Days 13-15: To the end of the world & back! (Santiago – Finisterre – Muxía – Santiago)
Starting the path to Finsiterre
After taking a rainy rest day in Santiago de Compostela, I was ready to hit the trail again and make the journey to the Atlantic Coast. Two fitting destinations mark the end of the path, one called Finisterre (literally “end of the earth”), and the other is the village of Muxía, which has a chapel right on the rocky coastline with waves crashing nearby.
I decided to split the journey into three days, including the last day to return to Santiago by bike. There is an option to head straight to either Finisterre or Muxía, so I rode back in part to check out the other way to option to Muxía. It’s pretty easy to take a bus back to Santiago too if that’s your preference.
The route is a mix of trails and roads, which a higher percentage of paved roads than most of the Camino Francés. While this makes the riding a little faster and smoother, it still was a somewhat challenging itinerary to go all the way to the coast from Santiago in a day. If I had wanted to return by bus, I probably would have done two days (first to Dumbriai, second ending in Finisterre with a stop in Muxía). Here’s what I did:
Day 13: Santiago to Finisterre
Distance: 59.4 miles (95km)
Climbing: 6,325 feet (1928m)
Day 14: Finisterre to Muxía
Distance: 20.6 miles (33km)
Climbing: 2,339 feet (713m)
Day 15: Muxía to Santiago
Distance: 55 miles (88km)
Climbing: 6,145 feet (1873m)
Overall it was a great ride and a fitting epilogue to the journey. I decided to light my load even more and leave some gear in Santiago to pick up when I returned. The temperature had cooled dramatically after the big rain story, and these days were the only of my entire trip where I had any fog and rain, which was still quite minimal. The Galician forest trails felt especially dark and tangled with the shift in weather.
Twisted trees soon along the path soon after Santiago de Compostela.
Lots of water in the river after the big rain storm.
Trail marker showing option to head either to Finisterre (28km) or Muxía (27km).
Beautiful long section of dirt roads from Logoso to Cee- one of the longest breaks from pavement on the the route.
The descent to Cee on the Finisterre route. First glimpse of the ocean and a good time to check your brakes.
Chapel in Corcubion
Almost to Finistere!
When you finally reach the ocean and run out of land to continuing biking onwards, there is no other option than to feel justified that your path is complete.
Kilometer marker 0.0 at the Finisterre lighthouse.
Celebration photo with my lightened load at Finisterre’s lighthouse.
I enjoyed a nice seafood dinner at Finisterre, and then headed out to Muxía the next morning for a shorter riding day.
The route has a few views of the rugged coastline, but less than many expect. A new hiking route called “Camino dos Faros” (Way of the lighthouses) runs right along the coast and connects Finisterre to Muxía.
Capela de Santa María in Muxía – this is where the final scene of the movie “The Way” takes place.
The ride back to Santiago from Muxía was nice, and I followed the trail up to the splitting point near Olveiroa. From there, I decided to make better time and took the road back to Santiago, which ran parallel to the trail much of the way (a good option for those who want a more relaxed ride).
Nice forest paths.
Church in Galicia
The longest Horreo I have ever seen.
Back in Santiago I was exhausted but very happy to have made the full journey to the coast. At my albergue, I encountered this German “cyclist” who had ridden a fully wooden bike (from the 1800s) all the way from Austria. This was something that you don’t see every day!
Wooden bike Camino Cyclist coming from Austria. The bike has no pedals, and is pushed sort of like a scooter. The rider said after this journey it would be the last time he ever rides this bike.
After completing the journey, I’m headed back to the US via Madrid, and will be posting some reflections and lessons learned in another final most. Most soon!
