Hospital to Finisterre

Finisterre is the end of the world, and for anybody walking west, the beginning of the end.  From the city center only 3km remain to the Cabo (lighthouse and restaurant).  On the other hand, 31km remain for anyone wishing to turn North and continue to Muxía.  Quite a few albergues have cropped up in the last years, but only the Xunta albergue can provide you with the official document, the Fisterrana, declaring your completion of the walk.  You are advised to have all of your stamps in order, for they are on the lookout for anybody who might have taken the bus.

This is the sort of place where salty air mixes with cheerful rendezvous and pilgrim farewells. Pilgrimage to this point, the most westerly point of continental Europe, predates that of Santiago.  As unique as this might make it, Finisterre has managed to maintain a low profile.  The harbor restaurants, now enjoying their recently rebuilt environs, continue to do grilled sardines and pimientos de padron the way they always have.

Bus service returns to Santiago from in front of the municipal albergue several times daily and is easy to sort out.  The schedule is posted at most albergues.  Be mindful of the phrase "Enlace" which indicates a change in buses along the way and a potential delay when traffic is heavy.  The drivers are serious fellows, and not very talkative.  If you find yourself standing with a group of people on the side of the road, unsure of what is going on, be patient.  If you are in more of a hurry, taxi service can get you back to Santiago as well.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, is a quick geography lesson.  Contrary to perception, the walk to the lighthouse is actually Southerly.  The beach approaching Finisterre, the Playa Langosteira (lobster), faces East.  This puts the setting sun, and nostalgic glances towards home for North Americans, on the other side of the peninsula; a little over 1km from the municipal albergue.  If you fancy a plunge into the Atlantic, naked or otherwise, the relatively private beach there will oblige... just sayin.  If you go, be extremely mindful of the strong currents which will quickly pull you from the beach when the waves roll in.  The beach is unmonitored.