La Coruna or Santiago or both?

Old Sep 20th, 2017, 12:59 PM
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La Coruna or Santiago or both?

I'm planning a trip to Northern Spain for June 2018 for 14 days. I am certain that the first 6 days will be spent in San Sebastian and the last 5 days in La Coruna or Santiago de Compostela. Not sure yet about the 3 days in the middle (started planning for Bilbao & now I am not as sure).
Here is my dilemma: I have favored La Coruna for location (seaside/beaches), food, and culture (including its big June 24th celebrations), but want to visit SdC. However, the more I read, the more I see people praising SdC as a place to stay for its food, culture (architecture/pilgrims/etc), and nightlife.
Though it is not a seaside location.
I'd like thoughts on whether one city or the other should be the base for Galician travel, or should I be considering a split between the two, or should I consider something else altogether.
Seaside is good, beaches are not mandatory.
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Old Sep 20th, 2017, 02:26 PM
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Can't imagine why you'd spend six (6!) days in SS. Three would be plenty for us. I'd visit both La Corua and SdC plus little towns between the two.
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Old Sep 20th, 2017, 03:33 PM
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If you enjoy great food, six nights in SS is not enough.
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Old Sep 20th, 2017, 05:26 PM
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There is no comparison between A Coruña and Santiago, Santiago is many times more interesting and there are many beaches nearby.

Below is a list of some very fine beaches in Galicia.

–Illas Cíes is a bit of a drive but a beautiful beach.

-Praia das Catedrais is a favorite of a friend who was born in Galicia and her daughter.



https://caminoways.com/gone-to-the-b...ing-the-camino
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Old Sep 21st, 2017, 02:08 AM
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You know that for real culture in any location is Spain it is advisable to visit somewhere in the country, especially in The likes of Green Spain, where older traditions are still alive and kicking.
Personally I cannot recommend either city for the things you are looking for.
SdC is very touristy and you will find the dining out experience good it is not what you may call great value for money. Often traditional fare is either in smaller portions or bulked out with cheaper products.
The city can get overload with tourists and pilgrims.
A Coruna is not so touristy, but again time it wrong and the old part of town is overloaded with cruise ship visitors.
Once again food locations should be chosen with care. But that can be said with any tourist destination.
What do you mean by night life? Bars, discos, restaurants, or something else?
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Old Sep 21st, 2017, 02:56 AM
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See if you find some good information here on towns to visit in Galicia...did you look at Cambados and Pontevedra?

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...th-galicia.cfm
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Old Sep 21st, 2017, 03:35 AM
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I was in La Coruna a few years ago for the San Juan fiesta on June 23/24. If it is a fiesta you are after I think you will be impressed. In the days leading up to the fiesta night the bars and cafes are packed with people drinking and eating at all hours. There are outside grills everywhere with fresh sardines (hope you don't mind the smell of grilled sardines in your hair.) The bonfires on the beach are huge, there are a lot of people, it is very lively but probably not for the squeamish. There are even bars with blenders on the beach to make cocktails!

But I would mix the La Coruna visit with Santiago, so you can see both places. Maybe try to go before La Coruna so you don't spend your whole time there with "fiesta hangover."
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Old Sep 21st, 2017, 09:03 AM
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I too would include both of those locations. Maybe cut SS by a night or so.

I spent 5 nights in SdC with a daytrip to La Coruna. Saw people sunbathing on the rocks.... Didn't look comfortable at all! ;-). Did have some great mussels in béchamel in old town of La coruna!

Click on my name to find my pictorial TR on northwestern Spain.
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Old Sep 21st, 2017, 09:06 AM
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Btw, I just left SS today after 3 nights. It was enough, maybe could have used a 4th night. But, I wasn't into lying on the beach although at home I am a complete beach nut!
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Old Sep 22nd, 2017, 10:33 AM
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Here’s an updated itinerary:
- 4 nights in San Sebastian (just enough time for pinxtos & restaurants we’d like to visit)
- Drive to Ovideo for 1 night (as opposed to a 7 hour drive across Spain)
- Drive to SdC for 4 nights (and base for beach visits)
- 3 nights in La Coruna (including 23/24 June – fiesta)

Sorry, ribeirasacra, it will have to be the tourist areas this time, not deeper into the countryside where you are. However, if you have tips on specific places to stay and/or eat outside of the bigger cities, I would welcome it. The itinerary isn’t set in stone yet.
Thanks to all for the tips (and future ones).
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Old Sep 22nd, 2017, 11:14 AM
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My advice has nothing to do with where I am located. Just a fact of tourist life. You will find Ovideo so much less crowded and I feel a better offering of "authenticity" then SdC.
3 nights is only 3 days so I really cannot see why you feel the need to change locations just to visit the seaside.
San Juan is a huge festival all over ans A Courna is getting the name for the place to be.
https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/album/...3761118181.htm
One can get drunk anywhere in the world!
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Old Sep 22nd, 2017, 11:14 AM
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Oviedo- A bizarre fact- Woody Allen filmed Vicky Cristina Barcelona
In Ovirto so the city placed a statue of Woody there.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2017, 12:57 PM
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I like your new itinerary! Oviedo is quite an interesting town and the Navarro sites (am I remembering the name correctly, w/o looking it up?) are wonderful!
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Old Sep 22nd, 2017, 01:21 PM
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We like Tafona do peregrino hotel in Santiago, the parador was a disappointment.

The Costa da Morte is quite beautiful as are the Islas Cíes which are a ferry ride from Vigo.
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Old Sep 23rd, 2017, 04:23 AM
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I am booked for 4 nights in Oviedo next month....there are a number of day trips one can do from there.
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Old Sep 24th, 2017, 02:28 AM
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I would have opted for the celebrations in La Coruña that rialtogirl gives a great picture of. The city has been high on my wish list for a long time: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/c...icia/la-coruna

And six days in San Sebastián will fly.
- The famous pintxos crawls in the Parte vieja/Old town is a must: http://todopintxos.com/home/home.php

- Perhaps take a walk along the coast to tiny and beautiful Donibane with great seafront restaurants: https://www.spain-holiday.com/San-Se...resque-pasajes

- Feel the air of history and sample fantastic food in Calle 31 de Agosto: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...e-streets.html

- Go to the Reyes Católicos area behind the cathedral for great music bars, no fuss restaurants, as Casa Valles, and grown up nightlife. https://www.sansebastianturismo.com/...tian/nightlife

- Many of both the most cutting edge and classical pintxos bars are in the Residential Gros district, just across the city river Urumea: https://tourism.euskadi.eus/en/bar-t...aa30-12375/en/

- I love the very local atmosphere Antiguo district, Calle Mátia is great, and several fine and no fuss pintxos bars and restaurants here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Se...C3%A1n#Antiguo

- Museo de San Telmo dedicated to Basque society and culture: https://www.santelmomuseoa.eus/index.php?lang=en
- The Aiete Palace with the park and the dictatorship history, Franco's old summer resident and government seat: https://tourism.euskadi.eus/en/cultu...aa30-12375/en/

- The Cristina Enea park is the largest in town: http://www.donostiasansebastian.com/cristina_enea.html

- Climb the three small hills, Igueldo, Urgull and Ulía. Fabulous views, perfect for a picnic and also cafés close to the top in Igueldo and Ulía: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/s.../448319/360741

- Perhaps a lunch in beautiful Tolosa, the old capital, just inland from San Sebastián, especially known for the excellent Saturday market: http://www.euskoguide.com/places-bas...olosa-tourism/

- In Tolosa you also get the best steaks in the world (Casa Julián and Casa Nicolás are the most famous): https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryol.../#25fdd4056a21

- Get a table in Urola, my favourite restaurant in town since the late 80's, voted best restaurant in the region in 2015 by the major local newspaper El Diario Vasco, ahead of all the Michelin guide restaurants, and much more affordable: http://www.casaurolajatetxea.es/en/portada/

And finally, three fantastic restaurants that are outside the radar of most vistors:
Ibai: https://www.andyhayler.com/restaurant/ibai
Agorregi: http://agorregi.com/
Xarma: http://xarmajatetxea.com/

...and the nine Michelin star restaurants (recommend three star Akelarre for lunch (outstanding views) and three star Arzak for dinner): https://www.sansebastianturismo.com/...michelin-stars
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Old Sep 24th, 2017, 05:40 AM
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I just had a 5 week trip to Northern Spain in July. Didn't get to A Coruna (lack of time and seemed less interesting than the other places we chose) but I did get to all the others you are mentioning.

Just started my trip report - http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-of-france.cfm

There are photos and information on all these places on my blog: http://andiamo.zenfolio.com/blog

What are you using for transportation? If you'll have a car (which I would think you'd need for beaches) then you can certainly stop in some of the smaller towns between San Sebastian and Santiago. Especially if you don't mind one-nighters. Not sure that it makes sense to drive past tons of great beaches between San Sebastian and Santiago only to then spend 7 nights in two cities to use a bases for beaches.
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Old Sep 24th, 2017, 06:32 AM
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Kimhe, thank you for the tip on Agorregi; I had not heard of this restaurant before. I did have meals at both of the other "outside the radar" places you mention, and would recommend both of these.
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Old Sep 24th, 2017, 06:56 AM
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Agorregi is the favourite of a friend of mine who knows what she talks about, and I will go here on my next trip in a few months.
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Old Sep 24th, 2017, 10:52 AM
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I went to A Coruna out of determined curiosity to get to know Galicia better and while it served that purpose, i ddin't really much enjoy beng there. Many parts of it felt to me like an annex of the cruise ship & cheap air fare industry just one big holiday resort filled with holiday entertainments, or otherwise rather extremely workaday modern commercial activity like shopping, light manufacturing, outlet shopping. I did track down some characteristic neighborhoods dating back longer than the 80s/90s, but just a smattering. I certainly ate better elsewhere, had prettier visias, bumped into more fascinating culture & history elsewhere.
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