda Cero, Galega Radio, Voz Compostela Radio, Obradoiro Radio and the National Radio of Spain.
With regard to TV, in addition to the national TV channels (Tele5, Antena3, Cuatro, TV1 and TV2), also the following local TV channels are available: Localia TV and Televisión de Galicia.
Telephone
The Spanish phone code is 34 and the Corunna code is 981. To make a phone call to another country you must first dial 00 and then the international code of the country you would like to call to and finally dial the subscriber phone number. For phone calls within Spain a special code is not required.
The most important phone operators are Amena – www.amena.com-, Movistar/Telefónica Móviles -www.movistar.tsm.es- and Vodafone-www.vodafone.es-. Telephone booths are very common along the streets and they work with coins or phone cards. There are also the called locutorios, they are establishments with many phone booths, where coins or cards are not needed, just pay in cash the phone call after the conversation. In many of this kind of places it is also possible to send and receive faxes and there are computers with internet connection as well.
Police092, 112
Ambulance061
Fire Brigade112
Tourist health care services080, 112
Newspapers and Magazines
The province’s newspapers are "La Voz de Galicia", "El Ideal Gallego", "La Opinión", "Metro Galicia", "Deporte Campeón" and "Depor Sport", although some other city’s newspapers can be found, like "El correo gallego", "Galicia Hoxe", "Diario de Ferrol" and "Diario de Bergantiños", besides receiving National Newspapers: "El País", "El Mundo", "La Razón" and "ABC".
Postal Service
The Spanish postal service is efficient. Letters within Europe usually take 3 to 5 days. A registered letter costs a minimum of 2.5 euros There are many post offices in Corunna, which can be searched on the web-page: www.correos.es. Schedules: from 8:30 to 20:30 on week days, Saturdays from 8:30 to 13:00.
The Post offices are located on:
Ronda Quintero, 419 (Carrefour); Telephone: +34 981128215
Plaza Luis Seoane, 1 Telephone: +34 981285912
Avenida Ramón y Cajal, 57-59 (El Corte Inglés); Telephone: +34 981280011
Gral. Salcedo Molinuevo,13 Telephone: +34 981289211
Alcalde Manuel Casas, s/n ; Telephone: +34 981225175
Rodrigo A. de Santiago, 38 Telephone: +34 981266254
Railway Station; Telephone: +34 981235399.
Health Care Services
The Spanish health care services are good and visitors can receive a quality service and also a large network of health care centres is available where to receive primary attention and specialized services. Precautions must be taken when going to the Galician beaches as the sun can cause sunstroke.
Airport
The Corunna airport is located to the north of the Corunna province, in the Culleredo municipality, 8 kilometers away from the capital city. It is equipped with the best facilities for the tourist comfort such as several Cafés, restaurants, car rental, etc.. The Airport address is: P.O.Box 10. 15174 Rutis-Vilaboa, corunna; Telephone: +34 981 187 315; E-mail: webmaster.lcg@aena.es.
Public Transport
The public transport services in Corunna counts on 24 lines of urban bus lines that travel around the city. The service works from 06:30 to 23:30 on week days and Saturdays, and from 07:30 to 23:30 on Sundays. The fare is 0.87 Euros and takes 45 minutes maximum to make the ride. The Corunna Card is a 48 hours valid travel card, designed for tourists, which allows unlimited tramway journeys and Museum tickets. It also offers interesting discounts in stores, car rental offices and other activities.
Railway
There are several services at the traveller's disposal:. Car Rental; Shopping areas; National Police; Express Bus service and Cash Points (ATM Machines).
The trains offer different routes:
long distance route: Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao-Irún;
and regional routes: Santiago - Vigo, Ferrol, Monforte.
The railway station is the San Cristobal, situated in 15008 calle Joaquin Planells. Telephone: +34 981 187 259 / +34 902 240 202.
Bus
It has several services such as cafés, press kiosks, stores, pharmacy and telephone booths. Different bus lines arrive at this station.
International: Germany, Holland, France, Switzerland.
National: Irún, Barcelona, Madrid, Levante, Andalusia.
Regional: Vigo, Lugo, Ourense.
Provincial: Santiago, Ferrol, Finisterre.
Urban: metropolitan area, urban buses.
The urban buses company is “Compañía de Tranvías de La Coruña”. Avenida Gran Canaria, Telephone: +34 981 250 100. The bus-station is located on Calle Caballeros, 21. Telephone: +34 981 184 335 and it is opened from 06:30 to 00:30.
Car
There are several ways to access Corunna by road. The A-9 motorway connects Corunna with Ferrol, Santiago de Compostela, Pontevedra and Vigo cities, and also with the Portuguese boundary. The Carballo motorway connects Corunna with Carballo. Beyond the Galician region, the North-western highway connects Corunna with Madrid, and the 634 National road links Northern Spain with the French border.
Car Rentals
Several Car Rental offices can be found at Corunna's airport:
Atesa: telephone: +34 981 662 365.
Avis: telephone: +34 981 666 852.
Europcar: telephone: +34 981 187 285
Hertz: telephone: +34 981 663 990.
Ship
The Corunna Port is situated in the Avenida de la Marina, 3, 15001. It is a 8,458 meters dock and its information telephone number is 981 219.621. Sea journeys depart from the port : Manuel Fernandez Cabana Transportes Marítimos. C/Coruña, 50 (Ferrol). Telephone: +34 608 084 767.
Destination Tourism Office in Spain Spanish embassy in the destination Taking pictures See climate
www.worldweather.orgCurrency converterwww.xe.com/uccA dinner15 to 30 euros
A coffee0.90 euros
The Bus0.80 euros
The taxiInitial fare: 1.65 euros. Approximately between 0.75 and 1 euro every kilometer.
The UndergroundService not provided
The trainDepending on the journey
