Other Paths of Santiago: Fisterra and Muxía
THIS 117-KM ROUTE AND ITS FOUR LEGS, LESS KNOWN AND WELL-TRAVELED, OFFER THE LUXURY OF WALKING THROUGH INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL PLACES WITH SO MUCH TO OFFER
The Camino de Santiago, the European pilgrimage route par excellence, is an increasingly popular experience. Today, about two and a half million pilgrims visit the Galician city every year, and not only for religious reasons. According to the information provided by the Santiago Town Hall, the entity tasked with delivering the “Compostelana” -a certificate issued to those who complete the last 100 km on foot or 200 km on horseback or by bicycle down the Camino de Santiago- a growing percentage of pilgrims says they have cultural, sports or social motivations to round out the journey.
It is said that the Camino de Santiago generates addiction. In fact, it seems that completing the route is a personal feat that calls inside to repeat it a thousand more times. There are endless cases of pilgrims who spend years trying, little by little, all the different routes of the Path, showing what they call the “pilgrim syndrome”. In addition to the physical challenge that obviously involves performing the Camino, the reasons for repeating it are very diverse. Those who come back the most -according to the pilgrims interviewed by Excelencias Turísticas- were drawn by the atmosphere of companionship and kindness that they breathe as they traipse down the routes, coupled with the interest that Galicia awakens as a Spanish region little known but addictive for its Celtic traditions and roots, for its spells and its meigas.
All those pilgrims who so wish it, can continue on their way from Compostela to experience this stretch of Lisbon. However, the usual thing is to try to obtain the Muxiana or the Fisterrana (a title of pilgrimage issued by the tourism authorities of Muxía and Fisterra, respectively). By doing this, the pilgrim nabs a credential apart from the one traditionally issued to the other pilgrims, and they eventually walk at least the 29,3 km that bridge both concellos. But undertaking this path means having the luxury of sauntering through incre-dibly beautiful places with so much more to offer.
If we had to highlight just a few pla-ces of this beautiful route, the stars would undoubtedly be Fisterra, Muxia and Pontemaceira. In the latter, a tiny town on the banks of the Tambre River, we can feast eyes on the scenery and quench our appetite rewardingly. The Pontemaceira Restaurant offers the pilgrim the best Aragonese chickpeas stew and dry conger money can buy in Galicia at a fantastic price for all budgets. In the same breath, pilgrims can wallow in jaw-dropping views from the terrace as they gaze at the fantastic Roman bridge the town was named after.
Muxia, on the other hand, delivers a genuine medicine for the soul. Its rocky, megalithic and dreamlike nature enchant those who walk through its mountains; and it is also home to a multitude of pagan legends. In the Sanctuary of Virxe da Barca, a small church directly overlooking the sea of the Costa da Morte and the center of the pilgrimage to Muxia, we can make out rocks with alleged healing properties (Pedra dos Cadrís) or good for fertility (Pedra dos Enamorados).
As for Fisterra, Finis Terrae, there lies the end of the world known to the Romans and the historical and magical place of the end of the Camino for many pilgrims. Traditionally, pilgrims burned their boots and suits to symbolize that their souls were truly purified after the long and painstaking journey. This ritual, however, is now quite outdated and, moreover, prohibited. From Excelencias Turísticas, we recommend pilgrims to enjoy more laidback and relaxing traditions, such as swimming at the Langosteira Beach or watching the sunset from the tip of Cape Finisterre. For this, it is ideal to book dinner at the O Faro Restaurant, on the Cape itself to stay at the Bela Fisterra literary hotel.
Español
English
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
Русский