The Camino Finisterre is an extension of the Camino de Santiago that takes pilgrims from Santiago de Compostela to what in old times was believed to be “the end of the world” or Finisterre. The Finisterre-Muxia route is the only way that starts not ends in Santiago de Compostela.
There are two finishing points on this route Finisterre and Muxía, you can choose one of them or walk to both, there is a route (part of the Camino) that connects them. The first 60km from Santiago is the same route, at Hospital it splits into two different ways (day 3). Most people walk this route after completing one of the longer Camino routes, we walked it after finishing the Camino del Norte.
Table of Contents
Camino Finisterre free downloadable PDFs
To help you with route planning we created downloadable PDF files that contain walking stages for the Camino Finisterre and places to stay along the route.
Camino Finisterre route overview
- Distance – Santiago to Finisterre – 89km/55 miles, Santiago to Muxía – 86km/53 miles, Santiago to Muxía to Finisterre – 115km/71 miles, Santiago to Finisterre to Muxía – 118km/73 miles
- Number of days required – 4-5
- Starting point – Santiago de Compostela
- Finishing point – Finisterre or Muxía
- Average cost – 25-30 Euro per person per day
- Route marking – yellow shells and arrows
- Accommodation – public and private albergues, hostels, hotels
If you don’t feel like walking more after completing one of the longer Camino routes you can stay in Santiago de Compostela for a couple of days there are many great things to do in the city including a day trip from Santiago to Finisterre and Muxia.
How long is the route?
The route from Santiago de Compostela to Finisterre is 89 km/55 mi. The route from Santiago to Muxia is 86 km/53 mi. You need 3-5 days to complete it. If you walk to both capes the total distance is 115 km/71 mi. You’ll need 4-6 days to walk the Camino.
Travel insurance for the pilgrimage
You can read more information about travel insurance for the Camino de Santiago or get an instant quote for your trip right here.
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Which one is better Finisterre or Muxia?
It’s always difficult to compare places and sights and say which one is better. If you have enough time I’d suggest visiting both. If you have to choose, go to Cape Finisterre, not because it’s more beautiful but because historically it was the end of the Camino route. We liked Muxía more mostly because of the weather; we had a terrible day at Finisterre with stormy wind and pouring rain and a nice sunny day in Muxía.
- Both points; Finisterre and Muxía have 0km marking whichever you go to you’ll end at the 0km point.
- More people go to Finisterre including day visitors and groups that arrive by bus; Muxía is less touristy even in the peak season there are significantly fewer people.
- The Cape in Muxía is only 10min. walk from the center of the town compared to a 3km walk from the town to the point at Finisterre.
- There are more places of interest in Muxía; sanctuary da Nossa Señora da Barca, A Ferida monument, Piedra de Abalar, Piedra dos Cadrís, Monte Corpiño view-point.
- The actual cape in Muxía is more spacious compared to Finisterre so it doesn’t get overcrowded.
There is a daily bus that goes between Finisterre and Muxía if you don’t feel like walking.
Recommended books and guidebooks
The main guidebook for the Camino Finisterre-Muxía is A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Inglés: & Camino Finisterre Including Múxia Circuit (Camino Guides) by John Brierly, 2022 edition. This guide includes the Camino Ingles and the Camino Finisterre-Muxía routes.
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Can you get the Compostela for the Camino Finisterre?
Not, for completing the Camino Finisterre-Muxia you don’t get the Compostela certificate. You can get two similar certificates; the Finisterrana and the Muxiana. The Finisterrana you get at the Tourism Information in Finisterre. The Muxiana one you get in the municipal albergue in Muxía.
When is the best time for walking?
We walked the Camino Finisterre in November and most of the time it rained sometimes very hard the day we arrived at Finisterre was terrible; strong wind, heavy rain, and bad visibility. From our Camino experience, the shoulder season (May-June and September) is the best time to do the Camino; not too many people and the weather is still nice (not too hot, not too rainy).
In October you might be lucky and not get much rain or unlucky and walk in the pouring rain. The warmest months in Galicia are July and August – the busiest time when there are thousands of people everywhere. If you’re planning to walk in these months we’d suggest booking accommodation in advance. Low season November – March weather-wise is not the best time for walking to Finisterre; it’s quite chilly, it rains a lot, very few pilgrims and many places are closed for the off-season.
Camino Finisterre cost
Accommodation on the Camino. All municipal albergues on the route cost 8 Euro pp., private albergues are between 12 and 14 Euro, and hotels are 40+ Euro for a private room.
Food on the Camino de Santiago. Menu del Dia (first dish, main, wine/beer/cool drink, coffee or dessert, bread) – 10 Euro; breakfast (coffee with croissant or toast with butter and jam) – 3 Euro; English breakfast with coffee – 5 Euro; dinner – 10-15 Euro, coffee between 1 and 1,5 Euro. A supermarket meal (ready-made salads, microwave meals, sandwiches) – between 2,5 and 4 Euro.
Transport. Bus Finisterre – Santiago – 11 Euro; bus Muxía – Santiago – 8 Euro.
Laundry. 3 Euro washing, 3 Euro drying.
Our budget breakdown (2 people, 6 days)
- Accommodation – 120 Euro, we stayed at both municipal and private albergues and one night in a pension. If you stay only in municipal albergues your accommodation will cost you as little as 24 Euro (4 days) and 30 Euro (5 days) per person.
- Eating out – 45 Euro, we didn’t eat Menu del Dia, ate breakfast a couple of times, and stopped for coffee once a day.
- Shopping – 100 Euro, most of the food we bought at supermarkets.
- Laundry – 6 Euro, did washing+drying once.
- Transport – 16 Euro, we took a bus from Muxía to Santiago de Compostela.
Total: 287 Euro/6 days/2 people or 24 Euro per person per day.
We have a detailed post on the cost of walking the Camino where you can find more information on expenses, money-saving tips, and find out what you can get on the Camino for 20, 30, and 40 Euro a day.
What is the accommodation like on the Camino?
Being a part of the Camino de Santiago routes the Finisterre route has albergues (special hostels for pilgrims). There are two types of albergues: municipal (public) and private albergues. Municipal albergues are exclusively for pilgrims. To stay there, you have to show your Credential, a certificate that confirms that you’re a pilgrim. You can get one for the Camino Finisterre at the Pilgrim’s Reception Office in Santiago.
Private albergues/hostels are for everybody regardless if you walk there or get by bus.
Municipal (public) albergues on the Camino Finisterre
Municipal albergues are run by the municipality, they cost 8 Euro per person per bed. These albergues are exclusively for pilgrims with a Credential. The municipal albergues open for check-in between 1 pm and 1.30 pm.
The doors are usually closed after 10 pm if you go out for dinner or a drink make sure to come back in time. You have to leave municipal albergues before 8 am the next morning. You can stay in a municipal albergue for only one night.
On the Camino Finisterre municipal albergues are in very good condition (clean, big, and spacious). We stayed in both municipal and private and found the municipal albergues to be good.
Public (municipal) albergues on the Camino Finisterre can be found in
- Negreira – 21 km from Santiago
- Olveiroa – 54 km from Santiago
- Dumbria – 65 km from Santiago
- Corcubión – 75 km from Santiago
- Muxía – 86 km from Santiago
- Finisterre – 89 km from Santiago
Private albergues on the route
Private albergues are more like hostels where anybody can stay. The cost is between 10 and 14 Euro pp. Private albergues are more flexible they might let you check in earlier and check out later. They’re usually smaller and have better facilities though, on the Camino Finisterre-Muxia, public albergues are good.
Public vs private albergues on the Camino Finisterre
| Features | Public albergues | Private albergues |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 8 Euro | 12-14 Euro |
| Only for pilgrims | Yes | No |
| Need the Credential | Yes | No |
| Can be booked | No | Yes |
| Accept luggage delivery | No | Yes |
| Allow staying more than 1 night | No | Yes |
What to pack for the walk?
This route is very short you don’t need to bring a lot of stuff. Many pilgrims leave their big backpacks in their hotel in Santiago and walk the Camino Finisterre with a day pack. As an option, you can use a backpack shuttle service and bring as much stuff as you want. You can find the complete packing list for different seasons for men and women in our Camino de Santiago packing list post.
Choosing the right pair of shoes and a good backpack is very important. Find out about the best shoes for walking the Camino and the best backpacks for the Camino de Santiago.
Luggage transfer on the Camino Finisterre
Like on any other Camino route, it’s possible to arrange luggage delivery service on the Camino Finisterre-Muxia. The delivery service is very simple in the morning you leave your backpack or suitcase at the reception on a private albergue of a hotel, a car picks it up and drives it to your next accommodation place. By the time you arrive, your luggage is already there. The average price is 7 Euro per backpack per stage.
There are several companies offering luggage delivery services on the Camino to Finisterre and Muxía. The three main companies are Correos and Pilbeo.
Camino Finisterre-Muxia map
Santiago de Compostela, the beginning of the walk
The Camino Finisterre-Muxía is the only Camino route that starts and does not finish in Santiago. Most pilgrims walk it as an extension after completing one of the other routes. As I already mentioned we walked to Finisterre after finishing the Northern Camino. I can recommend continuing to Finisterre if you have time, especially after completing one of the long inland Camino routes e.g. the Camino Frances or the Via de la Plata. After walking for 30-40 days through the arid landscape and endless fields it’s nice to get to the sea.
Tours and activities in Santiago de Compostela
Places to stay in Santiago
There are many great places to stay in Santiago de Compostela for different budgets from albergues to luxury hotels.
Camino Finisterre – walking stages (a 4-day itinerary)
Day 1. Santiago de Compostela to Negreira, 21 km/13 mi
The Camino starts at the Cathedral; from Obradoiro Square follow Rua das Hortas, the street on the right that goes down past Hotel Reyes Catolicos. You’ll start seeing yellow arrows painted on the asphalt (though the arrows are a bit faded), and follow the arrows. Cross Rua do Pombal (a busy road) and follow along Rua da Poza de Bar. After about 1km from the cathedral, at Caballeria de San Lorenzo Park, you’ll see the first distance pole. From there on the route is well-marked with distance poles.
If you want to split the stage into two you can stop at Roxos, a small village about 8 km from Santiago de Compostela. It’s not right on the Camino route, it’s about an 800-meter loop. There are two hotels Hotel O Desvio and Asador de Roxos Casa Albardonedo. This way you walk 21 km over 2 days; 8 km and 13 km (1 extra kilometer to get to Roxos from the Camino and back).
Points of interest
- Park Caballeria de San Lorenzo (here you find the first distance mark)
- The medieval bridge over the River Roxos
- The Baroque church of Trasmonte
- A beautiful town of Ponte Maceira; a small waterfall, an old medieval bridge, the chapel of Carmen surrounded by picturesque green hills – a nice place to stop for coffee or lunch.
- Pazo de Cotón – a medieval fort in Negreira (at the exit of the town, on the way to the municipal albergue).
Challenges
- The first 1km of the Camino through the city is not marked very well
- Slight up and down hills all the way
- A long and steep ascend after 12km, 220m altitude gain
Negreira
It’s quite a big town if you need to draw money, buy some medicine or stock food this is the place to do it. There will be no supermarkets or shops till Cee (if you go to Finisterre) or till Dumbría (if you go to Muxía).
- ATM – yes
- Municipal albergue – yes, it’s about 1km past the town, we’d suggest bringing food, there is a big Gadis supermarket on the way.
- Private albergue – yes
- Hotel – yes
- Supermarket – yes
- Shop – yes
- Pharmacy – yes
- Restaurant/bar – yes
More places to stay in Negreira
Day 2. Negreira to Olveiroa, 33 km/20,5 mi
A nice walk through the forest in the beginning after a couple of hours changes into the countryside scenery with many small villages, pasture fields, famous Galician rock granaries, and hundreds of cows. The route continues going up and down all the way. From Negreira there are several bars-albergues to stop for coffee, breakfast or lunch won’t be a problem. We stopped for coffee at A Pena, about 8km from the municipal albergue. Note! There will be no shops/supermarkets on the way.
Points of interest
- The granaries of As Maroñas
- The old church in Santa Mariña
- Church of San Cristovo de Corzón
- Mount Aro (556m) from the top you can see a big part of the region and the sea
- Ponte Olveiroa – a bridge built in the 16th century
Challenges
- A long but gradual ascend, 150m altitude gain that starts from the municipal albergue
- Some parts of the road might be a bit muddy if it rains a lot
Olveiroa
A small village with a couple of bars and albergues.
- ATM – no
- Municipal albergue – yes
- Private albergue – yes
- Hotel – yes
- Supermarket – no
- Shop – yes, a very small grocery shop with few things
- Pharmacy – no
- Restaurant/bar – yes
More places to stay in Olveiroa
Day 3 (option 1). Olveiroa to Muxía, 32,5 km/20 mi
Today you have to decide to go first to Muxía and then to Finisterre or another way around (if you’re planning to visit both of course). As I already mentioned above I’d recommend going first to Muxía and finishing in Finisterre. The walk from Olveiroa to Muxía is a little bit shorter – 32 km vs 35 km to Finisterre.
A long walking day through the fields, forest, and small villages with many hills on the way. After 5km from Olveiroa, at Hospital, the route splits into two; the right one goes to Muxia the left continues to Finisterre. We walked both ways (we did the whole loop Hospital-Finisterre-Muxia-Dumbira) and I can say the scenery both ways is quite similar except on the way to Finisterre you walk past Corcubión – a nice beach town, from Corcubión to Finisterre you walk past several beaches. On the way to Muxía, you can see the longest granary in Galicia, the granary of San Mariño de Ozon.
Points of interest
- Church of Santa Baia de Dumbría
- Chapel de Santiño de Espiño
- The granary of San Martiño de Ozón, is the longest in Spain – 27m long.
- Church of San Xulián de Moraime
- Muxía
Challenges
- An easy walking day, with slight ups and downs
Muxía
A nice little town where you can find all the services, a good place for seafood lovers. Two restaurants serve local seafood including the famous pulpo (octopus).
- ATM – yes
- Municipal albergue – yes
- Private albergue – yes
- Hotel – yes
- Supermarket – yes, closed on Sundays
- Shop – yes
- Pharmacy – yes
- Restaurant/bar – yes
Places to stay in Muxía
Day 3 (option 2). Olveiroa to Finisterre, 32 km/20 mi
After 5km at Hospital, you’ll see a split, turn left to Finisterre. Note! The next place after the bar at Hospital (quite expensive) where you can get food or coffee is in Cee, 15km away. If you don’t feel like walking 32 km to Finisterre you can stop after 21 km in Cee or Corcubión. The next morning you can continue walking to Finisterre, 11 km more.
The Cape Finisterre is about 3 km away from the town, it’s 6 km extra to walk to and back. You can check in, have lunch, leave your backpack at your place, and walk to Finisterre.
If you’re not planning to walk to Muxía you can catch a bus from Finisterre to Santiago de Compostela, there are 4 to 6 daily buses (depending on the day of the week).
Points of interest
- Sanctuary of A Nosa Señora das Neves and its “holy fountain” about 2km after Hospital
- Chapel of San Pedro Mártir
- O Cruceiro da Armada
- Cee – the biggest town in the area with many restaurants, bars, bakeries etc. A beautiful church of A Xunqueira, several nice buildings.
- Corcubión – a smallish town next to Cee with a nice beach, cobblestone streets, church of San Marcos.
- The cove of Talón – a small beautiful beach
- The long beach and dunes of Playa Langosteira
- Finisterre
Challenges
- Distance – 35km
- A relatively easy walk, mostly flat with one long descent from Cruceiro da Armada to Cee.
Finisterra
A touristy town with many restaurants, bars, hotels, albergues, and shops.
- ATM – yes
- Municipal albergue – yes
- Private albergue – yes
- Hotel – yes
- Supermarket – yes
- Shop – yes
- Pharmacy – yes
- Restaurant/bar – yes
Places to stay in Finisterre
It’s possible to stay at the very cape Finisterre, next to the Lighthouse at Hotel O Semaforo. It’s quite pricey but the location and the scenery around are truly spectacular. It’s a small and cozy hotel with beautifully designed rooms, breathtaking views, and a nice restaurant.
Day 4. Muxía to Finisterre/Finisterre to Muxía, 29km/18 miles
The route is marked in both directions. The trail takes you through the beautiful forest, past some amazing beaches, green hills, etc. The walk to Finisterre starts at the municipal albergue de Muxía follows the coast for 2-3 km and then turns inland. The only place on the way where you can find food (restaurants) is the small town of Lires, 15 km from Muxía and 14 km from Finisterre.
There are a couple of hotels and guest houses in Lires if you have time and don’t feel like walking 29 km in one day you can stay here. The actual Cape Finisterre is 3 km away from the town, as an option, you can check into albergue/guesthouse, leave there your backpack and walk the last 3 km (6km return) without extra weight.
If you have some time left you can walk or catch a bus from Finisterre to Corcubión, 14 km away, and from there take a taxi to the beautiful Ézaro waterfalls, about 10 km away.
To get to the route from Finisterre first walk out of the town (the same way you came in) towards Playa Langosteira, at the road split turn left (don’t go down to the beach), and follow the street till you see Restaurante Asador on the left, in front of the restaurant there is a sign “Muxía”. After that, the route is marked to Muxía. The cape in Muxía with the sanctuary O Barca is just outside the town, 10 min. walk.
Points of interest
- The beach of Lourido
- Churches Santa Locaia de Frixe and Santa Maria de Morquintian in Lires
- The beach of O Rostro
Challenges
- One long ascend (if you walk from Muxía it’s steeper, coming from the Finisterre side it’s very gradual), 200m altitude gain
- Many smallish ups and downs
- Only one place in the middle to stop for food
Camino Finisterre – walking stages (a 5-day itinerary)
If you have enough time and walking 30+km a day sounds too much you can walk the route from Santiago to Finisterre/Muxía in 4 days + 1 day to walk from Muxía to Finisterre or vice-versa, in total it will take 5 days to complete the route.
Day 1. Santiago to Negreira, 21 km/13 miles
The first day of this itinerary is the same as day one of the 4-day itinerary.
Day 2. Negreira to As Maroñas, 22 km/13,6 mi or to Lago, 27 km/17 mi
If you’re walking to Finisterre first then it’s better to walk 27 km to Lago to make the next walking day to Corcubión shorter. If you’re going first to Muxía it’s better to stop at As Maroñas or Santa Mariña.
As Maroñas and Santa Mariña are two small villages 1km apart. The private albergues in both villages are quite good though one in Santa Mariña doesn’t have a kitchen. As an option this day you can walk 6km further and stop at Lago, the private albergue there is nicer and the restaurant is better.
Points of interest
- The granaries of As Maroñas
- The old church in Santa Mariña
Challenges
- A long gradual ascend, 150m altitude gain that starts from the municipal albergue de Negreira
- Some parts of the road might be a bit muddy if it rains a lot
As Maroñas/Santa Mariña
Two villages 1km apart, each has an albergue and a bar, Santa Mariña has a bakery (closed on Sundays).
- ATM – no
- Municipal albergue – no
- Private albergue – yes, 2 private albergues in the village
- Hotel – no
- Supermarket – no
- Shop – no, only a bakery
- Pharmacy – no
- Restaurant/bar – yes
Lago (Mazaricos)
A tiny place not even a village with a nice private albergue, two restaurants, and not much else.
- ATM – no
- Municipal albergue – no
- Private albergue – yes
- Hotel – no
- Supermarket – no
- Shop – no
- Pharmacy – no
- Restaurant/bar – yes
Places to stay in Lago
Day 3 (option 1, Muxía). As Maroñas/Santa Mariña to Dumbría, 22,5 km/14 mi
The bar at As Maroñas opens only at 9 am if you’re planning to start walking earlier you can stop at Lago for breakfast, 6km, Monte Aro restaurant has different options including eggs and bacon.
Points of interest
- Church of San Cristovo de Corzón
- Mount Aro (556m) from the top you can see a big part of the region and the sea
- Ponte Olveiroa – a bridge built in the 16th century
- Church of Santa Baia de Dumbría
Challenges
A moderate easy walking day with several up and down hills, nothing too hectic.
Dumbría
A bigger village than the previous two with some infrastructure.
- ATM – yes
- Municipal albergue – yes
- Private albergue – no
- Hotel – yes
- Supermarket – no
- Shop – yes, a grocery store at the bar
- Pharmacy – yes
- Restaurant/bar – yes
More places to stay in Dumbría
Day 3 (option 2, Finisterre). Lago to Cee/Corcubión, 27,5 km/17 mi
The route splits 11km from Lago, at Hospital. Note! The bar at Hospital is the last food place, the next one is only in Cee, 15km away.
Points of interest
- Ponte Olveiroa – a bridge built in the 16th century
- Sanctuary of A Nosa Señora das Neves and its “holy fountain” about 2km after Hospital
- Chapel of San Pedro Mártir
- O Cruzeiro da Armada
- Cee – the biggest town in the area with many restaurants, bars, bakeries, etc. A beautiful church of A Xunqueira, several nice buildings.
- Corcubión – a smallish town next to Cee with a nice beach, cobblestone streets, church of San Marcos.
Challenges
- A relatively easy walk, mostly flat with one long descent from Cruceiro da Armada to Cee.
Cee/Corcubión
- ATM – yes
- Municipal albergue – yes
- Private albergue – yes
- Hotel – yes
- Supermarket – yes
- Shop – yes
- Pharmacy – yes
- Restaurant/bar – yes
Places to stay in Cee/Corcubión
Day 4 (option 1). Dumbría to Muxía, 20,5 km/12,7 mi
There will be a couple of places on the way to stop for breakfast, coffee, or lunch, the first one in 5km.
Points of interest
- Chapel de Santiño de Espiño
- The granary of San Martiño de Ozón, is the longest in Spain – 27m long.
- Church of San Xulián de Moraime
- Muxía
Challenges
- An easy walking day, with slight ups and downs
Places to stay in Muxía
There is a good public albergue in the town for 6 Euro for more information go to the 4-day itinerary.
Day 4 (option 2). Cee/Corcubión to Finisterre, 14,5 km/9 mi
As an option after visiting the Cape of Finisterre, you can keep walking towards Muxía and stop at Lires which is 13km away. There are a couple of hostels and guest houses as well as restaurants and bars but no shops.
Points of interest
- The cove of Talón – a small beautiful beach
- The long beach and dunes of Playa Langosteira
- Finisterre cape
Challenges
- An easy and short walking day
Places to stay in Finisterre
There is a public albergue in the town for 8 Euro. For more details go to the 4-day itinerary.
Day 5. Muxía to Finisterre/Finisterre to Muxía, 29 km/18 mi
This day is the same as day four of the 4-day itinerary.
How to get back to Santiago de Compostela from Finisterre?
There are direct buses to Santiago from both towns. There are several daily buses from Finisterre, the journey takes between 2h15min. and 3 hours (depending on the route and stops). The bus leaves from the bus stop around the corner from the municipal albergue. Price 7 Euro pp. paid on the bus. You can check online for the current departure times and prices. Note! In the search box “Departure point” type “Fisterra”, the Galician name of the town.
How to get back from Muxía?
From Muxía it takes between 1h45min. and 2 hours to get to Santiago, the price is 7 Euro, paid on the bus. The bus leaves from Cafeteria Don Quijote, the second stop is at the bar O’Xardin. You can purchase tickets and check the up-to-date itinerary on the MonBus website.
Camino Finisterre-Muxía route planning resources
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The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
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