León to A Coruña: Day 06

Meaningful Moment

It was a long travel day. In fact, much longer than I expected. I knew it was a 5-hour bus ride, with a transfer in Ponferrada, but I did not factor in the time before and after. So from waking up in León to checking into the hotel in A Coruña, the travel day was 8 hours, starting at 4:45 a.m.

Despite being able to get several hours of sleep on the bus, it was, of course not the most comfortable. Hence the 2-hour crash time in the afternoon.

Date	28 Jul 2026 (Tuesday)
Weather	Temperature: high 70s to low 80s. All out sun
Total All Caminos:	2450 miles
Lodging (Deb & I):	Hotel Alda Orzán € 338 for three nights (includes brkfst)
Total Lodging:	€ 700
Airplane(s):
Total Airplane(s) / Trvl Insrnc:	$ 1000 / $ 199
Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides (Deb & I):	$ 97 Bus to A Coruña € 5 taxi to hotel
Total Transportation:	$ 227
Food (Deb & I):	€ 8 Tinto verano / agua con gas @Plaza de Humor $ 31 tapas at Plaza de María Pita
Total Food:	$ 330

Random Thought of the Day

There is a striking difference between the cities of Leon, landlocked in Castile y León, and A Coruna, an oceanfront city in Galicia.

Leon is historical and fascinating in a cultural way. We experienced over 2,000 years of civilization on the Iberian peninsula and saw beautiful examples of classical architecture.

A Coruña comes across as a beach town LOL. I've only been here about 6 hours, but it seems like it's all about the clubs and the beach.

On the Road / Notable memories

4:45 a.m. Wake up.

5:15 a.m. Leave our apartment.

5:25 a.m. Help a pilgrim who was lost in Leon.

5:40 a m. Arrive bus station.

6:00 a.m. On the way to Ponferrada.

8:30 a.m. On the next bus to A Coruña.

11:20 a.m. Arrived A Coruna.

11:45 a.m. Hotel Alda Orzán. Blessed that we are able to check-in early.

1:00 p.m. Out walking.

4:00 p.m. Resting up from an 8-hour travel day and some walking.

6:00 p.m. End of crash time for me. The hotel is in a bar/ club scene area, and next to the beach, where I saw lotsa of people on the sand and in the water. Found a pastry shop.

7:30 p.m. Out with Deb to find something to eat. Decided on Plaza de María Pita because we saw earlier in the day that there would be lots of possibilities. Pleasantly surprised to find two of the tapas that I've been looking for: pimientos padrones and calamaris fritas.

10:00 p m. Back in for the night.

San Augustine Public Market

Famous for its architectural parabolic concrete roof and its exceptional selection of fresh Galician seafood, meats, and local produce. The ground floor is a paradise for fresh Atlantic seafood like Galician octopus, velvet crabs, and barnacles, while upper areas host traditional stalls for local cheeses, empanadas, meats, and flowers.

Plaza de Humor

Hard to make out but those lines are caricature images of many comedians from America and Europe.

Plaza de María Pita

The main city square is famous for its grand 19th-century architecture, the City Hall (Palacio Municipal), and a bronze statue of local heroine María Pita.

Evening time for dinner. Now is the time when all the families come out with their kids. The Plaza fills up with people and there is a joyful feeling of community in the air.