We woke up to rain, so what’s new, but by the time we left at 10.30am it had stopped.
Our first stop was a modern lighthouse, The Faro de Punta Frouxeira (also known as the Meiras Lighthouse). After Jem telling us yesterday that the Spanish, back in the 1800s, were clever building short ones this one is 98 feet but because it’s perched on the cliff, its light sits about 245 feet above the water.
The lighthouse was built in 1992 (with trials starting in 1984), it was designed to be a "smart" lighthouse. Its original blue and white glass façade was removed during a 2007 renovation to give it the minimalist concrete appearance it has today.
Beneath the modern lighthouse lies a hidden piece of 20th-century history: a network of defensive tunnels and batteries. These were built in the 1920s as part of a coastal defense system for the nearby strategic naval base at Ferrol. Visitors can walk through these passages to reach old searchlight emplacements and artillery positions built directly into the cliff faces. We decided not to go in as there was no one around should there be a problem!
This looks as if it was a look out point
A gun emplacement that is now a swimming pool!
From the bottom of the lighthouse we could see a little chapel sitting on an island. The Ermita Virgen del Porto (also known as the Ermida da Virxe do Porto) is one of the most iconic and photographed spots in Valdoviño. It is a tiny, white-washed chapel perched on a rocky islet that completely detaches from the mainland when the tide comes in.
We drove to A Coruna. Why is it called that? There are various theories with the most popular being from the Latin for crown, corna. The A is simply the Galician word for "The”. It is pronounced Corunia but I can’t do the squiggle on the a.
Google took us towards a 3.2 metre high tunnel - we are 3 meters. I was a bit concerned but we had heaps of head space, thank goodness we don’t have anything on the roof.
Google took us towards a 3.2 metre high tunnel - we are 3 meters. I was a bit concerned but we had heaps of head space, thank goodness we don’t have anything on the roof.
Our destination was the Torre Hercules which is the oldest functional lighthouse in the world and carries a huge amount of historical weight. It was built in the 2nd century AD by the Romans (originally called the Farum Brigantium), it has been guiding ships into the port of A Coruña for nearly 2,000 years. It stand 180 feet high and is on top of a 190 foot cliff. While the core is Roman, the exterior you see today is a "protective shell" added in 1788 by engineer Eustaquio Giannini. This restoration preserved the ancient structure while modernizing its signaling capabilities.
Fortunately the rain had moved on so we climbed the hill to the base of the tower. I climbed the steps up to the door but Richard wanted to rest his knee. I don’t think you can actually go into the tower. It was very windy up there and I really struggled to keep upright!
At the foot of the Tower of Hercules, is the Rosa dos Ventos (Compass Rose). This massive, colorful mosaic is 25 meters in diameter and serves as a powerful symbol of A Coruña’s Atlantic identity and its deep-rooted Celtic heritage. The rose is divided into segments, each representing a "Celtic Nation" or a piece of local legend. The Seven Celtic Nations are
Galicia: Represented by the Scallop Shell
Ireland: Represented by the Shamrock.
Scotland: Represented by the Thistle
Wales: Represented by the Red Dragon.
Cornwall: Represented by a Chalice.
Brittany: Represented by the Ermine (a small animal/fur pattern).
Isle of Man: Represented by the Triskele (three joined legs).
The eighth segment is unique and features a Skull and Crossbones. This represents Tarsis (Tartessos), an ancient kingdom of the southern Iberian Peninsula.
Galicia: Represented by the Scallop Shell
Ireland: Represented by the Shamrock.
Scotland: Represented by the Thistle
Wales: Represented by the Red Dragon.
Cornwall: Represented by a Chalice.
Brittany: Represented by the Ermine (a small animal/fur pattern).
Isle of Man: Represented by the Triskele (three joined legs).
The eighth segment is unique and features a Skull and Crossbones. This represents Tarsis (Tartessos), an ancient kingdom of the southern Iberian Peninsula.
The tower was designated as a UNESCO site in 2009 for being the only lighthouse of Greco-Roman antiquity to retain structural integrity and functional continuity.
One of the suggestions that the tower is called the Tower of Hercules is because, according to King Alfonso X "The Wise," the Greek hero Hercules fought the giant tyrant Geryon for three days. After beheading him, Hercules buried the giant's head on this spot and built the tower over it. The city’s coat of arms still features the tower standing over a skull and crossbones.
I wondered what this building was. Jem told me it had been a prison until 1999. It was built during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship, and was used to hold political prisoners. Many were taken from here to the nearby Campo da Rata to be executed.
We were staying in a marina overnight, well in an aire that they had made for motorhomes.
I had asked Jem to give me a recipe using the air fryer and the ingredients I had. He came up with something I would probably made on the hob but he gave me the cooking instructions. It was very simple and I got to sit down while it was cooking. It was delicious. I shall certainly use Jem again.
Saturday 14th March
Let me start today by saying that I keep saying we woke up to rain and you now no doubt think we have had days of rain. It’s not been like that at all. The days have either been lovely or mixed. One minute it is light rain, then dry but grey or the sun is out. It is NOT all doom and gloom here 😂
Out of A Coruna and off to the supermarket. I know we do a lot of shopping but we haven’t got the storage room for a lot of stuff at any one time. Today was another Carrefour. I always thought that it was a French company but I see that by 2024, the group had 14,000 stores in 40 countries.
It was a lighthouse day with two possibly three to visit. The first was O Roncudo, a rather disappointing lighthouse but the waves …. well, I just said wow, wow and wow! They were amazing and so close. The lighthouse is modest and functional—built in 1920—standing about 36 feet tall. It isn't the architecture that draws people, but the desolate beauty of the surroundings - I will go along with that Jem!
We decided to miss out the second lighthouse and drove on to Faro de Fisterra.
If O Roncudo is the soul of the Costa da Morte, the Faro de Fisterra (Cape Finisterre) is its crown. For centuries, this wasn't just a landmark; it was believed to be the Finis Terrae—the literal End of the Earth. When the Romans reached this point, they watched the sun vanish into the Atlantic and believed they had found the world’s edge, where the waters boiled at sunset.
The current lighthouse was built in 1853 to combat the dense fogs and treacherous reefs that claimed countless ships. It stands 450 feet above sea level. Its light can be seen for 30 nautical miles (approximately 34 miles).
If O Roncudo is the soul of the Costa da Morte, the Faro de Fisterra (Cape Finisterre) is its crown. For centuries, this wasn't just a landmark; it was believed to be the Finis Terrae—the literal End of the Earth. When the Romans reached this point, they watched the sun vanish into the Atlantic and believed they had found the world’s edge, where the waters boiled at sunset.
The current lighthouse was built in 1853 to combat the dense fogs and treacherous reefs that claimed countless ships. It stands 450 feet above sea level. Its light can be seen for 30 nautical miles (approximately 34 miles).
Because the fog is often so thick that light cannot penetrate it, the lighthouse is equipped with a massive foghorn known as the Vaca de Fisterra. Its deep, haunting moan warns sailors when the coast is invisible. There is a massive, sharp rock formation just off the cape, called the Centola de Fisterra. It has been the final resting place for many vessels throughout history.
There is a hotel on the cape. The original building that now houses the hotel was originally constructed in 1879 as a semaphore station. It was built higher than the lighthouse to send visual signals to the naval fleet and monitor maritime traffic in the treacherous "Costa da Morte" (Coast of Death). After the signalling station became obsolete in 1999 due to modern technology, the building was restored and opened as a hotel. It became one of the most unique "delicatessen" or boutique hotels in Spain, allowing guests to stay at what was historically considered the "end of the earth."
There is a hotel on the cape. The original building that now houses the hotel was originally constructed in 1879 as a semaphore station. It was built higher than the lighthouse to send visual signals to the naval fleet and monitor maritime traffic in the treacherous "Costa da Morte" (Coast of Death). After the signalling station became obsolete in 1999 due to modern technology, the building was restored and opened as a hotel. It became one of the most unique "delicatessen" or boutique hotels in Spain, allowing guests to stay at what was historically considered the "end of the earth."
IN MEMORY OF THE HEROIC MEN WHO DIED IN THE NAVAL BATTLE OF FINISTERRE IN 1805, AND IN HOMAGE TO ALL WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THIS SEA OF FINISTERRE
We were parked up for the night on the Cape. There was an English guy next to us who said that 2 hours before we arrived, it was thick fog - we arrived in sunshine!
We woke up to the most beautiful morning and, guess what, I forgot to take any photos 😣. Victoria video messaged me to wish me a happy Mother’s Day and I was so busy showing her around the view that I just forgot. I am so cross with myself.
We left Cape Finisterre, a place that I had wanted to visit because as a child we used to listen to the shipping forecast (I think it came on either before or after The Archers!). I could more or less recite them so I was rather sad to learn that Finisterre is no longer a shipping area. The sea area Finisterre was officially renamed FitzRoy on February 4th 2002. The change was a significant moment in maritime history, marking the end of a name that had been part of the forecast since 1949. One of the reasons for changing the name was to avoid confusion with The Spanish meteorological service as they also used the name "Finisterre" to describe a slightly different, smaller coastal area. To prevent potential safety issues and "international confusion" for mariners, the UK agreed to rename its zone. Its "demise" was so notable to the British public that the BBC even published a lighthearted obituary for the name, calling it a "familiar friend."
As we left the coast and headed inland, so it clouded over, but it was still 14° (warmer than home 🙂 - I’ve ditched the jumpers!)
We headed to the the Fervenza do Ézaro (Ézaro Waterfall) which is famous for being the only river, the Xallas, in continental Europe that empties into the sea via a waterfall. The river is 40 miles long and the waterfall is about 131 feet high. The waterfall comes from a hydroelectric dam which used to run an a schedule but since 2011 it now flows 24/7.
We had been warned not to drive up the hill from the waterfall as it is a real switchback, so I found a different road which wasn’t a real switchback but was quite steep with a few sharp bends! Richard coped admirably bearing in mind he doesn’t like that sort of driving.
We headed to Santiago de Compostela where we were going to stay for a couple of nights and visit the city.
A couple of interesting facts about the area. We have seen lots of funny looking buildings around which are granaries and are called Hórreos (pronounced Oreos). They are the most iconic symbol of the Galician countryside and are small, rectangular houses "on stilts". The stilts lift the structure off the damp ground to allow air circulation, these sit on top of flat, mushroom-like stone discs which act as a physical barrier to stop rats and mice from climbing into the storage area. The walls have narrow vertical slits to let the wind whistle through, drying the corn while keeping the rain out. We had also noticed that most of them have a cross on the top of one end, this it to ward off evil spirits and witches. Most of the horreos are like the one in my photo but the longest one is over 120 feet!
When we visit Santiago de Compostela we will go to the Cathedral which is where most of the pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago finish. I will talk more about that another time but while the Cathedral in Santiago is the official finish line, for many "traditional" pilgrims, the journey isn't over until they reach Cabo Fisterra, here there is a famous 0,00 km stone marker located right by the Fisterra lighthouse. It is the most photographed milestone on the entire Camino. Traditionally, pilgrims would burn their walking clothes or boots on the rocks at the cliffside to symbolize the "death" of their old self and a spiritual rebirth - this is now officially discouraged for environmental and fire safety reasons. Many pilgrims walk down to Langosteira Beach to swim in the icy Atlantic waters as a ritual cleansing before reaching the lighthouse.
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