The Concurso de Tapas Picadillo is one of the most acclaimed in northern Spain. In A Coruña, the whole city gets involved, with a good many culinary establishments presenting their best creations. In some areas of the city, participants have come together in the form of group entries. Following is a rundown of some of the bites that surprised us most. As there were over 70 participants, we have made a selection of those located near the historic city centre. Although the contest is over, bear in mind you can still savour the tapas until 31 December, and you can look up this year’s winners on the competition website.

The Ciudad Vieja, Monte Alto, Zalaeta and Plaza de España Area

The earliest settlement in A Coruña is what is now known as Ciudad Vieja (Old City), an area which features monuments prior to the 19th century. This is the perfect place to stroll around, in the hushed atmosphere of its cobbled backstreets. The best place to start the route is hard by the San Carlos Gardens, at an establishment called A Boca do Lobo, where you can try the two special tapas that entered the competition. The first, creative offering is Galician octopus at 100°, seaweed coulis and liquid croquette with a pork crust. The other is the traditional roast Celtic pork dewlap and potatoes in their gravy. On the edge of the Ciudad Vieja lies the Plaza de María Pita, a complex of striking harmony arranged around a statue of a local heroine who fought against English corsairs. The square is surrounded by buildings with porticoes where some of the city’s main bars and restaurants are located. These include Breen’s Tavern, where you can enjoy a scrumptious cod-and-prawn brandade. Next door is El Ángel Café Bar (Plaza María Pita, 25) whose “Celtic pouches” were a surprising entry in the competition, while El Tequeño made a bold move with their creative, melgacho tapa based on small-spotted catshark tail.

The Barrera, La Marina, Galera, Estrella and Olmos Area

This is the nerve centre of A Coruña’s tapas bars, an area also known as La Pescadería, where the largest number of establishments is concentrated. The Calle Franxa, which runs from the Plaza de María Pita, is studded with seafood restaurants, Cuban and Turkish eateries, and a whole gamut of traditional tascas, beer gardens, jamonerías and wine cellars. The stretch leading from Ciudad Vieja to Los Cantones is another area crammed with bars and restaurants. However, the highest concentration of these is found along Calle Barrera, which boasts no less than thirteen contestants in the tapas competition. Like A Casa da Moura(Barrera, 9), with their delicious ovo da moura, or Alma Negra (Barrera, 13), with their creative mackerel taco, as well as a more traditional dish known as mar y montaña de tendones y callos de bacalao (“sea and mountains of tendons and cod tripe”). For us, however, pride of place goes to the stunning tartar de zamburiñas y aguacate sobre cama de brotes tiernos y brotes de col morada (“tartar of variegated scallop and avocado on a bed of tender bean sprouts and red cabbage shoots”), to be had at Tapa Negra. Calle Galera, which leads into Calle Olmos, is flanked by some of A Coruña’s classic tapas bars which have been handed down from one generation to the next.

The Alameda, Plaza de Galicia, Plaza de Vigo and Juan Flórez Area

Another large collection of tapas bars is grouped around the two aforementioned squares. This is the heart of the Ensanche quarter, an important shopping and business precinct, with a good many stores and offices, but also taverns and restaurants. It is part of the Picasso District, an area running from Juana de Vega to Plaza de Mina, named after the Malagan artist who lived and studied for a few years in this part of A Coruña. The streets Juan Flórez, Linares Rivas and Ramón de la Sagra also fall within its zone of influence.

We strolled through the area stretching from Los Cantones to the Parque de Santa Margarita; then along Juan Florez up to Avenida de Rubine, which leads to the Riazor football stadium. To start with, at Casa Martín, near the Plaza de Pontevedra, you should try the empanada de xoubas y grelos (pilchard and turnip top pie). Just one street away is El Huerto Los Cantones (Cantón Pequeño, 22) where, if you’re still feeling peckish – or you have just started out on the route – you will be well satisfied with the miniburguer de pez espada, tomate semiseco, espinaca fresca y salsa de almejas en pan de cereales (swordfish mini burger, semi-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach and clam sauce on wholemeal bread). Any better offer?

Don’t miss the chance to sink your teeth into the best, traditional-style, creative tapas currently to be had in A Coruña. Check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Turismo A Coruña, Concurso de Tapas Picadillo

Modernism emerged in the late-19th and early-20th century, marking a break in style with the past, in line with the prevailing cosmopolitan, entrepreneurial mindset of the moment.

In 1883, the city needed to expand, leading to the construction of its famous Ensanche district,which spans the present-day streets of Juana de Vega,Picavia,Feijoo, Plaza de Lugo and Plaza de Pontevedra.

With the wealth they had acquired from foreign trade, the local bourgeoisie commissioned luxury residences in this new area, modelled on those of Vienna, Paris, Prague, Budapest and Berlin, in an outward show of their prosperity and cultural pursuits. This enabled them to distinguish themselves from the old Corunnan aristocracy, who still lived in the Ciudad Alta and Ciudad Vieja districts in dilapidated mansions with dark rooms, lacking proper ventilation or glazed window balconies, with their backs to the sea and to modernity.

Strictly speaking, Modernism came to the city in 1906 with the arrival of the Cuban architect, Ricardo Boán y Callejas, and the Corunnan architect ,Antonio López Hernández, who brought the new trends in building design from Austria, Switzerland and Germany. They also brought journals, catalogues and photos from those countries featuring designs by the Austrian, Otto Wagner, and the Belgian, Victor Horta.

One of the most striking features of these houses are the female faces adorning some of the buildings that are still standing. They were mostly inspired by the countenance of an English lady, Elizabeth Siddal, the wife of the Pre-Raphaelite painter, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. She was immortalised in the guise of her languid, enigmatic beauty and her long tresses following her death from an overdose of laudanum, a mixture of opium and alcohol.

Modernism in A Coruña was influenced by the ornamental style of the English architect, Owen Jones (1808-1874). Local artists decorated the facades and doorways with irises, horse-chestnut leaves, water plants, roses and camellias in multi-coloured garlands which seem to reach out to the passer-by and lavish pleasure on the senses.

Galleries are awash with the Mackintosh Rose motif of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, as well as twirling, sap-bearing plant stems. The transparent glass surfaces spread out among them like dragonfly wings. However, Japanese influences also come to the fore in the form of embossed irises, reeds and butterflies on lilies, star-shaped holly leaves and lotus flowers framing windows and lifts, by way of a country-like, ecological architecture. Enjoy a Modernist route through the city – download the guide here.

Modernist Top 5 in A Coruña

1. Casa Rey (1911)

The work of Julio Galán, his architecture distils the essence of the glass city. The rippling cornice, the Mudéjar inspired glazed ceramics and the wrought iron balconies made in the Wonenburger foundry make it a veritable dolls house for the ladies of those times that adorned its balconies with their head-dresses of gardenias and palm leaves. Chocolate was one of the exotic wares shipped from the Indies and other colonies to the port of A Coruña, and chocolateries dating from that period are still open to the public on the streets of Riego de Agua, Plaza de Lugo and Estrecha de San Andrés. Hence the origin of the popular Corunnan demonym ofcascarilleiros(huskers),an allusion to the cocoa husks which filled the streets with their aroma. Plaza de María Pita, 12.

2. Casa Molina (1915)

Designed by Rafael González Villar. The building was the home of Don Raimundo Molina, a representative of Royal Dutch Lloyd and consul of the Netherlands. He was also the father of the well-known mayor, Don Alfonso Molina. Influenced by the Italian Modernism of Turin, the garlands and draped ribbons of the building form a theatrical final curtain to the Old City. C/ Santiago, 2.

3. Kiosko Alfonso (1912)

Also designed by Rafael González Villar, this is a magnificent example of early-20th-century recreational architecture. With its rectangular floor plan, it operated as a café, music hall and cinema, the central screen of which divided the auditorium into two rooms. In the first room, the audience saw the positive film, while a negative of the film could be viewed at a lower fee from the other. Converted into an exhibition hall in 1982, the original Modernist decoration is still intact, including dragons which surround and immerse the audience in a world of mystery and fantasy. Jardines de Méndez Núñez.

4. Compostela, 8 (1910)

Also the work of Julio Galán Carbajal. The foyer, with access at no. 8 Calle Compostela, is the most striking entrance hall in the city. Walls, ceilings and the archway leading into the lift turn the space into an original stuccowork greenhouse, brimming with intertwined water plants, lotuses, lilies and irises. The lions at the entrance, the eagle and the caryatids on the cornice form a symbolic defence of the house’s residents, reminiscent of ancient Persian palaces.

5. Plaza de Lugo, 13 (1912)

Lastly, this bourgeois residence designed by Antonio López Hernández, linked to the family of the Corunnan actor, Fernando Casado Arambillet (better known as Fernando Rey), features overflowing ornamentation as an outward show of the economic prowess of its residents. It is theatrically adorned with a large garland of roses, leading the eye towards the huge female caryatid dominating the ensemble. The decorative syntax makes this the most beautiful building in A Coruña.

Don’t wait to see these Modernist architectural jewels in A Coruña. Check out our flights here.

Turismo A Coruña

Greeting the arrival of summer is taken very seriously by the people of A Coruña. Indeed, the festivity of the Night of St John (San Xoán, in Galician) is celebrated extravagantly, with fire playing a major role in the form of myriad bonfires taking over the beaches, and magic rituals unfolding all over the city. The fiesta has grown ever more popular in recent years and in 2015 was designated an international Tourist Interest event. It is the perfect excuse for a getaway to A Coruña to spend a very special feast of St John.

While the big night is that of 23 June, the preceding week sees the city splashing out on a plethora of concerts, gastro events and children’s activities, although at the back of people’s minds is the Eve of St John on the 23rd, when the ancestral sun worship rituals take place.

“Sardiñadas”

The “sardiñadas” or sardine festival provides the centrepiece of the Festa de San Xoán. The city is impregnated with the characteristic smell at dinner time, what with sardine cook-offs organised by grass-root associations studding the streets and spilling over into the bars. The grilled sardines are usually eaten with broa (corn bread), which you should make a point of tasting. To round off the experience, be sure to have the local punch known as queimada to set you well on your way in this long, grand festival night.

Beach Bonfires

Fire is unquestionably the highlight of the Night of St John, and the beaches, where most of the celebrations are concentrated, become filled with light and charm. So, be sure to head for any of the beaches as night falls and set up your own bonfire, or else tag along with any of the numerous groups you will encounter on your way – they are certain to welcome you into the fold. You could always head for either Orzán or Riazor, where most people congregate or, if you are the sort that tends to avoid large crowds, we suggest you choose a smaller beach, like San Amaro or Las Lapas, or the tiny coves of Adormideras. The idea is to pick your perfect spot for spending the shortest night in the year.

The moment of maximum splendour is midnight, when the main effigy or Falla is lit on the beach of Riazor. This is preceded by fireworks which, together with the bonfires, fill the calm waters fringing the seaside promenade with light. Then starts a fiesta which is sure to see you through to daybreak, and the nocturnal events will be redolent with a host of purification rituals. The idea is to put all the bad things from the previous year behind you, in order to start afresh, or to simply have a great time on such a special night.

TExt by Turismo A Coruña

One legend has it that the Breton saint St. Ferreol founded the city after landing there in a boat escorted by a choir of seven mermaids, but scholars still cannot agree on the origin of the name the city has been called since Medieval times.

History

The first people to settle in the area were Celts. And there is evidence of Phoenician and ancient Greek settlements, too. When the Romans conquered Hispania in the first century BC, a fishing village stood on the site of today’s city. Soon the locals began exporting preserved fish to the rest of the Roman Empire. The name “Ferrol” first appeared in church records in the year 1087, referring to a donation made by villagers to the nearby monastery of San Martín de Jubia.

From La Coruña

Ferrol has easy access to La Coruña, only 40 minutes’ distant --via a very scenic stretch of the AP-9 motorway, crossing the Eume river and others-- and to other towns in northern Galicia such as Villalba, Naró, and Ortigueira. You’ll see hills and extensive green meadowland crisscrossed by streamlets, along with panoramic views of the sea. You may wish to stop along the way at the Parque Natural Fragas do Eume, where you can admire Europe’s best-conserved Atlantic coastal woodlands, some 9,000 hectares of virgin forest. The triangular park, lying between the towns of As Pontes, Pontedeume and Monfero, will show you that “enchanted forest” isn’t just a figure of speech –you will expect to see elves and wood sprites frolicking amongst the ferns and lichens, and the springs and waterfalls, all under the leafy canopy of ash, alder, oak, and poplar trees, which the sun’s rays have difficulty penetrating in some spots. You might also visit the equally enchanting  Caaveiro monastery, dating from the year 934, and which overlooks the forest.

A Stroll through the Magdalena District

Ferrol’s urban essence is concentrated in the old quarter, the Barrio de la Magdalena, a commercial and entertainment district featuring such Belle Époque jewels as the 1892 Jofre Theatre, the Magdalena Market, the 1923 fish market building called “La Pescadería”, the Casino Ferrolano (also erected in 1923), the Hotel Suizo (1916), and the Banco Hispano-Antigua Fonda Suiza (1909-1910). The rationalist, geometrically laid out district resembles Barcelona’s Ensanche, and at its extremes lie two broad squares, the Plaza de Amboage or, more properly, del Marqués de Amboage, and the Plaza de Armas). There are numerous 18^th C. and 19^th C. homes with fancy wrought-iron balcony railings on stone corbels and white, wood-framed glass-enclosed balconies, as well and modernist buildings from the early 20^th C. The whole neighbourhood was designated as a protected cultural treasure in 1983. The main shopping streets are Real, Magdalena, Igrexa, Dolores, Galiano, and María. For tapas, drinks, and sit-down meals the calle del Sol is the place to go.

A Fortified City

Well worth visiting are the fortifications, whose construction began in the reign of Phillip II (b. 1527 d. 1598) that protected the city against attacks from the sea, including the  San Felipe Castle, and the Arsenal, a unique building now housing the Naval Museum.  It connects to the Magdalena neighbourhood via the ornate, neo-classical 1765 gateway known as the Porta do Dique.

The Spanish Armada

Ferrol has an important naval base and large military and civilian shipyards. Since the 15^th it has been a key military installation, particularly during the heyday of the Spanish Empire, the first on which “the sun never set” –the Spanish Armada has both the discovery of America and the first circumnavigation of the world to its credit. Sea dogs, history buffs, and landscape lovers alike will find much to rave about in Ferrol. Perhaps you should book a flight to La Coruña with Vueling a take a closer look? Check out or flights here.

Report by Isabel y Luis Comunicación

Pictures by Juan Balsa, Diputación de A Coruña y Concello de Ferrol