The Finisterre-Muxía Way

Every year, more pilgrims decide to extend their pilgrimage route to Finisterre and Muxía; two settlements that are highly symbolic of the Apostle St. James' final journey. The route, which is around 93 miles (150 km) long, connects Santiago de Compostela with the town that was thought to be the end of the world in medieval times.

This route affords pilgrims the opportunity to reconnect with nature and unique historic sites, such as Ponte Maceira in Negreira. Its magnificent bridge over the Tambre River is medieval, and possibly Roman in origin. This bridge has long been associated with the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

An obligatory stop since the Middle Ages for pilgrims extending their route to the end of the world, Corcubión is one of Galicia's most charming coastal towns. Situated on a small peninsula, its historic town center is still steeped in maritime tradition.

Muxía's seafaring tradition is still in evidence in the 21st century. Its landscape and traditional seaside drying sites for conger eels transport us back in time to the fishing traditions that are now on the edge of extinction.

At the tip of this town, on a miraculous strip of land, stands the almost gravity-defying Virxe da Barca (Our Lady of the Boat) sanctuary. This wind- and sea-lashed church continues to be one of Galicia's most popular devotional sites. It is a site on which pagan rituals, popular legends, and the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela sit alongside the relentlessness of the sea and the rocks.

According to tradition, the Apostle St. James was preaching here when he was visited by the Virgin Mary. She appeared in the sea, in a stone boat, to give him strength and encouragement on his mission to preach the Gospel in this far-off, savage land.

The boat and its sail—both made of stone—are believed to be two large, miraculous rocks that are part of the coastal geological formations: the pedra de abalar (oscillating stone) and the pedra dos cadrís, (kidney-shaped stone), both of which are located in front of the church.

The stones are supposed to have healing powers; a tradition that may date back to prehistoric pagan times, when rituals of this kind were common throughout Europe. The presence of the stones, and the part they play in this sanctuary and its ties to the story of the Apostle St. James, make this one of Galicia's most symbolic sites.

The town of Finisterre takes its name from a symbolic meaning that is unique in Europe. This seafaring town, built on the edge of the continent, has become a modern town in which traditional buildings sit alongside modern, cutting-edge architecture.

The Church of Santa María das Areas (Our Lady of the Sands) is home to the Holy Christ (Santo Cristo), one of the most popular images of religious devotion in the whole of Galicia. Tradition links this miraculous carving with the Christianization of the area by the Apostle St. James himself.

This symbolic church—the last on the Camino de Santia—has its own Holy Door. Like the one in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, it is opened in Jubilee Years (when St. James Day, July 25, falls on a Sunday) to allow entry to pilgrims who have come from Santiago de Compostela, and are about to complete their journeys in this coastal location.

However, no place holds the same significance for pilgrims as the fearsome Cape Finisterre. For thousands of pilgrims, the end of the route is shrouded in legend. This is where the continent meets the Atlantic Ocean.