Our Walk Along the Camino Finisterre

Reflecting on the Camino Finisterre “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you … while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”   John Muir The final stretch to the “end of the world”… again, and again, and again, and again.   We’ve walked the Camino Finisterre–Muxía four times now - and each time, it has called us back with the same quiet insistence. Though the trails of the Portuguese Central , the Portuguese Coastal and Espiritual routes, the Camino de Madrid , the San Salvador, the Primitivo , and most recently the Via de la Plata and Camino Sanabrés brought us to Santiago, it was always this last stretch - west to Fisterra, then north to Muxía that helped us let go. Though we have also walked to Muxia and then to Fisterra once as well.  In truth either way is wonderful to experience.    This is a trail we love deeply. A rugged, windswept ...

Return to Santiago de Compostela Finisterre Spain We awoke at 6 AM to find a bright sunny day outside, the sun's warmth already beginning to make itself felt. We walked a short distance down the street and stepped into the same bar we had lunch in yesterday. Sitting on the outdoor patio amidst a group of other pilgrims, we enjoyed our coffee, orange juice, and tostada. As we sat there, a very drunk local man approached the patio, intent on striking up a belligerent and slurred conversation in Spanish, but he was firmly shooed away by the proprietor. By 8:30 AM we had finished our breakfast and made our way down to the marina. Colourful row boats floated in the shallow turquoise harbour, and lines of white sailboats were bobbing gently in their moorings. A group of small fish was visible in the crystal-clear water. Across the bay, the hills of Galicia rose and receded into the distance, and behind us, the colourful buildings marched in rows up the hill. We stood at the b...

Birding the End of the World Birdwatching on the Camino Fisterra Muxia Spain  We left our Albergue a little later than usual. We had been warned that there was only one spot today where we could stop for refreshments, about halfway through our walk, so we didn't wish to leave Muxia without breakfast. We had noticed that none of the local bars opened before 8 am, but as we made our way through the sleepy town, under a soft pink sky, we spotted one bar beside the Monbus stop that was already open at 7:30 AM. It was full of other pilgrims, and we enjoyed our coffee, toast, and jam in good company. Refreshed and ready to go, we took a few minutes to orient ourselves correctly and make sure we were following the arrows to Finisterre, and not those leading back to Santiago. Today's walk will take us along the Costa da Morte, or the 'Coast of Death ', to Fisterra, or 'The End of the World'. There have been many shipwrecks off the coast in this section, whic...