La Coruna

A journey on foot in close contact with Nature permeated by the intoxicating aroma of eucalyptus: ideal for preparing the spirit for an unforgettable visit to the Cathedral of Santiago.

• A stroll in the country on a section of the Road to Santiago
• Santiago, Cathedral
• Lunch with tapas at the Parador dos Reis Católicos

• Our journey on foot starts from Melide and winds through meadows, farms, eucalyptus forests and old stone bridges over streams that make up the picturesque scenery surrounding the faithful along this section of the Road to Santiago.
• We return to the coach and set off for Santiago, a final destination for pilgrims from all over Europe since the Middle Ages. Our guide provides a commentary on pilgrimages and reveals the secrets of the Cathedral, a major Catholic sanctuary and the burial place of the Apostle Saint James the Greater, patron saint of Spain and Christian martyr.
• Next on the excursion itinerary is a stop at the Parador dos Reis Católicos, where we enjoy a lunch with tasty tapas.
• After lunch, we still have some free time to explore this fascinating old city before returning to La Coruña.

• We recommend that you book early because only a limited number of places are available.
• The visit to the Cathedral depends from the times  of holy services and may involve a long queue.

A walking tour of La Coruña to discover its modernist architecture and evocative views of the sea and to also discover Galician culture through local delicacies.

• La Coruña city centre
• Maria Pita square
• Calle Real
• Chocolate and churros tasting session
• Pescadería district
• Pontevedra square and market
• Tasting session of wine and local products

• We start our walking tour from Maria Pita square, the location of the Town Hall and one of the unmissable sights of the city. The square is named after the 16th-century heroine who led the successful defence against an attempt to invade the city by the British Counter Armada commanded by Sir Francis Drake.
• We walk along the pedestrian Calle Real, flanked by buildings with huge glass façades which have earned La Coruña the nickname "City of Crystal".
• We take advantage of the numerous cafés for a delicious break for chocolate and churros, a snack typical of Iberian cuisine.
• We continue our walk through the Pescadería district, located on an isthmus between the beach and the harbour and home to the most beautiful streets of the city flanked by historic buildings as far as the public gardens with their lush greenery.
• We then head towards Pontevedra square, where we can better understand the layout of the city, which was developed mainly on the more sheltered side and not on the beach side, swept by strong winds and waves.
• Our next stop is the municipal market, the only remaining traditional market famous for its fish. A great quantity of other products such as Galician specialities and meat can also be found there.
• Our walk ends with a tasting session of wine and local products not far from the market before heading back to the ship.

The visit to the historic centre of La Coruña combined with a more unusual experience, a journey of discovery of the estuaries of the "Crystal City".

• Galerias
• St. Anthony's Castle
• Tower of Hercules
• Pontedeume, mouth of the River Eume, Tower of Andrade
• Galician Forest and the estuaries
• Ría de Betanzos (Estuary of Betanzos)

• After leaving the port, we head for the City's seafront to begin our scenic tour.
• The galerias, buildings with huge glass façades which have earned La Coruna the nickname "City of Crystal", file past before our eyes . Indeed, in the past when the sea was closer to the city, the windows reflected the sun's rays on the water surface creating new, endlessly changing light effects.
• We then admire St. Anthony's Castle; originally built as an island fortress, the castle is now an archaeological museum connected to the city by a strip of land.
• The Tower of Hercules, the next stop on our journey, is the only lighthouse in the world built by the Romans that is still in use today. We stop in this enchanting place to capture the tower in our souvenir photos. This symbol of the city even figures on the La Coruña coat of arms with the bones of Geryon, a giant who, according to the legend, was killed by Hercules and is buried below the lighthouse.
• We board the coach again and head for Pontedeume, a small town in the Gulf of Artabro, in the Ría di Ares (Ares estuary), at the mouth of the river Eume. When we arrive in the town, we make a brief stop to admire the 14th century Tower of Andrade from the exterior. The tower, which is 18 metres high and 11.5 metres wide, is the last remnant of the Pazo de los Andrade, a palace incorporated in the old city walls that was gradually demolished to make room for new traffic circulation roads.
• We return to the coach and continue our tour along the coast. We can admire close-up the lush Galician forest and the estuaries. Along the way we are spellbound by beautiful views of the ocean, some of the most beautiful beaches in the region, and wonderful views of picturesque villages.
• We then stop to savour some delicious tapas in a traditional restaurant with views of the Rìa de Betanzos before returning to the ship.

• We recommend that you book early because only a limited number of places are available.

A city that is rich in history and art awaits us beyond its unique walls.

• Roman city walls
• Cathedral
• Church and cloister of St. Francis
• Church, convent and cloister of St. Dominic
• Clock Tower
• Palace of the Arts

• After leaving the port we head to Lugo, the only European city surrounded by Roman walls that are still completely intact. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. With a perimeter of 2,117 meters and a height ranging from 8 to 10 meters, with 71 of the 85 original towers still standing and 10 entrance gates, the walls are the most obvious and well preserved testimony of the thriving past of the city that was once the hub of a gold rich region. The Roman bridge over the River Miño, is also of great historical interest; it is 104 metres long and 4 metres wide and was rebuilt and repaired many times over the centuries.
• Inside the walls stands St. Mary's Cathedral, a Romanesque church which houses the chapel dedicated to San Froilán, the patron saint of the city, and boasts the Perpetual Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, also featured on the coat of arms of the city.
• From the Romanesque style of the Cathedral, we move on to the Gothic Church of Saint Francis. Built in the 15th century on a Latin cross plan with Gothic arches, the church stood alongside the ancient Convent of St. Francis, of which today only the cloister remains; built on a square plan with round arches supported by twin columns decorated with plant motifs. The cloister is now one the locations of the Provincial Museum of Lugo and it houses, among other things, a collection of Galician art.
• We continue our walk towards the Church of San Dominic, built on a Latin cross plan with a single nave dating back to the 14th century. The church was originally a Dominican convent from the 13th century and in the 18th century a Baroque cloister was attached.
• We can then observe the characteristic Clock Tower, originally built in the 16th century but subsequently restructured.
• Our tour ends at the Palace of the Arts. However, we are left with some time for a little shopping before taking the coach back to La Coruña.

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• Riazor and Orzán beaches, Domus , Aquarium Finisterrae
• Tower of Hercules
• St. Anthony's Castle
• Old Quarter
• Betanzos Estuary

• We leave the port by coach passing along Mendez Nuñez Gardens, some of the oldest gardens in the city, dating back to the 19th century which are enhanced by a number of monuments and emblematic modernist buildings such as La Terraza or the Quiosco Alfonso
• At the Old Quarter we will walk along these old streets ending at Plaza de Maria Pita, one of the main sites of the Crystal city.
• We then continue by coach along the coast passin by St. Anthony's Castle; originally built as an island fortress, the castle is now an archaeological museum connected to the city by a strip of land. 
• We proceed to the nearby Tower of Hercules, the only lighthouse in the world built by the Romans that is still in use today. We stop in this enchanting place to capture the tower in our souvenir photos. This symbol of the city even figures on the La Coruña coat of arms with the bones of Geryon, a giant who, according to the legend, was killed by Hercules and is buried below the lighthouse.
• We then pass in front of Domus - House of Man, the first interactive museum devoted to the human being, located in a futuristic building designed by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki.
• We see the beautiful beaches of Riazor and Orzán and the more famous and crowded beaches of La Coruna as we drive along.
• Finally, we admire the breath-taking panoramic view of las Rìas (the estuaries) arriving at a local restaurant where we will enjoy nice tapas together with an amazing view of the mouth of the Ria de Betanzos into the ocean.

We pick upour cameras as real influencers to capture the essence of La Coruña. Aninnovative stimulating excursion for those who love to share their emotionswith their dear ones and, why not, be the envy of followers!

• Galerias
• Towerof Hercules
• TownHall and Plaza de Maria Pita

• We take outour cameras ready to capture the spirit of La Coruña and create a true socialphoto feature.
• Afterleaving the port, we head for the City's seafront to begin our tour.
• The galerias, buildings with huge glass façades which have earned La Coruna the nickname "City of Crystal", file past before our eyes. Indeed, in the past when the sea was closer to the city, the windows reflected the sun's rays on the water surface creating new, endlessly changing light effects - an unmissable occasion to capture this breathtaking scenery on camera!
• The Towerof Hercules, the next stop on our journey, offers us endless photoopportunities: it is the only lighthouse in the world built by the Romans thatis still in use today. We stop in this enchanting place to capture the tower inour photos. This symbol of the city even figures on the La Coruña coat of armswith the bones of Geryon, a giant who, according to the legend, was killed byHercules and is buried below the lighthouse.
• Our journey on foot begins near the Town Hall, in Plaza de Maria Pita, one of theunmissable sights of the city and another source of inspiration, so all we haveto do is pick up our cameras and start snapping! The square is named after the16th century heroine who led the successful defence against an attempt toinvade the city by the British Counter Armada commanded by Sir Francis Drake.
• Before we return to the port there will be a little free time to spend in the historic centre with its many shops, bars, restaurants and many original curiosities ready to be photographed!
• Ourexcursion has come to an end: we return to our ship ready to post all theemotions we have enjoyed, which will be forever etched in our memories andavailable on our photo gallery.

• Space is limited, so please reserve early.

We set off to explore the historical and artistic heritage of Betanzos and La Coruña, with views of the beaches in the region providing a perfect backdrop.

• Betanzos
• views of the beaches of Riazor and Orzán and of St. Anthony's Castle
• Tower of Hercules

• After leaving the port we go by coach to Betanzos, which was declared a "Site of historical and artistic interest" in 1970 by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. We leave the coach and proceed to explore the streets of the centre on foot as far as the Church of St. Francis, a 14th century Gothic building. We have time for a little shopping before leaving.
• We return to the coach to continue our sightseeing tour, with beautiful views of the beaches of Riazor and Orzán and St. Anthony's Castle, winding along the coast up to La Coruna.
• When we arrive in the Galician capital, we stop at the Tower of Hercules, the only lighthouse in the world built by the Romans that is still in use today. We stop in this enchanting place to take souvenir photos of the tower which is a symbol of the city, and even figures on the La Coruña coat of arms together with the bones of Geryon, a giant who, according to legend, was killed by Hercules and is buried under the lighthouse.

• The excursion involves walking a distance of approximately 1.5 km (roughly a 2 hour walk) over rough terrain, it is therefore not recommended for guests who have mobility problems (especially those in wheelchairs).

A cultural and spiritual excursion to discover the artistic and historic heritage of Santiago de Compostela.