FT03 - Olveiroa - Fisterra - 30 km
42.90816,-9.264994
Itinerary
The Way leaves Olveiroa bordering a fountain with a washing place. From here, and bordering Olveiroa and Castelo reservoirs, you will get to Logoso. Next, you will get to Hospital de Logoso. Look for the road that connects this village with Cée and then take the old Camiño Real, which will lead you away from urban areas. Go up to Nosa Señora das Neves and San Pedro Mártir chapels, and then descend towards Alto do Cruceiro da Armada, first place where you will be able to see the sea and also the silhouette of Finisterre Cape.
Enter Cée on the right of Brens Factory via Camiños Chans and go through the town. Then, border Praia da Seca (Praia da Concha) to enter Corcubión, town of great artistic and monumental interest because of the beauty of its historical centre and, especially, because of San Marcos Gothic church.
Leave Corcubión while heading towards Vilar, from where you will get to San Pedro da Redonda after passing by a crossroads. In Vilar, there is also a pilgrims’ hostel. Go up to A Redonda to descend again towards Estorde cove, last stop before arriving at Concello de Fisterra. Turn a detour to the right once you get to Sardiñeiro and then keep following the arrows to ascend Seoane Mountain. From the top, you will descend to Talón lookout, a privileged site where you will be able to enjoy the Promontorium Nerium and the “Tómbolo Fisterrán”. A few metres ahead, the route goes down towards Praia de Talón on a path that ends on the regional road.
Walk on this road until you see a sign that says “Corredoira de Don Camilo”, pointing to a small slope that leads to Praia da Langosteira. Keep going on the modern boardwalk or walk on the sand of Langosteira, as you prefer. After 3 km, you will get to San Roque, the other end of the beach, to then go back to the boardwalk and get to A Crus de Baixar (an emblematic “cruceiro”), which is located in the town centre.
Other options for the pilgrim
There is another option to get to Fisterra, following the regional road to Escaselas to then turn right towards San Martiño, from where you will get to A Charca. Next, you will enter the town via Camiño de Barcia. This way, you will get directly to Alcalde Fernández Avenue, leading towards the Cape.
It seems the ancient pilgrims in medieval ages used to finish their Way on San Guillermo Chapel, located on top of the hill with the same name. To arrive at this place of archeological interest, you will need to follow the Lighthouse road (Alcalde Fernández Avenue) and then take a detour to the right once you have passed by Nosa Señora das Areas Church.
From here, the place can be found easily. Once you have visited San Guillermo, you can go down to the Lighthouse following an intricate road that descends towards the Cape.
Rituals in Fisterra
The pilgrims arriving at Fisterra usually do a series of purification rituals to end this journey in a symbolic way. They start a new life after getting rid of the sins and the material burden.
The first thing the pilgrim has to do is to take a bath in Praia Langosteira. Some pilgrims prefer to do it in Mar de Fóra, looking at the sunset. Anyway, the objective is to clean up the dust of the way before enter the sacred Finisterre Cape. Next, you will visit Fin do Mundo Hostel, where you can get the Finisterrana (the official certificate for doing the Way to Fisterra). Then comes the most important part: walk to Fisterra Cape.
The most devout and those walk the Way for religious motives can go to Santa María das Areas Church to adore the Sacred Christ of Fisterra and pass though Porta Santa to obtain the indulgence. Porta Santa is located on the north wall of the temple and it is opened just during jubilee years.
Next, you will continue to Fisterra Cape. From Revolta de Cabanas, where Fin do Mundo Cemetery is located, you will see the Lighthouse perfectly. Once there, you will many souvenirs stalls and parking areas. A bollard blocks the entrance for cars to the Lighthouse Square. Praza da República Arxentina, as this place is known, has on one extreme the legendary milestone indicating the Km 0.
This is the end of the Way
The Lighthouse is open for visits during the morning and afternoons in summer, and during some specific dates such as Christmas time and Holy Week. Inside, you will be able to see different art exhibitions. Going down on the left of the Lighthouse, and after contemplating the astonishing views of Fisterra Cape, you will get to the extreme where this stretch of land penetrates into the sea. Here is where the pilgrims burn their boots and clothes as part of the purification ritual. This act of pagan origin is the symbol of rebirth. It is a tradition to stay gazing at the sunset until the sun sinks into the ocean.
Once you have finished with the rituals and before going back home, it is recommendable to ascend on the south hillside of Facho Mountain to discover some of the most magical views of Fisterra Cape.
External info sources about this route and recommended websites:
Asociación Cultural “Plataforma Veciñal Fisterra, Único Fin do Camiño”
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