24 August: La Coruna

We arrived in La Coruna yesterday afternoon after actually managing to sail for a few hours! We had left Viveiro on the 21 August after a lovely couple of days there, helped by the good company of Paul and Lorna from Hyskeir and Andrew, an ex-pat Cornishman who now lives and sails here in Spain. When he heard that we were going to Ria de Cedeira next, he told us of a lovely walk along to the lighthouse. The sail to Cedeira was dramatic, as it took us past Cabo Ortegal, a very big Cape with 800 -1000 foot cliffs. This is a very wild corner of Galicia!

The wind behaved and we had no problems and arrived in Ria de Cedeira in the evening and found a lovely sheltered place to anchor. Our peace was disturbed by a French boat who toured round and round and eventually dropped their anchor far too close to another boat and had to move, creating a commotion!

We blew up the dinghy the next morning and headed for the pontoon. Cedeira looks like quite a tourist town, with lots of holiday apartments but it seemed very quiet. This is the first time we have noticed that there is a recession in Spain, everywhere else seems to have been bustling.

We walked through the town and up onto the wooded ridge which went all the way to the little lighthouse. We would not have found the walk if we had not had the recommendation from Andrew. The path took us through Eucalyptus plantations (it smelled like an olbas oil inhale!!). The indigenous forest of pine, juniper and oak clung on to the edges of the ridge.

Walking back to the village we came across lots of small holdings. Because this area gets a fair amount of rain everything seems to grow like mad. There were peppers growing outside alongside the beans and sweetcorn and giant tomatoes were growing under polytunnels.

The next day we set off for La Coruna and arrived in the early evening. It was actually raining when we came into the Marina, a huge one with places for 800 boats and only 2/3 full. So no problem finding a berth! We got the washing on and then relaxed. Lots of boats come in here from the Biscay crossing so there were a few spaced out looking people staggering along the pontoons. We know how they felt!!

The La Coruna Marina with what must be one of the biggest port control towers ever!!

We spent the day in the town today. Luckily there was no rain but a very brisk wind which kept us cool. We found the market and managed to get ourselves some lovely prawns and Bonito steak (Tuna) for tea, as well as lovely fruit and veg. All for a fraction of the price we would pay at home.

In the afternoon we walked through the old town with its houses with glassed in balconies and then along the promenade to the Tower of Hercules, the worlds oldest working lighthouse. It is a very dramatic structure, which was considerably re built in the 18 th century, but to the same plan as the original Roman one.

There was also a very quirky sculture park with standing stones made of granite and metal sculptures.

Everywhere we have been in northern Spain we have been impressed by how clean everything is. This is a large city , but they still seem to have a lot public employees that keep things tidy and people don’t drop litter here like they do at home.  There were also lots of beautiful enamel pictures on each lamppost.