Head north to A Coruña, to an extremely engaging city. A port for over 2.000 years its close relationship with the ocean has been a constant presence in its history, art, legends and traditions, which combine perfectly with today's modern and cosmopolitan city.

What to Visit:
The Tower of Hercules, Maria Pita Square, The Old City, The House of Mankind,

The Tower of Hercules, the oldest European working lighthouse is the great landmark of a city which offers us panoramic views towards the Atlantic. The tower is to be found in the Celtic Park, containing an open-air museum of sculpture. Special mention must also be made of the fishermen's houses and their glass covered balconies, from which the city has earned its name as "the City of Glass".
The city's heroine, María Pita, has a square named after her in which can be found the City Hall. Nearby, The Old City, with its beautiful churches, pretty parks and squares, constitutes the historic centre of A Coruña. A stone's throw away is a castle, located on the tiny island of San Anton, housing the local archaeological museum.
Nightlife, there are plenty of bars just behind the spectacularly long sea promenade, and The Rosalìa Theatre, where you may be lucky enough to hear the Galician Symphony Orchestra. Coruña also has a fascinating and totally unspoiled coastline - the Costa da Morte or Coast of Death - being the prime example.
The House of Mankind, the Aquarium finisterrae or the Science Museum offer alternative diversions.

Just so you know:
Coruña has also recently become known in Europe due to the accomplishments of its "futbol" (soccer) team, champions of the Spanish League in 2001. If you're in town on match day, the stadium of Riazor is home to most of the city, Deportivo La Coruña.

Santiago de Compostela
To pilgrims and visitors alike, this city is an unforgettable experience. With its towering Cathedral, golden granite buildings tempered by moss, Santiago has a feel unlike other Spanish cities. Given its grandness, it is a small city and the surrounding countryside seems a mere stroll away. The presence of the university ensures that there is plenty to enjoy in the evening, although the majority of the bars are in the modern part of the city. If your particular interest is the food, the covered market in the south-east of the old quarter provides the opportunity to purchase excellent local products.

This medieval city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name of the city refers to Saint James (Santiago), the Apostle who supposedly travelled here to convert people to Christianity. He returned to Palestine in the year 44 A.D. but was taken prisoner by Herodes Agrippa, tortured and killed. During the night his body was stolen by disciples of Jacob, who placed it in a sarcophagus of marble on a small boat.

THE LEGEND
Legend has it that the boat was blown by the winds all the way to north-west Spain and into the port of the Roman town of Iria Flavia. James was buried secretly in the woods.
Almost eight hundred years later, in 813 a hermit named Pelayo was guided to the woods by a shining star (Campus Stellae, or field of the stars, is the origin of Compostela.) On receiving notice of this, then Bishop Teodomiro, ordered an investigation, and the Apostle's tomb was 'discovered'. King Alfonso II declared Saint James the patron of his empire and a chapel was built here. As news of the miracles along the Camino spread, more and more pilgrims flocked to Santiago, founding the now world-famous Camino de Santiago. The chapel was then converted into the now splendid cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

What to visit: The Cathedral, The Marketplace, The Museum in the Cathedral, Silver Shops, and The Azabacherias (Shops that creat beautiful jewelry with jet stone)

Just so you know:
The Holy Year or Xacobeo is celebrated every time the Apostle's day, July 25th, falls on a Sunday.
Any traveller lucky enough to be here around the 25th of July will long remember the celebrations of St James's day.

Aventure Travel in Spain - Bike Tours, Walking Tours, Camino