Route to Finisterre and Muxía

Its history dates back many centuries, to a time when the Romans believed the Earth was flat, floating on an enigmatic ocean known as the Mare Tenebrosum. Finisterre, or Finis Terrae, was considered the very edge of the world.

However, this route was revered long before by the Celts, who deemed it a sacred site for sun worship, the Ara Solis. Here, each day, the sun bid its farewell, ushering in the mysteries of the afterlife or the fabled island of eternal youth.

Thus, the path originated as a pagan trail unrelated to Christianity. Yet, with the discovery of the Apostle St. James’ remains and the spread of Christianity across the peninsula, it seamlessly integrated into the network of pilgrim routes leading to Compostela. As the Camino de Santiago solidified during the Middle Ages, an increasing number of pilgrims extended their journey to Finisterre, seeking the supernatural mystique surrounding A Costa da Morte.

Christianity also left its mark on the history of the Way to Finisterre. Legend has it that the apostle himself dismantled the altar of the Ara Solis during his pilgrimage through the region, replacing it with the hermitage of San Guillermo, now lost to time.

The Codex Calixtinus recounts how the apostle’s relics were brought to Duio, a village near Finisterre, to seek the king’s approval for burial. According to lore, the apostle’s disciples fell into a trap set by Queen Lupa to thwart his interment in Galicia.

Like other routes of the Camino de Santiago, the Way to Finisterre thrived in the Middle Ages but later declined significantly from the 16th century onward.

In the 20th century, governmental bodies, associations, and regional entities revitalized the Way to Finisterre, undertaking crucial promotional efforts and introducing pilgrimage certificates such as the Fisterrana and Muxiana, validating pilgrims’ completion of the journey.