La Torre de Hércules

One of the iconic symbols of La Coruna is the Tower of Hercules, of unknown origin but rebuilt by the Romans in the 2nd century and then rehabilitated again in the late 1700s.  It is believed to be the oldest lighthouse in existence in the world today.

One myth regarding the origin of the Tower of Hercules from Wikipedia:
"Through the millennia many mythical stories of its origin have been told. According to a myth that blends Celtic and Greco-Roman elements, the hero Hercules slew the giant tyrant Geryon after three days and three nights of continuous battle. Hercules then—in a Celtic gesture— buried the head of Geryon with his weapons and ordered that a city be built on the site. The lighthouse atop a skull and crossbones representing the buried head of Hercules’ slain enemy appears in the coat-of-arms of the city of La Coruna."

Cupula Atlantica
We walked to the tower and took a few pictures, but the best are the ones we took from the viewpoint on a hilltop across the bay.  We went up to the Cupula Atlantica which featured an enclosed building (thankfully - it was so windy outside I was afraid Nana was going to blow away!!) with windows imprinted with interesting information about the various sites you can see from the cupula.  It was a perfect day for the 360 degree views!

Nana has the tower in her hand - don't drop it Nana!!

When we arrived at the Tower there were two guys playing gaitas, which added to the ambience.

A beautiful park surrounds the tower, with trails to walk and plenty of places to play and fly kites in the strong wind.