You’ve reached Santiago – congratulations! Have you got extra time and are you absolutely set on walking on to the end of the world? Or are you still planning your Camino and wondering how many days you’ll need? Then let us throw a spanner in the works. If you can, head on from Santiago – all the way to the end of the world, to Finisterre or Muxía. To start with, it’s only fair to introduce both harbour towns. Each has something different waiting for you, and yet something so similar.
Finisterra / Finisterre / Fisterra
The harbour town of Fisterra lies, according to old legends, at the westernmost point of the world as it was once known. Pilgrims believed this was where the mythical end of the world lay. Until a certain Spaniard came along – let’s call him Christopher Columbus – and discovered some other “worlds” too.
Finisterre comes from the Latin FINIS and TERRAE, which translates as THE END OF THE EARTH. You’ll sometimes come across the shortened name Fisterra. Like Muxía, Finisterre has a zero kilometre marker. There’s also the Faro de Fisterra lighthouse.
Finisterre, like Muxía, lies in the area known as the Costa da Morte. In Galician, Costa da Morte means “coast of death”. Why that name? It wasn’t invented to frighten you – it came out of fear. Many ships were wrecked off this coast because of hidden rocks and a raging ocean. The Costa da Morte is still known as the most dangerous coast in Spain. High headlands, steep cliffs, rocks hidden in the water and the force of the Atlantic.
Muxía
Also a harbour town, which besides the zero kilometre marker offers the beautiful Virxe da Barca sanctuary and the Faro da Barca lighthouse. Pilgrims and various blog articles are divided. Muxía is often described as the prettier place, Finisterre as the more traditional one. So which to choose? You may find the answer below. But first, a little historical context.
By all accounts Galicia wasn’t converted to Christianity until the 12th century, so this place was a sacred Celtic site long before St James arrived by boat.
According to legend, it was here that the Virgin Mary herself met St James and helped and encouraged him in his preaching across Galicia. It’s also believed that, through a divine miracle, the saint’s body was carried back by boat to Muxía after he was beheaded by the Romans, and that many years later it was discovered and taken to Santiago.
How many days does the walk to the end of the world take?
You have three options. Walk to Finisterre, to Muxía, or visit both towns. Both are roughly 89 kilometres from Santiago. The terrain is almost identical. The walk takes an average of 3-4 days depending on how strong a walker you are.
If you have more days, definitely combine the useful with the enjoyable and go and see both places. Finisterre and the town of Muxía are about 25 kilometres apart (on the walking route). Once you’ve made it, don’t forget to collect your Fisterrana or Muxiana – see our previous article.
How do you get back to Santiago?
The operator Monbus runs regular services from both towns. From Fisterra, for instance, you can get to Santiago for just under €8. The service runs almost every day, five or more times. More detailed information here.
