Camino to Finisterre and Muxía
29.2 km, 708 m up and 593 m down, through 18 places, 2 of which have somewhere to sleep. Where you stop is up to you.
Every place on the path in order, with the distance from Santiago de Compostela. Most are too small to sleep in — a fountain, a chapel, a bar that may or may not be open — but they are what the day is actually made of.
The start of the camino to Finisterre is poorly marked, and the fading yellow arrows are hard to find. Fortunately, the way is easy to describe and is very brief; you will be in the forest in less than 1km. Facing the Parador (with the Cathedral to your right) exit the square along the road to your left. It goes downhill along the Rúa da Hortas (named for the gardens which are behind the homes that line this road). The cobbled road ends at an intersection, and here there are several crosswalks, you want the one that takes you over the larger of the roads. The camino follows along the Rúa da Poza de Bar, you can recognize this street for the popular Café Tertulia (perfect for breakfast). It continues straight down this road to a small park at the end, and here the first official marker of the way can be found.It directs you through the park and towards your right, and eventually downhill to cross the river at Ponte Sarela.
The remains of an old watermill sit beside the Rio Sarela on the outskirts of Santiago. This is where the city ends and the countryside begins -- a surprisingly quick transition. The stone bridge over the river is your g…
The camino turns left where it meets the mountain road and follows it for 100m before turning to the right.
Look back towards Santiago for a pleasant view of the Cathedral.
The forest meets the road again in Moas, and when it does turn right to follow newly installed arrows.
Turn right at the bus stop / Hórreo.
Pay attention here. Although the route is well marked, it is still quite common for pilgrims to keep on following the road. If that happens to you, there is no need to retrace your steps. Keep on going to the next road (recognizable for the large stone wall) and turn right, followed by the next left and just like that you are back on the camino.
When you reach the main road of Quintans, the camino turns left and then immediately right again. Watch the arrows carefully.
The camino crisscrosses the main road and follows safer side streets. Keep an eye out for yellow arrows near a small bus stop that takes you to the right. If you miss it and walk too far, stay on the road and keep an eye out for a yellow arrow that will take you left. If you miss that one, just stay on the road, and the camino will rejoin it very soon.
A small village between Alto do Vento and Aguapesada. The camino passes through without ceremony.
The road from Ventosa to Aguapesada is straight and along the road. Beyond Aguapesada, it follows a quiet track and road up and into the forest. The climb here is fairly steep. The towns between here and Ponte Maceira are of little note, and there is only one bar directly along this stretch. You will pass Carballo along the way to Trasmonte.
A small hamlet between Aguapesada and Trasmonte. No services along the camino here.
Keep on the road through Trasmonte.
Keep on the road through O Reino, and again in 500m through the village of Burgueiros.
The camino passes through Burgueiros on the road without stopping. A hamlet, nothing more.
Cross over the bridge and follow the road out of town. As is common in these parts, the camino will continue to parallel the main road, crossing and then crossing back through the village of Barca. It feels un-necessary but it keeps you away from the traffic. Negreira is the next city of note and has all of the services you could need.
NOTE: If you intend to stay in the Logrosa Albergue, watch out for signs before entering Negreira. They will take you to the left.
The one bar/restaurant in town is closed every Wednesday.
A hamlet on the road between Ponte Maceira and Negreira. The camino passes through.
A small cluster of houses on the approach to Negreira. No services.
The camino leaves Negreira near the municipal albergue on the West side of town. If you stayed in that albergue, go back towards town a short distance and follow the signs to the church. If you are an early morning (in the dark) walker, do yourself a favor and scout the route the night before. It passes into the dark forest fairly quickly and does not emerge until just before Zas.
You enter Zas along the road, but leave it at the bar mentioned above. The town is small, and you will very quickly find that the camino follows a nice country trail all the way to O Rapote.
Small farming village with a picnic table and fountain at the entrance. Fill your water bottle here.
An albergue and town bar sit up a flight of steps on your left as you arrive. The village is small but the services are welcome on this stretch.
Distance, climb and descent are measured along the GPS track for this camino — 1,740 recorded points across this span, the same track the app carries. The town-to-town figures in my data put it at 27.1 km.
Esta entidad ha sido beneficiaria de una ayuda del Programa de incentivos a la movilidad eficiente y sostenible (MOVES III), gestionado por la Xunta de Galicia a través del Instituto Enerxético de Galicia (INEGA) en el marco del Real Decreto 266/2021, y cofinanciada por la Unión Europea — NextGenerationEU, dentro del Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia.