The Tower of Hercules

A Coruña and The Hercules Tower

A Coruña, the second-largest city in Galicia, and perhaps the most important one economically, sits at the tip of the northwestern reaches of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain. If you head to the west, you’ll be out in the Atlantic Ocean, and if you sail north, you’ll find yourself in the Bay of Biscay. With water all around, A Coruña has gained a reputation for being one of the foggiest and rainiest regions of Spain. A Coruña is a city for business, but not without it’s touristy charm. When the weather is agreeable, you can laze about in the sun on one of the city’s beaches, or sample some seafood at a bistro or restaurant by the water’s edge.

The city itself is quite modern, but there are still a lot of things for you to see and do in the old town. You’ll stumble across plenty of quaint little cafés in and near the Plaza de María Pita, where you can spend your time sipping on a glass of wine while you watch the locals passing by. The Tower of Hercules, a Roman lighthouse most likely erected in the second century by the Roman builder ‘Sevius Lupus,’ is the second largest lighthouse in all of Spain. This ancient structure is considered the oldest active lighthouse on the planet. Those Romans really knew how to build to last. Of course, the structure has undergone some modern renovations. It was given a good deal of extra height in the late 18th century. The massive edifice now stands at a whopping 187 feet (57 meters) on an elevated headland just to the north of A Coruña’s historic center.

There are several myths about how the tower came into being, and what its main purpose actually was. The first myth tells of how the mighty Hercules battled with another giant who went by the name of ‘Geryon.’ At the end of their epic contest, Hercules emerged the victor. He took the decapitated head of his opponent and buried it beneath the earth, and then proclaimed that a city (or lighthouse) should be built upon that very spot. Hence

A Coruña (possibly once ‘Brigantia’) was born, and the Tower of Hercules. Another myth, from a much later time, describes how the people of Galicia could see all the way to Ireland from the top of the tower. Upon spotting such a marvelous land, they hopped into their boats and went to settle that distant island.

You can visit the tower for free. From the parking lot, there’s a path up to the lighthouse, where you can wander around the base of the structure, or head inside and climb up the stairs for some spectacular views of A Coruña and the wild Atlantic. Even if it’s a warm day, bring some protective gear, because storm clouds can roll in pretty fast, and it’s usually a pretty windy spot.