Thank you for the information about Coruna. I will arrive in Madrid and have 3 days to fill before starting my camino. Do you recommend I spend my time in Coruna instead of Madrid? Do you advise flying or taking the train from Madrid to Coruna? Thank you for any information you can provide. Susan
Oh, that's a tough one since there are so many factors to consider. If you haven't been to Madrid, it's definitely worth a visit as a beautiful grand capital city. If museums are your thing, Madrid has a slew of world class sites (The Prado! Reina Sofia! Thyssen-Bornemisma, and many more). Coruña on the other hand is an easy to navigate small charming port city with unique architecture, beautiful beaches, and a relaxed atmosphere. No world class museums, but several small ones, such as Picasso House Museum, which commemorates the time the artist lived in Coruña, from age 9-13. You will eat very well in both places (if you enjoy seafood, Galicia can't be beat). Overall, everything will be less expensive in the north.
For travel options,
www.rome2rio.com provides plane, train, bus and car options. With a relatively short time to work with, you'll want to see what option fits best with your arrival times and budget, of course. I've never traveled from Madrid to Coruña so can't speak from experience.
Perhaps most importantly, both cities have excellent spots for churros con chocolate: Chocolateria San Gines in Madrid and Bonilla a Vista in Coruña. (Bonilla also makes some fantastic potato chips if you like salty treats!)
The bus ride from Coruña to Ferrol is about an hour, with departures regularly (perhaps almost hourly?), so you will want to take that into account when planning the journey.
Since we have veered into a tourism conversation, please feel free to PM me if I can help with any additional information. I'm going back to Coruña at the end of the month and have links to several maps and other recommendations that I'd be happy to share. Buen Camino!!