The Camino Finisterre & Múxia

Note: If you are continuing to Finisterre then the bar here is the last place to stock up on food and water for some distance. There is a fountain between here and Cee but very little else.

Shortly after the roadside bar beyond Hospital, in the middle of a large roundabout, is a double mojón indicating the choice between Finsterre and Muxía.

No fountain! Chapel, picnic area, and a nice place to take a rest.

Chapel and fountain. Shortly beyond this point, you will catch your first glimpse of the Cabo Finisterre.

Cee, with it's crescent beach, is the first place that the camino arrives at the Atlantic coast.  It has every service you might need, including a full hospital, plenty of inexpensive accommodation, and a small shopping center.  There is as well a bus terminal with service to Finisterre (don't even think about it) and Santiago.

Be mindful of the arrows which will cause you to bear right shortly after the road begins to ascend.  The camino does NOT continue along the road, but rather shortcuts its way over the hills behind Corcubión.  If you lose the arrows, proceed to the Church of San Marcos.  From there, and with the water to your back, leave the square in the rear left corner.  You will shortly come to a narrow rocky trail with tall walls on either side.  Continue upwards, and in 1km you will have passed through the intersection at Vilar, and arrived at the picnic area at San Roque.

More of a picnic area than anything else, San Roque is set in the curve of the disused former roadway that wound it's way over the hill.  Good for a rest, and home of a very friendly, thought late to open, albergue. 

The camino does not pass near the beach here, but it is certainly possible to make the small detour for a rest or a soak of the feet. If you go that way, pay close attention to the arrows out of town and DO NOT follow the road.

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. The tourism office, just up the road from 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 padrón 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, 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 saying. 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.

For those of you wishing to continue onward to Muxía, I have separated the notes and put those into "San Martiño de Duio." The elevation profile as well begins there.

Approximately 3km from the center of Finisterre, this is the last place that you could hope to walk to without changing course. It can be a busy place, and the number of vendors there seems to grow with every passing year, but a careful climb down to a suitable lookout point will provide you with a peaceful enough place for you to contemplate your next move.