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A Coruña packs a UNESCO lighthouse, a compact old town, three interactive science museums and two city beaches into a walkable Atlantic waterfront. Most sights cluster around the peninsula and the 13 km promenade, so you can cover the centre on foot. This list covers the main A Coruña things to do, with opening hours and prices.
Things to Do in A Coruña: Historic Landmarks and Old Town
Torre de Hércules (Tower of Hercules)
The oldest working Roman lighthouse in the world, built in the 1st or 2nd century AD and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. It stands 55 m tall with 234 steps to the top, where you get a full view over the Atlantic and the ría. It opens 10:00 to 18:00 from October to May and 10:00 to 21:00 from June to September; tickets cost €3, or €1.50 for children under 14 and over-65s, and entry is free on Mondays. The lighthouse is a 30-minute walk from the centre along the Paseo Marítimo.
Plaza de María Pita
The city’s main square, named after the local heroine who helped drive off Francis Drake’s English Armada during the 1589 siege. The grand Palacio Municipal (town hall) with its three towers dominates the square, and the surrounding arcades hold cafes. It is free to visit and the natural meeting point for exploring the centre.
Ciudad Vieja (Old Town)
The medieval core runs between the harbour and María Pita square. Key stops are the Romanesque Iglesia de Santiago, the 12th-century Colegiata de Santa María del Campo, and the lively Plaza de Azcárraga with its tapas bars. The streets are narrow and largely pedestrian, best walked early or in the evening, and it anchors the historic centre mapped in the A Coruña neighborhoods guide.
Castillo de San Antón
A 16th-century fortress built on a small island and joined to the mainland by a causeway, now housing the city’s Archaeological and History Museum. It covers A Coruña from prehistory through Roman and medieval times, and entry is free. It sits at the base of the peninsula near the port.
Things to Do in A Coruña: Museums and Science Centres
Domus (Casa del Hombre)
An interactive museum about the human body, housed in a sail-shaped building on the promenade designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. Exhibits cover the senses, genetics and reproduction, and most panels are bilingual Spanish and Galician. Admission is about €4, and it closes on Mondays.
Aquarium Finisterrae (Casa de los Peces)
The city aquarium focuses on Atlantic marine life, with a walk-in Nautilus room modelled on Captain Nemo’s submarine and an outdoor seal pool. It sits on the seafront a few minutes from the Tower of Hercules. Tickets cost about €10 for adults, and it is closed on Mondays.
MEGA (Mundo Estrella Galicia)
A beer museum run by the Estrella Galicia brewery, 3 km from the centre. The visit walks you through the brewing process and finishes with a tasting. Adult tickets are about €6, and booking a timed slot in advance is recommended. It is the one museum where you should not drive afterwards.
Casa Museo Picasso
The apartment where a young Pablo Picasso lived from 1891 to 1895 as a child, on Calle Payo Gómez. It recreates his family home and displays reproductions of his early work. Entry is free. Pair it with a walk around the neighbouring Pescadería district.
Things to Do in A Coruña: Beaches and Outdoor Spaces
Praia de Riazor and Praia do Orzán
Two connected urban beaches that run for about 1.3 km along the city’s seafront. Riazor is the calmer, family-friendly stretch, while Orzán gets bigger surf. Both have lifeguards in summer, showers and a wide promenade of bars behind them. Water reaches about 19°C (66°F) in August, and the monthly sea temperatures are in the A Coruña weather by month guide.
Paseo Marítimo
A roughly 13 km coastal promenade, one of the longest urban seafront walks in Europe, running from the port past the beaches to the Tower of Hercules and Monte de San Pedro. It is flat, paved and lit at night, ideal for a bike ride or a two-hour walk with Atlantic views the whole way.
Monte de San Pedro
A hilltop park with the best panoramic view over the city, the port and the Atlantic, reached on foot, by car or by a glass-domed panoramic lift from the seafront. The summit has old coastal artillery batteries and a cafe. It is free and open daily.
Parque de Santa Margarita
The city’s largest park, in the residential centre, with walking paths, a small lake and the Casa de las Ciencias planetarium. It is free and open daily, a good rain break on wet days since the science museum is indoors.
Things to Do in A Coruña: Day Trips and Nearby
Santiago de Compostela
The capital of Galicia and the endpoint of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage is about 75 km south, reachable in 30 to 40 minutes by train from A Coruña station. The Romanesque cathedral and its Praza do Obradoiro are the draw. Trains run roughly hourly and cost about €7 each way, and you can base yourself in the city using the where to stay in A Coruña guide.
Betanzos
A small medieval town 23 km inland, known for its three Gothic churches and its famous tortilla de patatas. Buses leave from A Coruña’s bus station and take about 30 minutes. It makes an easy half-day trip for a quieter old-town atmosphere, and the bus and timetable details are in the A Coruña travel tips page.
Before setting out, check the best time to visit A Coruña guide for when the weather suits each activity, and see events and festivals in A Coruña to catch a festival on your dates.
