The Oldest Lighthouse in the World

A Coruna is a busy port located on a promontory at the entrance of an estuary within a large gulf on the Spanish coast. For some 1,800 years ships have passed Hercules Tower on approach. Built by the Romans, this is the oldest fully working lighthouse in the world. Its current appearance dates from the 18th Century when the memory of the original outer ramp (for carting firewood up to the beacon) was commemorated by a diagonal band.

On the guided city tour and at the same time with a view of the imposing town hall, guests enjoyed tasting typical tapas dishes. This dramatic square also has a tall monument to local Galician heroine Maria Pita. In 1589 during the Anglo Spanish war she rallied support against Francis Drake’s siege by taking her dead husband’s spear and killing the flag bearer of the British forces.

Pilgrims of many nationalities came together at A Coruna in the Middle Ages, arriving and departing by boat to join the pilgrimages to Santiago di Compostela. Many of Fram’s guests also made their way to the UNESCO listed old city today more comfortably by coach rather than on foot. For centuries the devoted and the curious have approached the religious centre from all directions. Two of the traditional medieaval routes are themselves heritage listed.