The geo-destination, A Coruña e as Mariñas, contains the municipalities: A Coruña, Arteixo, Culleredo, Oleiros, Sada, Cambre, Carral, Bergondo, Agegondo, Betanzos, Paderne, Miño, Coirós, Oza-Cesuras, Irixoa and Aranga.
In the city of A Coruña is essential to visit the Torre de Hércules , a World Heritage Site. Afterwards, nothing like enjoying its wonderful crystal galleries , science museums and the lively atmosphere of its streets.
Betanzos is perfect for a stroll among the monuments and stately homes; later, you'll have to sample its delicious potato omelette. In Cambre is a hidden gem – the Romanesque church of Santa María – and also one of the magical places of Galicia, the Cecebre forest , scene of ' The Living Forest ' novel and movie . In Sada , there is nothing like having a coffee at "La Terraza" , a spectacular modernist building. In Bergondo , the Pazo of Mariñán and its famous gardens by the sea, among which the French garden and the garden of camellias are particularly noteworthy. In Arteixo, the beach of Barrañán , the favourite of nudists and surfers.
The space revolves around the city of A Coruña, which is also the capital of the province. This geodestination ensconces popular tourist attractions such the world's oldest operating lighthouse (the Torre de Hércules), one of Europe's longest promenades (A Coruña), one of the largest casto communities in northern Galicia (the Castro de Elviña), the most beautiful sound of the sea in the world – according to the international competition held by the Polish city of Slupsk (the sound of the sea and seagulls on Orzán Beach) – the first theme park in the West (the Parque do Pasatempo in Betanzos).
A Coruña is one of the ports of entry for pilgrims who walk the English Way. In this geodestination, the route crosses through the towns of Miño, Paderne, Betanzos and Abegondo on the branch from Ferrol, and the municipalities of A Coruña, Culleredo, Cambre and Carral on the branch that begins in the Port of A Coruña.
A Coruña's wide range of tourist attractions makes it difficult to choose which sites to recommend to visitors. From the Monte de San Pedro to the romantic garden de San Carlos (with General Sir John Moore's casket), from the Church of Santiago on the English Way to the Churches of Santa María do Campo and San Xurxo , from the Old Town to the castillo de San Antón, and including its wide range of museums such as the Museo de Belas Artes and the Domus and the Casa de los Peces, not to mention the Torre de Hércules – its new UNESCO World Heritage Site –, all of these constitute a unique reason not to miss the opportunity to dive into the secrets of the Herculine city.
However, amazing places – full of history, tradition, beauty and pristine nature – can also be found in the rest of the municipalities that make up A Coruña e As Mariñas. Castro settlements – such as the Alvedro Castro in Culleredo, the As Flores Castro in Coirós, the Vilar Castro in Corna and the Baiuca Castro in Oza-Cesuras – and the O Xalo megaliths in Carral are the legacy of the ancient inhabitants of these lands that survive in the countryside of As Mariñas.
The area's religious architecture boasts important buildings that, in large part, are part of the inventory of Heritage Items of Cultural Interest. This is the case of churches such as the Church of Church of Santa María de Azogue and the Church of San Francisco, the church of the former monastery of San Nicolao de Cis in Oza-Cesuras and the Church of Santa María de Dexo in Oleiros. Other highly significant monuments in the area are Santa María de Cambre (a jewel of Galician Romanesque), the Church of Santiago do Burgo in Culleredo, the Convent of San Salvador in Bergondo, the Churches of San Paio and San Pedro in Aranga , the Gothic-arched Church of Santiago in Betanzos.
Civil architecture worth exploring includes the La Terraza building in Sada, the Pazo de Anceis in Cambre, the medieval bridge of O Burgo between Culleredo and Cambre, the Pazo de Figueroa in Abegondo and the medieval bridge over the River Baxoi in Miño. The Pazo de Mariñán (in Bergondo) – part of the Ruta de la Camelia (Camellia Route) – is located next to the Betanzos marshes, which look out on it from their gardens.
A Coruña e As Mariñas is a destination where nature springs forth to regale visitors with one-of-a-kind settings. The banks of the River Mero and the Cecebre reservoir in Cambre, the Bosque dos Veciños in Oleiros, the picturesque landscape of A Espenuca and the natural lookout point at the crossing of the River Mandeo in Coirós, the picturesque area of Chelo site between Coirós and Paderne, and the exuberant natural setting – suitable for hunting and sport fishing – of Irixoa are examples of these natural gifts.
From the lighthouse in Mera – with a premium balcony view of the natural monument of the Costa de Dexo (in the municipality of Oleiros) –, one can see the entrance of the three estuaries of the Golfo Ártabro (A Coruña, Ares-Betanzos and Ferrol). Also protected are the confluence of the Rivers Mendo and Mandeo and the Encoro Nature Reserve in Abegondo-Cecebre, which reaches beyond the reservoir itself, extending upstream of the Rivers Mero and Barcés.
With respect to the area's Protected Geographical Indications, mention should be made of the Viños da Terra de Betanzos, which include table wines originating in the growing areas of the municipalities of Bergondo, Betanzos, Coirós, Miño, Paderne, Abegondo, Oza-Cesuras and Sada.
A Coruña e As Mariñas also offers visitors a chance to enjoy its festivals. There are many, among which we will highlight those declared to be an official Galician Tourist Event, such as the festival of San Roque in Sada and the festival of San Roque in Betanzos, as well as the National Tourist Event, the Fogueiras de San Xoán in A Coruña
Guarded by the Rivers Mendo and Mandeo, Betanzo's historic centre is one of the most beautiful monumental town centres in Galicia. At one time, the city was walled, and today it retains beautiful examples of the popular architecture with arched entry doors of medieval tradition. In its peaceful streets lined with traditional balconies and galleries, one can perceive the splendour of what was once one of the former provinces of the Kingdom of Galicia
Near to Betanzos, in the municipality of Bergondo, stands the majestic Pazo de Mariñán – declared an Historic/Artistic Complex in 1972, with its French-style garden holding a wide variety of plants. Bananas trees towering 50 metres high, centuries-old eucalyptus trees, cypresses from Portugal, black poplars and colourful camellias decorate this architectural gem, which is also home to what is known as the Garden of the Word, where the messages of distinguished visitors – mostly poets – are conserved at the foot of the trees they planted.
