# A Coruña

What to do in A Coruña: climb the Tower of Hercules, the Aquarium and the Domus, surf at the Orzán, the seafront bike ride and Monte de San Pedro, with prices and opening times.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/galicia/a-coruna · Revisado: 2026-11-13

A Coruña is a city on a peninsula, surrounded by sea on almost all sides, and it is best understood by following the seafront promenade: more than 13 kilometres linking the Old Town, the Riazor and Orzán beaches, the science museums and the Tower of Hercules, the Roman lighthouse that is still working at the northern tip. In a day you see the essentials; with two nights you add a surf lesson, sunset at Monte de San Pedro and wine afternoons in the centre.

## How do I get there and get around without a car?

By train you arrive at San Cristóbal station, south of the centre: there are AVE high-speed and long-distance services from Madrid, and Eje Atlántico trains from Santiago, about half an hour away, Pontevedra and Vigo. From the station you reach the centre by city bus, by taxi or in about half an hour on foot. By car, the AP-9 comes from Santiago and the Rías Baixas, and the A-6 from Madrid via Lugo. In the city a car is surplus to requirements: the promenade is done on foot or with BiciCoruña, the public bike scheme, with an occasional-use pass of €10 a month.

## What must I not miss?

The Tower of Hercules, a World Heritage Site, can be climbed inside for €3, and on Mondays it is free. Next door, the Aquarium Finisterrae has a huge five-million-litre tank and seals fed at 12:00 and 17:00, for €10. Above the Orzán, the Domus explains the human body with more than 150 hands-on modules, for €2. With the Bono 3 Casas, at €12, you enter both museums and the Casa de las Ciencias.

In the centre, Plaza de María Pita, with the City Hall, leads into the Old Town: Romanesque churches such as Santa María do Campo, Plaza de Azcárraga and the San Carlos garden, with a view of the bay. You can see it on your own or with the two-hour private guided tour by Optimus Tours. For the end of the day, Monte de San Pedro, to the west, is the lookout over the Atlantic; its panoramic lift is temporarily closed, so you go up on foot or by car.

## Can you surf in A Coruña?

Yes, all year. Base Surf Camp has its premises facing the Orzán and gives hour-and-a-half lessons from €35, with board and wetsuit, from age 6. The school chooses the beach each day according to the sea: the Orzán when it is breaking well, or Bastiagueiro and other nearby beaches, less than 45 minutes by car.

## Where do I eat and have tapas?

The market in Plaza de Lugo, the Eusebio da Guarda market, is the city's fish and seafood market; its first building opened in 1910. For tapas, Turismo de A Coruña points to the wine streets of the centre, la Estrella, los Olmos, la Galera and la Barrera, with la Franja and el Torreiro, for vermouth, tripe, tortilla or croquettes; their best moment is weekend afternoons and Sunday mornings. For a sit-down meal, Culuca, on Avenida de Arteixo, makes its own tripe and croquettes; on Monte de San Pedro there are the Taberna 5 Mares, with a €40 tasting menu, and Árbore da Veira, with a Michelin star and menus from €65 to €95.

## Where do I sleep?

On the seafront, the Hotel Riazor, right on the beach. Next to Plaza de Pontevedra and a few metres from the Orzán, the Hotel Zenit Coruña, with its own parking. If you arrive by train, the Hotel Avenida is next to the stations, with family rooms and parking.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Santiago de Compostela (a 55.7 km), Costa da Morte (a 87.0 km), Cambados (a 100.9 km), O Grove, A Toxa and A Lanzada (a 104.4 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Climbing the Tower of Hercules, A Coruña's Roman Lighthouse** (45 min · All ages · Desde 3 € per adult): The Tower of Hercules is the Roman lighthouse that still lights the entrance to A Coruña. According to excavations, it was built in the second half of the 1st century, and it is still in service. It stands at the northern tip of the peninsula, on a headland of almost 57 metres, at the end of the seafront promenade. The visit climbs inside the tower to the terrace, open to the Atlantic.
What you see inside
What you see outside today is the neoclassical restoration directed by the military engineer Eustaquio Giannini from 1789, but inside the Roman square core is preserved. First you enter the base platform, where the commemorative inscription of Gaius Sevius Lupus, the architect of the work, is kept. Then you climb up the interior to the terrace. The exterior ramp used to climb it in Roman times was lost; its remains turned up in a 1992 excavation and can be seen at the foot of the tower. If you have doubts about accessibility, ask first at the visitor centre (CIAV).
Opening hours, price and booking
From 16 September to 15 June it opens every day from 10:00 to 17:00, with the last sale at 15:45. From 16 June to 15 September, from 10:00 to 21:00, with the last sale at 19:45. Entry is in timed slots: 32 people every half hour from 10:00. General admission costs €3; the reduced price, €1.50, is for under-16s, over-65s, Carné Joven holders, large families and the unemployed with ID. Children under 3 don't pay. On Mondays admission is free, but you still have to collect your ticket at the sales point in the visitor centre (CIAV); it is also free on the third Saturday of each month from October to June.
In summer and on long weekends the slots fill up: buy on the city council's ticket website, where you choose the date and time. It is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December, on 1 and 6 January and on the afternoon of 5 January. In winds of force 7 or more the monument closes, and above force 5, only the terrace.
The monument's website also warns of a closure for work on the electrical installation from 1 October to 15 November. If you go on those dates, check beforehand that it has reopened.
Around the lighthouse
Walking down towards the city along the seafront promenade, the first big building you come to is the Aquarium Finisterrae, and from there you can continue by bike along the promenade to Riazor.
- **Aquarium Finisterrae, the Nautilus Room and the Seals** (2 h · All ages; free up to age 4 · Desde 10 € per adult): The Aquarium Finisterrae is A Coruña's municipal aquarium, one of the three Coruña Science Museums. It opened in 1999 on the seafront promenade, on the stretch that leads to the Tower of Hercules, and its rooms are devoted to life in the Galician Atlantic: more than 300 species. For a family it is the most complete visit in the city, and it works just as well in sun or rain.
What you shouldn't miss
The Nautilus Room is a huge tank of about five million litres, decorated like Captain Nemo's submarine: you sit down and watch groupers, white seabream and other big fish pass by on the other side of the glass. The Maremagnum Room brings together the more educational aquariums, with the OceanoSfera and interactive modules, and the Humboldt Room hosts the big temporary exhibitions. Outside, on the terraces above the sea, are the anchor of the oil tanker Mar Exeo, a tide pool with shore birds and the Piscinarium, home to a group of common seals.
The seals are fed every day at 12:00 and 17:00 by their keepers; the fish in the Nautilus on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:30. On Saturdays and Sundays at 18:00 there are short talks about octopuses or seahorses. Everything is included in the ticket. Plan your visit so that you are outside at seal time.
Price, opening hours and tickets
General admission costs €10; the reduced price, €4, is for under-16s, over-65s, the unemployed, Carné Joven holders or students and large families, with ID. Children under 4 and people with disabilities go in free. If you are also going to see the Domus and the Casa de las Ciencias, the Bono 3 Casas, at €12, gives one entry to each museum and does not expire.
It is open every day. From September to December and from March to June, 10:00 to 19:00; in July and August, 10:00 to 20:00; in January and February, 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and 11:00 to 19:00 at weekends. The last entry is one hour before closing. It is closed on 25 December and on 1 and 6 January, and on 24 and 31 December it closes at 14:00.
Online, only the general ticket is sold in advance; the reduced ticket and the pass are bought at the ticket office on the day. On free-entry days, such as local festivals, you must book online.
Getting there
It is at Paseo Alcalde Francisco Vázquez, 34, on the stretch of the seafront promenade that runs from the city to the Tower. You can walk there beside the sea from the centre or cycle along the promenade's bike lane; the Tower of Hercules is next door, continuing north.
- **Domus, the Museum of Humankind above the Orzán** (1 h 30 · All ages; MiniDomus for under-6s with an adult · Desde 2 € per adult): The Domus is A Coruña's museum devoted entirely to human beings: how the body, the brain and genes work and where we come from. The Coruña Science Museums present it as the world's first interactive museum on that theme. The building is by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, and it stands at Rúa Ángel Rebollo, 91, above the Orzán inlet. It is cheap, takes an hour and a half to see and entertains children and adults at the same time.
What is inside
It has more than 150 interactive modules: devices you touch, step on or try out, not display cases. The exhibitions cover nutrition and the Sustainable Development Goals, the brain and neurons, genetics and human evolution, with reproductions of hominid skulls. There is also a cinema room with an 80 m² screen, a workshop called Laboratorio Aberto and a maker space.
For the little ones there is the MiniDomus, a play area for children up to age 6: an adult must be with them at all times, it holds 30 people and you can stay one hour at most. On free-entry days you must book it online.
Price and opening hours
Admission costs €2, and €1 reduced, for under-16s, over-65s, the unemployed, Carné Joven holders or students and large families. Children under 4 go in free. With the Bono 3 Casas, at €12, you also get into the Aquarium Finisterrae and the Casa de las Ciencias, and the pass does not expire.
The opening hours are those of the three museums: 10:00 to 19:00 from March to June and from September to December; 10:00 to 20:00 in July and August; in January and February, 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and 11:00 to 19:00 at weekends. You can enter until half an hour before closing. It is closed on 25 December and on 1 and 6 January.
How it fits into the day
The Domus is on the seafront promenade, between the Orzán beach and the way to the Tower. It is a good afternoon stop, after a surf lesson at the Orzán or as an indoor break if it starts to rain during the bike ride.
- **Surf Lesson at the Orzán with Base Surf Camp** (1 h 30 · Beginners who can swim, from age 6 · Desde 35 € per person): The Orzán is the city beach in the centre of A Coruña, open to the Atlantic and one of the surf beaches in the area. Base Surf Camp has its base right opposite, at Calle Don Bosco, 3, in front of the surfers' fountain, and gives beginner lessons all year round. A lesson lasts an hour and a half, costs €35 with board and wetsuit, and all you need is to be able to swim.
What the lesson is like
Lessons are in small groups, with a maximum of five students per instructor. For a first time they use a soft board with soft fins, which gives stability, and a thick wetsuit; in winter the school provides a 5/3 mm wetsuit. You don't need to bring any equipment.
The Orzán doesn't always have good waves for learning. That is why the school chooses the beach each day depending on the sea: if the Orzán isn't working, the lesson takes place at Bastiagueiro, in Oleiros, or at another beach less than 35 km away, such as Sabón or Caión, 30 to 45 minutes by car. For group lessons the school suggests transport options from the city; ask when you book if you are not coming by car.
Price and booking
A single group lesson costs €35 per person. If you want to repeat, the passes lower the price: €65 for two lessons, €90 for three and €130 for five. A private lesson costs €60 for one person and €35 for each extra person. For those staying for a season there are monthly passes of one or two lessons a week, from €90 to €165.
Book on the school's website, at info@basesurfcamp.com or on +34 637 972 405. The website does not publish a fixed lesson timetable: it depends on the tide and the sea, so you agree it with them. Arrive already wearing your wetsuit; there is a five-minute grace period. There are no lessons between 21 December and 3 January.
Who it is for
For adults and children from age 6 who can swim; minors need a signed authorisation. The school has its own lessons for children aged 6 to 11 and summer camps. After the lesson, the Domus is on the same promenade, above the Orzán, and for lunch, Culuca is a few streets away, on Avenida de Arteixo.
- **A Coruña's Seafront Promenade by BiciCoruña, from Riazor to the Tower** (1 h 30 · Over-14s; from 14 to 18, with authorisation · Desde 10 € one-month occasional pass): A Coruña's seafront promenade runs around the peninsula beside the sea for more than 13 kilometres, with a bike lane alongside and beaches along the way. By bike you can cover the liveliest part in a morning: from the Riazor and Orzán beaches, along the Atlantic front, to the Tower of Hercules, with stops at the museums. The cheapest way to do it without your own bike is BiciCoruña, the city council's public bike service.
How BiciCoruña works
The system has 79 stations and around 670 bikes, mechanical and electric, spread across the city, and the bike lane network exceeds 45 kilometres. You sign up in the BiciCoruña app, take a bike from one station and leave it at another: it is designed for station-to-station journeys, not for keeping a bike parked all morning, so leave the bike when you arrive at each place and take another when you leave.
For a visit, the pass that fits is the occasional one: it costs €10 and lasts a month. The pass does not include trips: each journey is paid by the minute, at €0.015 a minute on a mechanical bike and €0.030 on an electric one, up to 120 minutes; after that, €5 per hour or part of an hour. Half an hour on a mechanical bike comes to about 45 cents. The annual pass, at €40, gives you the first 20 minutes of each trip free, but it only pays off if you come back often.
Under-14s cannot use the service. From 14 to 18 you need an authorisation signed by a parent or guardian, which is sent to customer service before signing up. For questions, contacto@bicicoruna.gal.
A morning route
Start at Riazor, beside the beach, and follow the lane north along the Orzán. At the end of the inlet is the Domus; further on, the promenade skirts the coast to the Aquarium Finisterrae and the Tower of Hercules. Because you leave the bike at a station each time you stop, each stretch is short and cheap. If instead of going towards the Tower you go the other way, west, the promenade leads to the foot of Monte de San Pedro.
In wind, the electric bike is welcome on the stretches facing the sea. In rain, you can still ride the promenade in a waterproof, and the museums are close by for shelter.
- **Monte de San Pedro Park and the Atlantic Dome** (1 h 30 · All ages): Monte de San Pedro is the high park in the west of A Coruña: more than 90,000 square metres of grass and paths above the Atlantic, with the city, the bay and the Tower of Hercules in the distance. It keeps two Vickers cannons that were bought in 1929 and installed in 1933. It is the city's place for watching the sunset, flying a kite or lying on the grass.
What is up there
Besides the cannons, at the top is the Atlantic Dome (Cúpula Atlántica), a covered 360-degree viewpoint that the city council presents as the only one of its kind in Spain: it lets you look at the horizon even when it rains or blows hard. The rest is open space for walking. On the same hill, on the Os Fortes road, there are two restaurants from the same house: Árbore da Veira, with a Michelin star, and its informal version, the Taberna 5 Mares, serving dishes to share with the sea in front of you.
How to get up, now that the lift is closed
The panoramic lift, a glass cabin shaped like a sphere that rises from the seafront promenade to the summit, is temporarily closed, according to the city council's tourism website. For as long as that lasts, you go up on foot or by car. On foot, you reach it from the seafront promenade, which passes at the foot of the hill, and it is a steep climb: wear comfortable shoes. By car, take the Os Fortes road, the same one as the restaurants.
If you come from the centre by bike, the seafront promenade bike lane leaves you at the foot of the hill; do the last part, the climb, on foot.
When to go
At sunset, when the sun goes down over the sea in the west. In wind or rain, the dome lets you look out without getting wet. If you are going to have lunch or dinner up there, book at the restaurants: they are the most comfortable plan for staying until sunset.
- **Private Guided Tour of the Old Town, from María Pita to San Agustín** (2 h · Adults and families; not wheelchair accessible · Desde 130 € per private tour): The Old Town is the oldest district of A Coruña: cobbled streets, Romanesque churches and small squares behind Plaza de María Pita. You can see it on your own, but with a guide you understand in two hours what lies behind each façade. Optimus Tours, the Santiago agency that also works in A Coruña, organises a private two-hour tour that starts from Plaza de María Pita itself.
The route
The tour begins in Plaza de María Pita, laid out in the mid-19th century and dominated by the Town Hall, which the architect Pedro Mariño began in 1908. From there it climbs to Plaza de Azcárraga, one of the quiet little squares of the old town, and to the Romanesque collegiate church of Santa María do Campo. It continues to the San Carlos garden, where the British general Sir John Moore is buried and from where you see the bay with the Castle of San Antón. It then goes down to the A Mariña avenue, the one with the glazed galleries designed by Juan de Ciórraga in the second half of the 19th century, and ends at the San Agustín market, with its parabolic roof from the 1930s.
Along the way there are other stops in the district that the guide can point out: the Romanesque church of Santiago, the Pazo Cornide, former home of Emilia Pardo Bazán's family, or the house of María Pita, which has its own house museum.
Meeting point, price and booking
You meet in Plaza de María Pita, in front of the orange umbrella sculpture; the agency asks you to arrive five minutes early. The tour lasts two hours and is given in Spanish, with a private guide for your group. The price starts at €130; the website doesn't say for how many people, so check when booking, on the Optimus Tours website itself. They recommend booking in advance because places sell out. The agency states that the route is not accessible for people with reduced mobility: the streets are cobbled.
Before or after
The tourist office is in Plaza de María Pita itself, at number 6. When you finish at San Agustín, you are a few minutes from the wine streets of the centre, Estrella, Galera, Barrera and Los Olmos, where you can go for tapas; Turismo de A Coruña recommends weekend evenings and Sunday mornings.

## Dónde comer
- **Culuca** (Restaurant, A Coruña, €€€). Qué pedir: Culuca's tripe as a tapa, the potato salad and some roast chicken croquettes to share; then a fish or a grilled meat
- **Taberna 5 Mares** (Restaurant, A Coruña, €€). Qué pedir: the 5 Mares tasting menu, or the pickled mussels and the hake to share
- **Árbore da Veira** (Restaurant, A Coruña, €€€€). Qué pedir: the eight-dish Raíces menu if it is your first time; mention allergies when booking and confirm the table by phone on the same day

## By car: Park Once and Get Around by the Promenade
You arrive by the AP-9 from Santiago, Pontevedra and Vigo, or by the A-6 from Madrid, via Lugo. Inside the city the car is almost always unnecessary: park at the hotel and do the centre and the promenade on foot or by bike. Where it does help is for going up Monte de San Pedro while the lift remains closed and for following the surf school when the lesson is held at Bastiagueiro, Sabón or Caión.
Presupuesto orientativo: 70–140 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Riazor** (Hotel): In front, the sand of Riazor
Hotel Riazor is a four-star boutique hotel at Avenida Pedro Barrié de la Maza, 29, right on the seafront at Riazor beach. You cross the promenade and you are on the sand; the Orzán continues next to it, in the same inlet, and Plaza de María Pita and the Old Town are reached on foot through the centre. It is a comfortable base for a beach trip, surfing at the Orzán or cycling along the promenade.
Eight room types
The website distinguishes eight: standard double (interior), standard double with sea view, deluxe with terrace, junior suite, suite, adapted double, triple and family. The standard double exists in two versions, interior and sea view: check carefully which one you book. The rooms have a safe and heating, and the hotel offers a pillow menu subject to availability.
Cícero, the first-floor restaurant
On the first floor is Cícero, the hotel restaurant, with chef Víctor Rubio and cooking based on local, seasonal produce. It is open every day:

Buffet breakfast: Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 10:30; weekends and public holidays, 8:00 to 11:00.
Lunch: 13:30 to 15:30.
Afternoon snack: 16:00 to 20:00.
Dinner: 20:30 to 22:30.

The menu is a PDF on its website. To book a table without staying at the hotel, the restaurant has its own phone number, 668 539 535, and the email cicerorestaurante@riazorhotel.com.
Services and rules
Reception is open 24 hours with multilingual staff. There is a 24-hour gym, a lift, luggage storage, laundry, dry cleaning and ironing. If you want to make the most of your last day, ask at reception for late check-out until 14:00, subject to availability.
The website does not publish fixed prices: they are shown in its booking engine. The direct rate can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before, and there is a cheaper rate that is non-refundable and prepaid. Pets are not allowed, except assistance dogs and dogs of the Armed Forces and Security Forces.
Car and train
The hotel's website does not mention a garage: if you come by car, ask about parking when you book. Without a car, from the train station you can get there by taxi or city bus. For eating out, Culuca, on Avenida de Arteixo, is a short walk away, and the Orzán surf lessons start on the same beach. Along the promenade, the bike lane leads to the Tower of Hercules.
- **Hotel Zenit Coruña** (Hotel): Between Plaza de Pontevedra and the Orzán
Next to Plaza de Pontevedra, in the centre, Hotel Zenit Coruña occupies number 19 of Calle Comandante Fontanes. According to the hotel, the Orzán and Riazor beaches are about 35 metres away: you step out into the street and in a minute you are on the promenade. It reopened in 2024 after completely renovating its 70 rooms and common areas.
From the mini room to the junior suite with a side view
The rooms come in five types, with published sizes and beds:

Mini: 11.5 m² plus a 4.5 m² bathroom, with a 1.60 m bed; exterior or attic, designed for short stays.
Single: 15 m², with a 1.35 m bed.
Double: with two 1.05 m beds or one 1.60 m bed; few have the large bed, so ask for it when booking.
Double with extra bed: 23 m², with a bath or shower.
Junior suite: 32 m², with a side view of the sea.

All have air conditioning, heating, free wifi, television, minibar, kettle, safe and hairdryer. There are adapted rooms and cots on request. There are no smoking rooms.
Its own car park, with 21 spaces
In the very centre, having a garage at the hotel itself saves a lot of driving around. There are 21 spaces at €20 a day, VAT included; those with an electric charger have separate conditions. With so few spaces, reserve one along with your room.
To arrive by car, from Avenida de Alfonso Molina keep going towards the centre, turn along Juana de Vega towards Plaza de Pontevedra and, in the tunnel, take the right lane towards the seafront promenade: the hotel is at the exit, on the right.
Without a car
From the train station, city bus line 5 drops you at Plaza de Ourense, about five minutes' walk away; from the bus station, line 4 goes to Plaza de Pontevedra. The airport bus also stops at Plaza de Ourense, every half hour on weekdays and every hour at weekends and public holidays.
La Marola and the hours
The hotel restaurant, La Marola, serves signature cooking with a Galician base, with traditional dishes and some international ones. It serves lunches from Monday to Saturday, from 13:30 to 16:30, and dinners from Monday to Friday, from 20:30 to 23:00; between 22 December and 5 January, check. Breakfast is added when booking on the website, and they prepare it gluten-free if you say so.
Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00; late check-out until 14:00 is paid separately, subject to availability. Pets are not allowed. The website does not publish fixed rates: it advertises a best-price guarantee and, in winter, a rate with up to 20% off.
For the next day, the Orzán surf lessons are on the beach opposite and Culuca is a short walk away, on Avenida de Arteixo.
- **Hotel Avenida** (Hotel): On Ronda de Outeiro, next to the stations
Hotel Avenida is a family-run three-star hotel at Ronda de Outeiro, 99A, beside A Coruña's train and bus stations. If you arrive by train from Madrid, Santiago or Vigo at the San Cristóbal station, you can walk to the hotel with your suitcase. The centre is further away: to Plaza de María Pita or the beaches you go by city bus or taxi, or on foot in about half an hour.
85 rooms, from single to junior suite
It has 85 rooms, and the website gives the size of each type:

Singles: compact, designed for business trips.
Doubles: 20 m².
Triples: 25 m², exterior.
Family rooms: 30 m², exterior, with space for three or four people in proper single beds.
Junior suites: 25 m², with a jacuzzi and shower in the bathroom.
Adapted rooms for people with reduced mobility.

All have air conditioning, wifi, television, desk, safe, hairdryer and bath or shower. In the doubles you can ask for a cot.
The private spa and the gym
The spa is for private use and is booked online; it costs extra and the website does not publish its price. The gym, on floor -1, is free for guests. Reception is open 24 hours.
Breakfast and dinner at Eira
The hotel restaurant is called Eira. Breakfast is a buffet that you have there or in your room, for a supplement. In the evening, Eira serves dinners every day from 20:00 to 23:00, with a set menu and à la carte; you book on its own website.
The car, 150 metres away
The hotel has no garage in the building: it offers an indoor car park about 150 metres away, for a fee. The website does not publish the rate, so ask when you book.
Price and lofts
The website does not publish room rates: they appear in its booking engine, where the code AVENIDA gives 10% off. For long stays, of more than seven days, the hotel rents the Avenida Lofts, about 100 metres away: studios of about 30 m² and lofts for two with a kitchen, from €50 a night with buffet breakfast included. It says nothing about pets or check-in and check-out times: ask beforehand.

## Car-free: By Train, on Foot and by Public Bike
A Coruña is easy to get around without a car. The train arrives at the San Cristóbal station from Madrid and from Santiago, about half an hour away on the Atlantic Axis, and the city fits on a peninsula: the centre, the Old Town, the beaches and the Tower of Hercules are linked by the seafront promenade, on foot or by bike. Only surfing, when the Orzán has no waves, may take you to another beach by car.
Presupuesto orientativo: 60–130 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Riazor** (Hotel): In front, the sand of Riazor
Hotel Riazor is a four-star boutique hotel at Avenida Pedro Barrié de la Maza, 29, right on the seafront at Riazor beach. You cross the promenade and you are on the sand; the Orzán continues next to it, in the same inlet, and Plaza de María Pita and the Old Town are reached on foot through the centre. It is a comfortable base for a beach trip, surfing at the Orzán or cycling along the promenade.
Eight room types
The website distinguishes eight: standard double (interior), standard double with sea view, deluxe with terrace, junior suite, suite, adapted double, triple and family. The standard double exists in two versions, interior and sea view: check carefully which one you book. The rooms have a safe and heating, and the hotel offers a pillow menu subject to availability.
Cícero, the first-floor restaurant
On the first floor is Cícero, the hotel restaurant, with chef Víctor Rubio and cooking based on local, seasonal produce. It is open every day:

Buffet breakfast: Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 10:30; weekends and public holidays, 8:00 to 11:00.
Lunch: 13:30 to 15:30.
Afternoon snack: 16:00 to 20:00.
Dinner: 20:30 to 22:30.

The menu is a PDF on its website. To book a table without staying at the hotel, the restaurant has its own phone number, 668 539 535, and the email cicerorestaurante@riazorhotel.com.
Services and rules
Reception is open 24 hours with multilingual staff. There is a 24-hour gym, a lift, luggage storage, laundry, dry cleaning and ironing. If you want to make the most of your last day, ask at reception for late check-out until 14:00, subject to availability.
The website does not publish fixed prices: they are shown in its booking engine. The direct rate can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before, and there is a cheaper rate that is non-refundable and prepaid. Pets are not allowed, except assistance dogs and dogs of the Armed Forces and Security Forces.
Car and train
The hotel's website does not mention a garage: if you come by car, ask about parking when you book. Without a car, from the train station you can get there by taxi or city bus. For eating out, Culuca, on Avenida de Arteixo, is a short walk away, and the Orzán surf lessons start on the same beach. Along the promenade, the bike lane leads to the Tower of Hercules.
- **Hotel Zenit Coruña** (Hotel): Between Plaza de Pontevedra and the Orzán
Next to Plaza de Pontevedra, in the centre, Hotel Zenit Coruña occupies number 19 of Calle Comandante Fontanes. According to the hotel, the Orzán and Riazor beaches are about 35 metres away: you step out into the street and in a minute you are on the promenade. It reopened in 2024 after completely renovating its 70 rooms and common areas.
From the mini room to the junior suite with a side view
The rooms come in five types, with published sizes and beds:

Mini: 11.5 m² plus a 4.5 m² bathroom, with a 1.60 m bed; exterior or attic, designed for short stays.
Single: 15 m², with a 1.35 m bed.
Double: with two 1.05 m beds or one 1.60 m bed; few have the large bed, so ask for it when booking.
Double with extra bed: 23 m², with a bath or shower.
Junior suite: 32 m², with a side view of the sea.

All have air conditioning, heating, free wifi, television, minibar, kettle, safe and hairdryer. There are adapted rooms and cots on request. There are no smoking rooms.
Its own car park, with 21 spaces
In the very centre, having a garage at the hotel itself saves a lot of driving around. There are 21 spaces at €20 a day, VAT included; those with an electric charger have separate conditions. With so few spaces, reserve one along with your room.
To arrive by car, from Avenida de Alfonso Molina keep going towards the centre, turn along Juana de Vega towards Plaza de Pontevedra and, in the tunnel, take the right lane towards the seafront promenade: the hotel is at the exit, on the right.
Without a car
From the train station, city bus line 5 drops you at Plaza de Ourense, about five minutes' walk away; from the bus station, line 4 goes to Plaza de Pontevedra. The airport bus also stops at Plaza de Ourense, every half hour on weekdays and every hour at weekends and public holidays.
La Marola and the hours
The hotel restaurant, La Marola, serves signature cooking with a Galician base, with traditional dishes and some international ones. It serves lunches from Monday to Saturday, from 13:30 to 16:30, and dinners from Monday to Friday, from 20:30 to 23:00; between 22 December and 5 January, check. Breakfast is added when booking on the website, and they prepare it gluten-free if you say so.
Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00; late check-out until 14:00 is paid separately, subject to availability. Pets are not allowed. The website does not publish fixed rates: it advertises a best-price guarantee and, in winter, a rate with up to 20% off.
For the next day, the Orzán surf lessons are on the beach opposite and Culuca is a short walk away, on Avenida de Arteixo.
- **Hotel Avenida** (Hotel): On Ronda de Outeiro, next to the stations
Hotel Avenida is a family-run three-star hotel at Ronda de Outeiro, 99A, beside A Coruña's train and bus stations. If you arrive by train from Madrid, Santiago or Vigo at the San Cristóbal station, you can walk to the hotel with your suitcase. The centre is further away: to Plaza de María Pita or the beaches you go by city bus or taxi, or on foot in about half an hour.
85 rooms, from single to junior suite
It has 85 rooms, and the website gives the size of each type:

Singles: compact, designed for business trips.
Doubles: 20 m².
Triples: 25 m², exterior.
Family rooms: 30 m², exterior, with space for three or four people in proper single beds.
Junior suites: 25 m², with a jacuzzi and shower in the bathroom.
Adapted rooms for people with reduced mobility.

All have air conditioning, wifi, television, desk, safe, hairdryer and bath or shower. In the doubles you can ask for a cot.
The private spa and the gym
The spa is for private use and is booked online; it costs extra and the website does not publish its price. The gym, on floor -1, is free for guests. Reception is open 24 hours.
Breakfast and dinner at Eira
The hotel restaurant is called Eira. Breakfast is a buffet that you have there or in your room, for a supplement. In the evening, Eira serves dinners every day from 20:00 to 23:00, with a set menu and à la carte; you book on its own website.
The car, 150 metres away
The hotel has no garage in the building: it offers an indoor car park about 150 metres away, for a fee. The website does not publish the rate, so ask when you book.
Price and lofts
The website does not publish room rates: they appear in its booking engine, where the code AVENIDA gives 10% off. For long stays, of more than seven days, the hotel rents the Avenida Lofts, about 100 metres away: studios of about 30 m² and lofts for two with a kitchen, from €50 a night with buffet breakfast included. It says nothing about pets or check-in and check-out times: ask beforehand.
### Servicios
- **A Coruña-San Cristóbal Train Station**: Renfe · AVE and long-distance from Madrid · Atlantic Axis from Santiago, Pontevedra and Vigo · trains to Lugo

## As a family: Seals, a Lighthouse and Hands-On Museums

A Coruña is a comfortable city with children: the science museums are cheap and almost everything is indoors, the Tower of Hercules costs €1.50 for under-16s and the seafront promenade links the visits beside the sea. Split the day between a museum, the promenade and the beach.

### What works best
Aquarium Finisterrae: the seals are fed at 12:00 and 17:00; €4 for under-16s, free up to age 4

Domus: 150 interactive modules and the MiniDomus for under-6s, always with an adult

Tower of Hercules: €1.50 for under-16s, free up to age 3 and on Mondays

Surfing at the Orzán: from age 6, as long as you can swim

### Sleep
Hotel Avenida, with family rooms and cots

Hotel Riazor, with triple and family rooms facing the beach

### Eat
Culuca, with a weekday set lunch

Taberna 5 Mares, with dishes to share

### Keep in mind
BiciCoruña does not allow under-14s

The Monte de San Pedro lift is closed for now

The Tower's terrace closes in strong wind

### Qué hacer as a family
- Climbing the Tower of Hercules, A Coruña's Roman Lighthouse
- Aquarium Finisterrae, the Nautilus Room and the Seals
- Domus, the Museum of Humankind above the Orzán
- Surf Lesson at the Orzán with Base Surf Camp

## Consejos

### Visit the Tower on a Monday
Admission is free; collect your ticket at the CIAV.

### Plan the Aquarium around the seals
They are fed at 12:00 and 17:00.

### Bring a jacket in summer too
On the promenade and on Monte de San Pedro the Atlantic breeze blows.

### Don't count on the San Pedro lift
It is temporarily closed.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does it cost to climb the Tower of Hercules?
€3, and €1.50 for under-16s and over-65s. On Mondays it is free.

### What is there to do in A Coruña with children?
The Aquarium Finisterrae with its seals, the Domus and its MiniDomus, the Tower of Hercules and, from age 6, a surf lesson.

### Can you see A Coruña in a day?
Yes: the Tower and the Aquarium in the morning, the seafront promenade at midday and the Old Town or Monte de San Pedro in the afternoon.

### How do I get there by train from Santiago?
On the Eje Atlántico, in about half an hour on the fastest trains.

### Is the Monte de San Pedro lift working?
Not for now: Turismo de A Coruña lists it as temporarily closed.

### Are there surf lessons in winter?
Yes. Base Surf Camp gives lessons all year, except from 21 December to 3 January.