The Camino Finisterre

The route to Finisterre is not, as far as the Cathedral is concerned, a Camino. It is an 89km walk from Santiago to the lighthouse at Finisterre (which means ‘End of the World’ and is so-named as it was believed to be such by the Romans). Finisterre lies on the Costa da Morte (Coast of Death) and is where many pagans believed the sun died (as it slipped down into the Atlantic at the end of the day) and thus was where the Worlds of the living and the dead became closer.

Image from http://www.adamwells.com/locations/camino-de-finisterre-spain/the-route/

The route starts from the Cathedral in Santiago, goes past the Parador and then passes through Negreira, Cee and Corcubion to Finisterre (from here it is another 29km to Muxia the location shown at the end of the film ‘The Way’ or there is a break in the path so that you can go to Muxia rather than Finisterre at an earlier point (I forget exactly where I’m sorry!). The path itself is well waymarked and the terrain is similar to that on the last 100km of the Frances but with a couple of steep climbs. It can be walked in three long days (but I took five more leisurely ones).

The route is through Galicia and so is often wet so walking May-September is what most people recommend.

Accommodationis  available in: Negreira, Olveiroa, Corcubión, Finisterre and Muxía all have albergues whilst Pilgrims can also sleep in the old school in Vilaserio and the sports hall in Cée.  There is hostal accommodation in Negreira, Cée, Corcubión, Finisterre and Muxía (information from http://www.csj.org.uk/planning-your-pilgrimage/routes-to-santiago/routes-in-spain/santiago-to-finisterremuxia/).   

Guidebooks:

John Brierley’s ‘A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Fisterra, a Practical and Mystical manual for the Modern Day Pilgrim’ published by Camino Guides has maps, terrain profiles and information on accommodation, bars etc. and can be bought from http://www.caminoguides.com/guide.html or from Amazon for £15 (or just the maps can be bought for £10).

The Confraternity of Saint James produce ‘Finisterre’  by Alison Raju which can be bought on their website (http://www.csj.org.uk/product-category/csjown/)  for £4 plus postage or downloaded from http://www.xacobeo.fr/ZE3.03.Fisterra_CSJ_en.pdf (please consider giving a donation) – this is their 2009 version, an update is at http://www.csj.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/PGS3Finisterre.pdf

http://www.pilgrimagetraveler.com/support-files/combined-guide-to-the-camino-primitivo-most-recent-8.1.15.pdf has a free guide to Camino Primitivo which includes the Camino to Finisterre and Muxia (in pdf form to print or put on your kindle)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/32836717/Camino-Fisterra-Guide-UPDATED-3rd-July-2010 has another free guide which it says can be downloaded if you sign up – I have not tried this myself though so do not know if it works but most information appears to be available if you scroll down the page and includes maps, a route description and accommodation information (last updated in 2010 from what I can tell)