North Corel is the hometown of Barret. The town itself was destroyed by the Shinra corporation which is explained during a flashback sequence while the team is in the Corel Prison. The town itself is located in the north section of the western continent. It is located to the west of Gold Saucer and the quicksand surrounding it.
The story of the game takes you through North Corel on two separate occasions though you will have to pass through it any time you wish to make your way to Gold Saucer.
The first visit comes after your team transitions through Mount Corel and enters North Corel from the northern entrance. Check out the first Mount Corel walkthrough section for details.
The second visit is on Disc 2 when Cid and his team return to North Corel and Mount Corel to stop a train that is racing towards the town. This is the second piece of Huge Materia that you can retrieve if you are successful at stopping the train. Check out the second Mount Corel walkthrough page for more information.
There are a number of other items that you can pick up in this area even if you don’t manage to stop the train:
Ultima Materia (50,000 gil if you do not stop the train)
Catastrophe
There are a few shops in the area as well where you can purchase the following items:
The map below shows the location of North Corel on the World Map: