Ruta da morte - A view of Costa da Morte

A route along the Costa da Morte from viewpoint to viewpoint: from Caión to Fisterra, passing through Punta Nariga, Cabo Vilán, Muxía and Cabo Touriñán, where the Atlantic shows itself in its purest form.

The Costa da Morte occupies the northwest tip of Galicia, between Malpica and Fisterra: cliffs, lighthouses, wild beaches and fishing villages that live facing the Atlantic. It is also the end of the road for many pilgrims, who continue on from Santiago along the Finisterre and Muxía Way.

After the Camellia Route, we suggest a route along the Costa da Morte from viewpoint to viewpoint. Many of these places are also on the Way of the Lighthouses, the trail that follows this coast on foot.

Itinerary

Caión viewpoint, the starting point

In A Laracha, very close to A Coruña, the viewpoint over Caión gives you a unique view of the beach and the village, leaning out over the sea on a small peninsula. This is where the route through the most spectacular viewpoints of the Costa da Morte begins.

Cabo de San Adrián viewpoint, a place of worship

In Malpica de Bergantiños, the chapel of San Adrián, which people climb up to on a pilgrimage every year in mid-June, is one of the attractions of this viewpoint. From here you will see the Sisargas Islands right in front of you, surrounded by a deep blue sea and with their watchful lighthouse: a sight you cannot miss.

Punta Nariga: an awe-inspiring landscape

A ship carved in stone, crowned by a lighthouse that points out to sea as if it were about to set sail: that is the first sight of Punta Nariga, a place that leaves an impression, especially on days when the sea is rough.

From the lighthouse viewpoint you will feel as if you were sailing over the waters. And on your way down, the surrounding rocks, capriciously carved by wind and water, will give you the perfect panorama of this place.

Punta do Roncudo, a living legend

This cape in Ponteceso owes its name to the hoarse echo the Atlantic makes against the coast. It has been the scene of many shipwrecks, and the crosses you will see by the sea commemorate those who lost their lives in these waters.

On its cliffs, the barnacle gatherers risk their lives to prise from the rocks the most prized goose barnacles of the Costa da Morte, and some say of all Galicia, a flavour they owe to the constant pounding of the ocean.

Monte Branco viewpoint, where the river meets the sea

The wind pushes a thin layer of white sand up the slope, and that is how this hill in Ponteceso got its name; it closes off the Anllóns estuary right where the river meets the sea. From the top you will see beaches, cliffs and dunes, and at your feet A Barra, a long tongue of sand that forms the beach of O Medio and seems to want to stop the river from reaching the Atlantic.

Monte da Insua, a tribute to sailors' wives

For privileged views of the Atlantic, climb Monte da Insua, home to the Laxe lighthouse. Here you will enjoy the endless ocean on one side and the ria on the other, and you will be moved by "A Espera", a sculpture of a mother and her child gazing at the horizon, waiting for the return of the sailors who went out to fish.

Cabo Vilán, the lantern of the Costa da Morte

In Camariñas, the Cabo Vilán lighthouse was the first electric lighthouse in Spain and its light reaches more than fifty kilometres out to sea: it is no coincidence that it marks one of the most dangerous stretches of the Galician coast. The wind, the cliffs and the roar of the sea will tug at your heart in this place, which is a must-see.

Punta da Barca, emblem of the Costa da Morte

In Muxía stands the Santuario da Virxe da Barca, an eighteenth-century Baroque sanctuary built beside the sea. At Christmas 2013 lightning set it on fire, and it has been gradually restored ever since. It is a pure emblem of the Costa da Morte, and the landscape around the sanctuary and the Muxía lighthouse will leave you speechless: rocks, the thunder of the sea, the smell of salt air… immensity.

Punta Buitra, or how to walk on the ocean

South of Muxía, Punta Buitra is one of the stops on the Way of the Lighthouses. The climb to the top is hard, but worth it just for the feeling of walking on the ocean. A few pine trees will keep you company and, all around, a rugged landscape, with the sea pounding the cliffs.

Cabo Touriñán, Europe's last sunset

Cabo Touriñán, a rough and almost inhospitable place with its two lighthouses, stands out for its austerity. It is the westernmost point of mainland Spain and, for a few weeks after the spring equinox and before the autumn one, it is the last place in continental Europe where the sun sets. A sight well worth seeing.

Cabo Fisterra, where the ocean puts out the sun

The Cabo Fisterra is made up of the lighthouse, with its recognisable octagonal tower, the foghorn building, known as the "Vaca de Fisterra", and the Semaphore, built in 1879 to send signals to Spanish Navy ships.

At the End of the World, the sunset alone justifies the journey. The sun sinks over the horizon and the ocean seems to swallow it until it goes out. Then comes the last ray and, after that, darkness.

If you would like to walk all the way here, calculate the price of your Finisterre and Muxía Way and start planning your trip.