Camino Finisterre y Muxía

87 – 119 km –  3 or 4 stages

Fisterra was the end of the earth for the Romans. It is located at the Costa da Morte (Coast of Death and land of ancestral legends and past shipwrecks) and is a region that all those visiting Galicia must see. A lot of the pilgrims arriving at Santiago, often via The Camino Francés, actually continue their walk adventure to the end of the earth – to km 0, following the Camino Finisterre.

Finisterre – the end of the world. Actually, it’s not the western limit of Europe, because that’s Cabo da Roca in Portugal, but the Romans didn’t know that, so since old times people have considered it to be the ‘Finis Terrae’, Land’s End – the door to the other world… as the Romans believed when they witnessed the sun sinking into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Camino Finisterre, a symbol of the renewal of life, watching the sun set you will be reborn – reason why the pilgrims reach the end, watch the sun set, and burn their clothes so the story tells.

The last part however, about burning the clothes, is something modern tour operators tell to make it all more magical I guess. It is strictly forbidden to burn anything there. A lot of fires in that region are caused by pilgrims who have not learned anything about respect for nature during their walk…

So, what IS true about the story of the clothes? They were burned, but not in Finisterre but on the roof tops of the kathedral in Santiago. The church would give the pilgrims new ones for their journey back home. So keep the Camino Finisterre and Cabo Finisterre free of flames!

So, Finisterre or Muxía? Because the Camino Finisterre has two directions. Check the next tab!

Camino Finisterre y Muxía: turn left or right?

For this one it’s not so much where to start on the trail but more about in which direction to go.

There are a lot of pilgrims that simply continue to Finisterre once arrived in Santiago, and continue to Muxía once arrived in Finisterre. You can also do it the other way around and walk first to Muxía.

For those that don’t want to miss out on the Finisterre experience but don’t want to walk there is always the possibility of taking the bus.

There are also more than enough tour operators in Santiago that offer one-day excursions to the end of the world. These are more expensive but include a guide and usually some additional sight-seeing you would probably not have on your own! Whatever you pick, left or right, Buen Camino to you on the Camino Finisterre!

Cabo Finisterre

So you finished walking the Camino Finisterre and are enjoying this view. Probably with a bottle of wine hoping for clear skies to be able to enjoy the perfect sunset! Congratulations!

You can actually have this view right out of your hotel room. Check it out here.