From Santiago de Compostela to Fisterra. 4 stages. 90 kilometers.
From Santiago de Compostela to Muxía. 3 stages. 82 kilometers.

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The Way to Fisterra and Muxía is the only one whose goal is not Santiago de Compostela, but its beginning. More and more pilgrims decide to extend their Way and learn what the ancients called the End of the Earth. The mighty Atlantic Ocean and beautiful sunsets over the coast are the reward.

The Camino de Santiago to Fisterra runs through 89 kilometers that are usually done in 4 stages, passing through inland towns such as Negreira, Olveiroa or Cee. Once in Finisterre it is customary to carry out 3 rites: purification, death and resurrection. The pilgrim can also choose Muxía as the final goal of their Camino. In the heart of the Costa da Morte, this fishing village is known for the sanctuary of A Nosa Señora da Barca, a place where, according to legend, the Virgin Mary arrived by boat to encourage the Apostle Santiago in his evangelizing task. To get to Muxía, the pilgrim has two options. Get to Fisterra and from there skirt the coast to Muxía, adding one more stage (28km). Or on the Camino that goes from Santiago to Fisterra, take a detour in the town of Hospital until you reach Muxía (87 km) and if you want, from Muxía reach Fisterra.

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This Route of the Camino de Santiago has the capital of Galicia not as a destination, but as a starting point towards Cape Finisterre and the Sanctuary of Virxe da Barca de Muxía.

It is a kind of epilogue that leads pilgrims to extend their journey to what was believed to be the westernmost part of Europe, what the ancients considered the End of the World or the Finis Terrae.

Chasing the Finis Terrae
The Road to Fisterra and Muxía is a millenary route that dates back to prehistoric civilizations, which continued with the Celts and was assimilated by Christianity. It is born from the tradition of walking towards the west, following the movement of the sun, to discover the limits of the known world.

Fisterra is one of those magical spots where the sun is engulfed by the ocean, creating a very magical atmosphere, full of spirituality, that many pilgrims seek experimental every year.

The Jacobean tradition immediately adopted this Way and the Calixtino Codex already indicates that disciples of the Apostle Santiago traveled to the city of Dugium, present-day Fisterra, in search of Roman authorization to be able to bury him in Compostela. In the 9th century, the year in which the Apostle's tomb was discovered, many pilgrims continued their Route to the Costa da Morte.

Apparition of the Virgin in Muxía
Muxía is the other goal of this Camino that begins in Santiago. Specifically, the Sanctuary of A Virxe da Barca, a temple that merges with the rocks and the sea. The Jacobean tradition tells that the Virgin Mary arrived at the place in a stone boat to give encouragement to the Apostle during his evangelizing mission.

The pilgrim who arrives at the Sanctuary of Muxía will be able to contemplate three stones that, according to tradition, were part of the boat that carried the Virgin there: the hull, the sail and the rudder of the ship.

The helmet is identified with the Pedra de Abalar (abalar stone), to which healing and fertility properties were attributed. The candle is better known as Pedra dos Cadrís (kidney stone). Tradition calls for going under this stone nine times to relieve back pain. Finally, the pilgrim will also find the Pedra do timón (rudder stone).

Three to five stages
Santiago de Compostela is the starting point for both routes, leaving from Obradoiro via Rúa das Hortas and San Lourenzo. The pilgrim's steps will take us to one of the key points of this Jacobean Route: Ponte Maceira, a mythical place that according to tradition the disciples of Santiago crossed on their way to Fisterra.

The first stage of both routes ends in Negreira and the second in Olveiroa, a parish where the pilgrim can enjoy rich popular architecture. Here, the Camino is divided:

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• Going from Santiago de Compostela to Fisterra is 4 stages, adding Olveiroa-Cee and Cee-Fisterra. The Camino can end there or go thirty more kilometers to Muxía.

• Going from Santiago de Compostela to Muxía reduces the Camino to three days, since from Olveiroa the pilgrim goes directly to Muxía. From there it is also possible to add another 30 kilometers and reach Finisterre.

Along this Route you can enjoy small temples of great religious tradition such as San Martiño de Duio and the church of Santa María das Areas in Fisterra or the church of Santa María de Muxía. If you want to enjoy the experience to the fullest, we leave you a map with 10 things to do (and not do) on your way to Fisterra and Muxía.

Fisterrana and Muxiana
In the 90s, the Route to Fisterra and Muxía was recovered as the Camino de Santiago by the Galician Association of Amigos do Camiño de Santiago (AGACS) and recognized by the Xunta de Galicia as an official Route.

Both routes have their official accreditation, a kind of Compostela that certifies having made this Camino de Santiago. La Fisterrana is the document that certifies the pilgrimage to Fisterra and is collected at the Public Shelter. For their part, pilgrims who travel the Camino to Muxía can pick up the Muxiana at the Tourist Office of this town on the Costa da Morte.

There are pilgrims who decide to do the Camino de Fisterra or Muxía in reverse, having Santiago as their goal. Those who do so will be able to get the Compostela. To do this, the coastal section that connects both points, Muxía and Fisterra, will have to be completed, and then complete the Route to the Galician capital, thus traveling the minimum 100km required to obtain the pilgrim's certification.

The Route is more popular every year, thanks to its various attractions and the main incentive of ending the Camino while looking over the Atlantic horizon. The famous Costa da Morte, named after the many shipwrecks that occurred in its waters, preserves its beauty and many of the legends that made it popular and feared throughout the centuries: a rugged maritime strip, of cliffs and waves, with the that it is difficult to compete in beauty.