Steve and I spent a glorious week in A Coruña, Spain. Steve was there for work and I came along as the trip overlapped my birthday and Spain seemed the perfect place to celebrate it. The view above is from our beautiful seafront room at the Hotel Melia Maria Pita. I would highly recommend the seafront rooms if you can get one. Each night we were lulled to sleep by the crashing of waves on the beach.
A Coruña is in the top north-west corner of Spain, less than an hour from Santiago de Compostela.
Perhaps it’s just because we were there off-season, (March) but it seemed as though we had stumbled upon a well-kept secret. There were few tourists about, and the beautiful waterfront seemed only to have been discovered by locals out for a jog or swimming in the ocean.
We’ll let you in on some of our favourite Hadrian’s Wall Moments from A Coruña:
1. Renting a bicycle and cycling along the magnificently maintained waterfront, the Paseo Maritimo. There were plenty of places along the path to stop and enjoy scenes like this. The waves pummeled the rocks with such intensity it made me want to stand far back out of respect–and just a little fear. And yet, there’s nothing like breathing in sea air to create a feeling of peacefulness. I think that must be why it’s a popular candle scent.
2. Climbing the Hercules Tower, a 1st century AD lighthouse, and surveying the breathtaking view from the top. It’s easy to look at a structure like that, waaay at the top of a steep hill you have to hike up, with hundreds of ancient stairs in a dark, spiral staircase, and think, “Yup, bet it’s nice up there… but I can still see the water from here.” Go, do it, while you still have legs that will carry you. There will come a time when you can’t. But while you can, there are views like this to be seen:
3. Visiting the Aquarium Finisterrae and spending some quality time with the seals and the fish. Not to be missed is the replica of Captain Nemo’s study from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It’s both incredibly calming and slightly eerie, an ornately decorated office, with subdued lighting and classical music playing, surrounded by an enormous wall of exotic fish.
4. Walking the beach at night. Magical.
5. Tapas and a fine Rioja. 
