La Coruna, a small peninsula, located in Galicia in the north west of Spain is a bustling agricultural port giving on to the Atlantic and is also home to an oil refinery.   La Coruna, with its population of almost 250,000 is one of the few pairs of world cities which have antipodean partners.  The antipode of La Coruna is Christchurch in New Zealand. 

The official climate of the area surrounding La Coruna is temperate maritime due to the influence of the Atlantic.  Here, winters tend to be wet and windy, but thanks to the ocean, not too cold.  Summers tend to be dry and warm without too much rain.  If you’re planning a trip to La Coruna and the surrounding area, you’d be well advised to organise your low cost car hire before you land.  Boasting two beaches in the city centre, this is a popular tourist area with residents occasionally being outnumbered by tourists at certain times of the year.  If you fancy a tour on foot, the city is engulfed by a 10km promenade, which, along with the city’s museums and celebrations make it a popular choice for Spanish as well as other European tourists.

During the day, the city’s architecture is provides interest and features an abundance of galerias which are basically glazed balconies and are now quite common additions to port houses.  Another interesting place to visit during daytime is the Roman Tower of Hercules, a UNESCO Human Heritage lighthouse which has been operational for almost 2,000 years.  Come night time, the city has a hub of bars and clubs, most of which, as is typical in Spain only come to life towards midnight and continue to rock until the wee small hours of the morning.

Shoppers may be interested to know that La Coruna is the birthplace of the clothing giant Zara, which was the brainchild of Amancio Ortega Gaona and now part of the Inditex group.  This now international store owes its heritage to this relatively small and little known Spanish city.

La Coruna Airport is only a short drive from the city and deals mainly with domestic airlines, however there are some international flights.  There are four low cost car hire companies in La Coruna Airport: Hertz, Avis, Atesa and Europcar, which you’ll find in the arrivals hall just beyond baggage reclaim.  Because the airport is relatively small and is often used by business travellers, you’d be well advised to select and book your desired low cost hire car before your arrival.