Thursday 13 May 2010

Corcubión

- And then land ends

Corcubión is located in the west coast of Galicia, northwest Spain, on one of the Rías Baixas (Lower Bays), in the region know as Costa da Morte (The Death Coast), once the prey of pirates and place of numerous shipwrecks.

Back in roman times and the middle ages this was considered to be the most westernly part of continental Europe , the end of the known world. There are even older vestiges of celt presence here. But it's from the XV century , with the end of Viking and other pirate attacks, that the village started growing as an important coastal settlement.

Corcubión was declared to be of historic and artistic interest on 31st January 1984, for its folk architecture so typical of Galician fishing towns with their traditional verandas and balconies.

In the main square there are several buildings particularly worthy of interest such as Casa Miñones which dates back to 1899. This building brings together the features of typical Galician architecture with elements of the Modernist style which was popular at that time. Another example in the Square is the beautiful Casa do Xulgado (Law Court).

The narrow medieval streets also have their charms, with their first stage balconies.

In the outskirts, traditional folk architecture can be seen all around: hórreos (granaries), mills, dovecotes.

Horreo de Carnota

Corcubión is a short drive from Fisterra (cape Finisterre), on the AC550 coastal route. Some small fishing towns populate this area of coastline.


The famous Playa Langosteira is one of the most beautiful beaches in the region, with clear white sand, cristal clear waters, and fishes confidently swimmimng around you.

The Port of Corcubión also serves as an excellent reminder of Corcubión's past history. It was rebuilt and enlarged after it was destroyed during the War of Independence, as it was of key strategic importance owing to the course of the ria. Now it is mainly a port of leisure


A short walk along the coastal road to the open sea, lies a further particular treasure called Cabo Fisterra - the impressive rock where all was supposed to end...