Finishing the Camino de Santiago and standing at the Cathedral, I did not feel like my journey had come to an end. The cathedral in Santiago where most people finish, is massive, beautiful and deeply meaningful but was not what I planned for the end of my pilgrimage. I still had more places to go to reach my personal conclusion: Fisterra.
Getting to the finish line
the Camino de Fisterra y Muxía is a unique and relatively short pilgrimage route, that begins in Santiago de Compostela and ends at the Atlantic Ocean. lasting between 4 to 6 days this relatively small camino gave me an impactful ending to the Camino de Santiago with an endpoint at the ocean. With only a few places to stop you can walk straight to Fisterra and then take a bus back to Santiago or many people extend their journey to make a loop
How you choose to complete this pilgrimage is up to you, but here are some common stops along the way:
- Santiago de Compostela – Negreira 20km
- Negreira – Olveiroa 33km
- Olveiroa – Muxia 31km
- Muxia – Fistera 27km
I personally decided to go to Muxia first then finished in Fisterra. I know many people do it the other way around, I found that walking to the lighthouse in Fisterra made for a more cinematic ending. Plus, the name Fisterra literally means “Earth’s End”—a fitting conclusion to a long journey.
Getting your Credentials
If you care about getting getting credentials, along with the Compostela that you receive in Santiago you are able to obtain the Muxiana and the Fisterrana. Just walk into the pilgrims office in Muxia or Fistera and as long as you have stamps proving that you walked from Santiago they will reward you with a certificate of completion.
Day-to-day information
Your day to day life on this rout will be pretty much the same as it is on the Camino De Santiago. Every day you will walk and be able to find a free bed at an alburgue. However, a personal recommendation would be to book accommodations in Muxia and Fistera prior to starting, as they are popular coastal towns that draw in more travelers then just pilgrims.
I won’t go into detail about packing, as it’s essentially the same as for the Camino de Santiago. However, here are a few personal recommendations:
end of the Camino
The first glimpse of the Atlantic ocean is probably one of my favorite parts of the camino. After over 2 months walking through the countryside of Spain and France, climbing mountains and walking through deserts, finally seeing the vast ocean carried a profound sense of accomplishment.It was proof that my journey was coming to an end, that I could walk no farther unless I got on a boat. But my pilgrimage continuities onto other journeys.
If you have any tips or questions about the Camino de Fisterra y Muxía, feel free to message me on Instagram, email me, or leave a comment below!