How to Spend a Day in La Coruna, Spain from Cruise Port

I'm not gonna lie, I had never heard of La Coruna, Spain before finding it as a port of call on our recent European cruise. However, now after having visited, I can safely say this Galacian coastal city ended up being one of my favorite ports.

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Despite the misty rain rolling in, we started the day off strong since you can walk right off the ship into the city center without having to take a bus or taxi like most ports. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Here is how we spent our full day in La Coruna:

Praza de Maria Pita (8 min walk from cruise port)

A historic square with the stunning city hall and some churches along the way

(Shop my outfit here)

Los Pelamios (12 min walk)

This is simply the start of the coastal walk to see the sculpture park and Hercules Tower. Despite being a cloudy day, this was a beautiful walk and there were lots of locals running/walking the path with their kids and pups.

Coastal Walk in the direction of Hercules Tower

• Playa de San Amaro (12 min walk)

On the coastal walk there were lots of beaches along the way. If it's a warm day, It would be great to wear your bathing suit under your clothes and take a dip

• Praia de Adormideiras (6 min walk)

  Another somewhat secluded beach (not sure if it was empty just because of the weather) along the coastal walk

• Sculpture Park (Camp da Rata and Menhires pola Paz) (2 min walk)

  It's basically the Stonehenge of Spain. A random sculpture park was located right along the coastal walk

• Merendero (4 min walk)

• Parque Escultorico da Torre de Hercules (2 min walk)

• Hercules Tower (15 min walk)

This is definitely the major tourist attraction of La Coruna. If you look up any cruise ship excursions or even online, it is always what pops up. It is one of the oldest Roman lighthouses in the world that is still in use.

I did see a few people on segways by the tower, which looked like good fun!

Walk around Rua Real (30 min walk)

This lively pedestrian street has plenty of shopping, restaurants, and people watching.

Parrillada Alcume for lunch (2 min)

I am so happy we found this restaurant. It was a 10/10 (seriously.. go!). When we first arrived they quickly spoke something to us in Spanish, which left this dumb American (who only knows basic Spanish phrases and how to count to viente) thinking huh? But we could eventually piece together what they were saying and they told us they were not quite open for food yet, but we could have drinks. So we started with a bottle of Albarino, which is a Spanish white wine from the Galacian region. It was so light and delicious. Then before we knew it all the sudden a plate with 2 ribs were in front of us. uhh.. did someone else order these and they accidentally put them on our table? Nope! Apparently in Spain when you order drinks, they give you a little tapa on the house. What an upgrade from a free bread basket.

Since we sat for a while drinking our wine, they ended up opening for food too, so we ordered octopus to split, which is something this region is known for. It was cooked to perfection with amazing seasoning. Chef's kiss

After this, we explored Rua Real a little more, then headed back to the ship.

If you're looking for an excursion to do instead of the coastal walk, this may be up your alley!