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

The name Ronda inevitably conjures up pictures of its lofty Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) and spectacular bullring. Situated in the north-west of Málaga province, in the beautiful natural setting of the Serranía de Ronda range, it is the ideal spot for a weekend getaway.

In the course of its history, Ronda has been conquered by Celts, Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and Berbers, as evinced in the city’s rich heritage. It was also occupied by the French in 1810, prompting the emergence of a bandit resistance movement known as bandolerismo.

Ronda, A Monumental City

The obvious starting point is the Puente Nuevo, one of the city’s icons.Built in the 18th century, it connects the historic town to the city’s modern districts, spanning a 100-metre-deep ravine through which the river Guagalevín flows. It is well worth crossing the bridge to see the stunning views. Another vantage point is provided by the balconies in the Jardines de Cuenca, revealing a view of the bridge in all its splendour. But, there’s more. Pre-dating the Puente Nuevo is the Puente Romano (Roman Bridge), also known as the Puente de las Curtidurías, in addition to the Puente Viejo, finished in 1616.

Another sightseeing area is the inner city with its narrow streets, particularly the Calle Manuel Montero with its characteristic white houses adorned with flowering geraniums. The area also boasts a large number of mansions and palaces, notably the Mondragón Palace. Moorish in origin, the building features harmoniously blended Mudéjar and Renaissance styles. It currently houses the Ronda Museum. Other outstanding buildings are the Palace of the Marqués de Salvatierra, the Casa del Gigante (House of the Giant), a jewel of Nasrid architecture, the Renaissance-style House of St John Bosco and the Palacio del Rey Moro (Palace of the Moorish King). The latter houses a fountainhead opened up by the Moors which provides access down to the river.

When it comes to religious architecture, a must-see monument is the Church of Santa María la Mayor, built over the High Mosque of Medina. A prominent feature of its interior is the choir, carved in fine walnut and oak woods.

There are numerous vestiges of the old Moorish settlement, as we saw for ourselves. You can still visit the Muslim Medina, of which part of the wall has been preserved, although the most striking feature is the Almocábar Gate, dating from the 13th century. However, the most important vestige of that period is the Arab Baths –the best preserved on the Iberian Peninsula –built in the 13th and 14th century alongside the Arroyo de las Culebras.

Also worth exploring is Ronda’s Roman past, the major landmark being the Acipino Archaeological Site. Located some 20 kilometres outside the city, the standout feature in this complex is the Roman theatre.

Ronda – A City of Bulls

As intimated at the beginning of this post, the Bullring is another icon for which Ronda is famous. The Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda, unveiled in 1785, is one of the oldest and most monumental bullrings in Spain. Interestingly enough, its design is attributed to Martín de Aldehuela, artificer of the Puente Nuevo. For those who wish to explore the world of bullfighting, the bullring includes the Museo de la Tauromaquia (Museum of Tauromachy) which is open to the public.

However, Ronda is not only well-known in bullfighting circles for its bullring. It was here that modern tauromachy emerged, as did the Corridas Goyescas, and the city is the cradle of powerful matador dynasties like the Romeros and the Ordóñez. This is precisely why Ronda was frequented by its two best-known international aficionados, Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles, and the ashes of Orson Welles were deposited in the Ordóñez family estate in Ronda.

Ronda – the Home of Good Food and Drink!

The best way to round off a tour of Ronda is to try its culinary specialities, notably their sopa de castañas (chestnut soup),migas con chorizo (cured pork sausage crumble), rabo de toro (bull’s tail stew), conejo a la rondeña (Ronda-style rabbit) and perdiz al tajo (Tajo-style partridge).The ideal accompaniment to these dishes is any of wines produced in the nearby Serranía de Ronda, designated either DO Málaga or DO Sierras de Málaga.

Ready to explore all the cities concealed in Ronda? Secure your Vueling here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by SuperCar-RoadTrip.fr, Elliott Brown, Julia Kostecka, Antonio

Holy Week is a festivity accompanied by a long culinary tradition, among other things. Some of its hallmarks include confectionery and desserts, which adopt a host of guises across the geography of Spain. Not to be outdone, Santiago de Compostela, a city of fine food, has its own versions, as evinced in the gems created by different local religious orders, those inherited from the city’s long chocolatiering tradition and imports from the Americas, which have spread all over Europe via the Road to Santiago.

In an effort to keep this tradition alive and provide enjoyment for locals and visitors alike, the second edition of a gastronomic event catering to the sweet-toothed known as Santiago Paixón Doce will be held from 7 to 17 April. For the duration of this festivity, some 29 venues, notably bars, cafés and restaurants, will be offering a special menu laced with traditional Holy Week fare, among which confectionery features prominently. Highlights include torrijas (a kind of French bread), leche frita (literally, “fried milk”), buñuelos (fritters), rosquillas (a ring-shaped pastry), melindres (buns), roscas (a kind of doughnut), “passion chocolates”, cakes and other confectionery typical at this time of year. Check out the list of venues taking part in this tasty experience here.

Eight Delicacies in the Compostelan Holy Week

For those not familiar with Santiago de Compostela’s Holy Week culinary tradition, we have drawn up a selection of the confectionery you simply must taste on your visit to the city. Take note!

1. Concha de Santiago (St James Shell)
This is a veritable tribute to the city of Santiago de Compostela, as it features its paramount symbol, the pilgrim’s scallop shell or viera worked into a delicious chocolate figure. One of the many establishments where you can taste the concha de Santiago is the Chocolat Factory, located in the Praza do Toural.

2. Tarta de Santiago (St James Cake)
With its origins going back to the 16th century, the tarta de Santiago is unquestionably the most popular cake in Santiago de Compostela. Needless to say, you  can find it in all the city’s pastry shops and bakeries, from Las Colonias – with its long-standing tradition – to Á Casa Mora, said to be the artificers of the Cross of St James having been incorporated into the cake.

3. Chocolate a la taza
As mentioned earlier, Santiago is a city with a long-standing tradition of chocolatiers. One of the local favourites is “chocolate a la taza”, which is thick hot chocolate for dunking churros (fritters) in. A classic spot for savouring this wonderful delicacy is the Chocolatería Metate (Rúa do Preguntoiro, 12).

4. Monastic Delights
In bygone times, it fell to the religious orders to introduce foreign traditions to Compostela, including the recipes using almonds and egg yolk, which had a marked influence on local confectionery and ended up spawning both the tarta de Santiago and almendrados (macaroons). There are currently two convents in Santiago which still make their own confectionery. One is the Antealtares Monastery, where the Benedictines make almendrados, tarta de Santiago and cookies, all of which are available on a daily basis, and brazo de gitano, a kind of Swiss roll which is made only to order. The other is Belvís Convent, where the Dominicans make bespoke batches of almendrados, mantecados (a kind of shortbread made with lard)and tarta de Santiago, as well as selling freshly baked cookies.

5. Cheese and Chocolate Cakes
We recommend you drop in on the Airas Nunes Café, which specialises in homemade cakes and tortiñas (milk tarts).

6. Assorted “Pecados” (Sins)
The Cantón del Toural is home to the so-called Pecados de Compostela (Sins of Compostela), a unique type of candy wrapped in seven forms to match the seven deadly sins, one for each day of the week. Be a daredevil and try them!

7. Xacobea
Despite having very similar ingredients to the Easter cake known as the rosca de Pascua,the Xacobea is moister as it contains syrup. Available in numerous pastry shops dotted about the city, notably La Estrella (Suevia).

8. Rosquilla
The rosquilla, also known as a melindre, typically eaten at traditional shrine festivals in Galicia, is also a classic of Holy Week and Easter in Galicia. Sold at a host of venues in Santiago de Compostela.

Text and photos by Turismo de Santiago

The Cantabrian coast has historically been one of the most important seaways of the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe. Numerous shipwrecks of different nationalities have ended up at the bottom of the sea at different times in history, due to storms, battles and misfortune. Galleons, merchant ships, battleships, fishing boats, schooners, steamers, passenger boats, a myriad of vessel types rest at the bottom of these waters, as many as unfortunate circumstances that led to each of these tragedies. The route we propose is just over an hour and a half’s drive from the airport of A Coruña, the shortest way being along the AG-55 and AC-552 main roads.

This journey reveals several wrecks sunk in the course of history in the waters of the Costa da Morte, between Finisterre and Porto do Son. It is a fascinating way to discover this underwater heritage, which is possibly the richest you can find anywhere in the world.

The Routes

There are two land routes running along the coast for enthusiasts searching for wreck sites. Both are ideal for the whole family. The first one lies in the north and is dedicated to galleons, such as those of the Flota de Padilla (Padilla’s  fleet) which sunk in the waters off Finisterre in the 16th century. The second route is centred on the stories of battleships that lie at the bottom of the Costa da Morte. Both itineraries are signposted with QR codes and fitted with NFC transmitters. They give detailed information of each shipwreck and help you get acquainted with the territory, provided you use a mobile device with an internet connection.

For those who are into scuba diving, shipwrecks of the 18th century can be explored first-hand by venturing into the depths of these Atlantic waters. You may also find the occasional steamer from the early 20th century. To embark on this adventure, look no further than the Buceo Finisterre and Mergullo Compostela diving centres, which both organise recreational dives led by qualified instructors. Diving in this part of the ocean is a real pleasure. In addition to discovering the history hidden in its depths, you will be mesmerised by the astounding biodiversity.

Flotsam – The Remains of Shipwrecks

From Capitana de la Saane, wrecked in 1543, to the frigate Ariete, which ran aground in 1966, the remains of wrecked ships can be visited at a dozen sites on land. The experience brings home an awareness of the wealth and heritage concealed along the Galician coast, after centuries of lying in the middle of major seaways.

Flotsam is the name given to the remains of a vessel that has been totally or partially wrecked. Here is a selection of the most renowned shipwrecks scattered along this coast:

1. Capitana de la Saane (wrecked on 25 July 1543). This French battleship is located in the proximity of Monte Louro, Ría de Muros. It belonged to the fleet of Alabardes, commanded by General De Saane. This was the flagship of the fleet. Its cargo consisted of munitions and possibly a stash of booty from ports plundered by the fleet (Laxe, Finisterre and Corcubión). The French general, Jean de Clamorgan, nobleman of La Saane, asked the inhabitants of Villa de Muros for a ransom of 12,000 ducats. It was then, on the feast of St James and in broad daylight, that the Spanish fleet led by Álvaro de Bazán the Elder reached the inlet. The Spanish sailor aimed the prow of his vessel at the French flagship, which sunk with all its crew and plunder, which is said to include a silver reliquary with St William’s arm inside.

2. Santa María La Anunciada (sunk on 28 October 1596). This sailing ship is located in Punta Restelos, Finisterre. It was wrecked in a storm that resulted in the loss of 243 lives. This vessel belonged to the Armada del Océano, commanded by Martín de Padilla Manrique. It was sailing from Portugal to Ferrol and was part of a fleet of another 100 ships. On board was a whole expeditionary force, in addition to weaponry and munitions.

3. Bayonnaise (sunk on 28 November 1803). A corvette with a copper-plated wooden hull, located on the beach of Langosteira, Finisterre.  It was built in 1794 in Bayonne with twenty-four 8-pound cannons on board, in addition to four ship-mounted cannons and two 32-pound carronades. The ship covered the route from Havana to Ferrol while being chased by the English vessel, HMS Ardent, with 64 cannons on board. The Bayonnaise was run aground by its own crew, who abandoned it after setting fire to it. The ship blew up at midnight.

These cultural itineraries are organised by Galician Seas Finisterre Shipwrecks, a project dedicated to promoting the underwater heritage of north-western Spain. Want to discover this exciting maritime history? Check out our flights to A Coruña here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Galician Seas Finisterre Shipwrecks, Amy Nelson, K. Kendall , Archeonauta SL