Camino Finisterre: Day 4 (Final Day)

Distance: 16 KM + 6 KM round trip to the lighthouse (13.7 miles)

Weather: cloudy, 61-64°

Time on trail: 4 hours + 2 hours round trip to the lighthouse

Total days walked: 38 (consecutive days; no rest days)

Total distance walked: 894 Kilometers (555.5 miles)

After many rainy days, we finally had a day with no rain & warm temperatures. Wow, what a blessing!!

We started at 8:50 with a more than a full breakfast. Today’s final walk was only a short 10 miles, so no need for a café con leche or omelette break today.

One our last day, we walked along old wagon trails through eucalyptus & pine forests.

Plus we saw many mushrooms.

We walked through the small village called Estorde. A home caught our eye because it had scallop shells all over its exterior. The owner heard us talking, came outside, & offered us a shot for which he would not take no for an answer. We think it was a type of brandy.

After a few hours we reached the coastline.

We headed down to the beach to walk a few of the last KM & collect a few seashells.

Once we found our hotel in Finisterre & enjoyed a 30 minute break, we headed for the lighthouse & the Camino’s official end point that was still 3.1 KM (1.86 miles) away.

We finally made it to KM 0.000!!!!!

It has been a few years since I have done something physically hard. I wasn’t sure I could walk 894 KM (555 miles). I’m actually amazed I did! We averaged 14.5 miles a day. It wasn’t easy; but, it was a very enjoyable experience which will be impossible to forget.

Views from the End of the World.

On both the way to & from the lighthouse, we met a few old Camino friends who had also made the 4 day journey to Finisterre. It was nice to see them one last time.

My second goal for the Camino was to meet people from around the world. We met & talked with people from 25 different countries. Many folks I would welcome into my home. Most walkers came from European countries; but, we also met many from Canada & Korea.

Here is some history about Finisterre & why many pilgrims try to come here after reaching Santiago.

We only had one thing left to do to complete our journey across Spain… laundry.

Now we are ready for Phase 2 in our trip. Next stops in Spain will be in Madrid, Seville, & Barcelona. To continue our journey, we are taking a bus back to Santiago & then taking trains to our other destinations. We are both looking forward to seeing & experiencing more of Spain.

I’ll continue to post to this blog until we are home; so, if you are interested, then come along with the Wanderers.

Camino Finisterre: Day 3

Distance: 25 KM (15.5 miles)

Weather: Rain & Sustained Winds, 58-64°

Time on the trail: 7 hours 20 minutes including all breaks & stops

From the moment we stepped out the hotel’s door until noon, water fell from the sky. Within 30 minutes our outer gear was once again soaking wet.

Having no choice, we simply moved on hoping the precipitation would not last all day.

We entered a new province in Galicia.

Lunch was around noon at the last bar open for the next 15 KM. It was called Pilgrim Hospital which is so appropriate for hungry, tired, & wet pilgrims on their way to Finisterre.

Super thankful that the rain let up some after lunch at which time it was replaced by fog. Additionally, we walked past many clear-cut fields from which forests were felled. Felt like home in Washington.

We had a few interesting sightings along the way.

Our trail split here. One going west to Finisterre & the other going north to Muxia.

A volunteer station operated on the honor system.

Another bar closed for the season.

We also passed the old church called Ermita de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves which dates to the 18th Century.

The water from the spring by the chapel is supposed to help female animals & nursing mothers. The water is believed to help aching feet. Perfect for a passing pilgrim.

An hour later, another old church provided us with the perfect spot to rest before walking to Cee.

Our first view of the Atlantic Ocean.

To paraphrase Cheryl Strayed from her book “Wild” about her perspective as she hiked the Pacific Coast Trail:

“It has gotten easier, but, it is never easy. “

This is exactly how I felt when we arrived at the hotel around 4:20. Always happy to be finished.

My husband & I have talked about what makes a day easier or harder on the trail.

These are the factors listed in no particular order which we feel determines whether a day is easy or hard on the trail:

1. Physical condition (aches, pains, ailments)

2. Distance to cover

3. Terrain along the path

4. Trail Quality

5. Weather

Today is the 37th straight day we walked & are averaging just over 14 miles a day!

I’m a little sad that tomorrow will be our last day hiking when we reach Cape Finisterre; but I think my feet, legs, & knees will be extremely happy. Vitamin I (Ibuprofen) has become more important over the past few days than I would prefer.

Camino Finisterre: Day 2

Distance: 28 KM (17.3 miles)

Weather: misty, drizzle, rain, 51-62°

Time on trail: 7 hours 50 including all breaks & stops

We were told to expect rain in Galicia in November which has been true. Today started with a light mist, then changed to a continuous drizzle by mid-morning which then became constant rain in the afternoon.

Seeing rain was in the forecast along with a having 17 mile day, we made sure we left early.

The hotel ensured we had a good breakfast by serving huge croissants.

Negreira looks like an old English or Irish town. Not surprising since the entire Camino has strong Celtic connections.

Unlike yesterday, we saw many hikers on the trail; but, far less than our days heading towards Santiago.

For most of the morning, the trail passed an through beautiful woods & was often on old wagon paths.

I absolutely love how the Spaniards are so creative with recycling various items for planters & decorations.

A few sights along the way today.

Thankfully, a nice bar which was a perfect location for us to have lunch at noon.

It was fine until around 1:30 pm; but, gradually the drizzle turned into constant rain for the rest of the day.

Our last rest stop. We were happy to find some shelter from the rain to take a break. From here, we hiked for almost another 2 hours to reach our hotel.

From what little I could see due to the rain & fog over our last stretch, this area is very green with rolling hills. It looked & felt like Ireland.

We were very happy to see our hotel just before 5:00 pm. The temperatures were in the high 50s, so it wasn’t cold; but, we were both very wet from head to toe.

Unlike at every other places we stayed, the hotel clerk didn’t ask for our passports; but, took us directly to our room. He also told us when the bus leaves tomorrow for Finisterre. When we said we were walking there, his response was “Perfecto!”

Rain is forecasted again for all day tomorrow; but, at least it’s a shorter walk.

Our hotel has a restaurant, so fortunately we don’t need to go back out into the rain this evening.

Count down to Finisterre:

2 more days

Camino Finisterre: Day 1

Distance: 21 KM (13 miles)

Weather: cloudy with intermittent rain, 46-57°

Time on trail: 6 hours 10 minutes including all breaks & stops

Yesterday, I was extremely tired once we reached our hotel around 1:30 pm. At that moment, I wasn’t so sure I’d be up to do 4 more days on the trail.

However, after an afternoon nap & a good night’s sleep, I was once again ready to go.

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast along with our new German friend who was staying in the same hotel.

We learned that she had walked the Camino many times & had done different routes. The Camino Primitivo was her favorite; but, she also enjoyed the Camino Portugues which follows a coastal route. Good food for thought if we decide to walk another Camino.

On Tuesday, she decided to take advantage of the nice weather & walked a double leg all the way into Santiago arriving in the early evening. So, on Wednesday morning, she was among the first pilgrims in line at the pilgrim office.

For many years, the 1st ten pilgrims in line each morning to pick up their completion certificate have been offered a free lunch at the Hostal Reís Católicos (oldest hotel in the world.) She said it was very nice.

Capitalizing on the nicer weather this morning, we snapped few pictures around the cathedral before heading on our way.

I wasn’t sure if we would still have the yellow arrows guiding us to Finisterre; but, thankful we do, along with the ubiquitous KM markers.

Our last view of Santiago with the cathedral dominating the skyline.

On our way again.

There are very few bars on this Camino. You have to hope to find one open that is used more by the locals than pilgrims. This one came along at the perfect time.

We saw very few pilgrims/hikers today; but, to our great surprise, this young Korean man was on his way to Finisterre. We have seen him off & on during the entire trek.

It was great to see him again & finally learn his name.

After a long steady climb, we found this nice spot in the eucalyptus woods to enjoy our lunch.

Other sights along the way.

We crossed a very old stone bridge at Ponte Maceira which was built in the 14th Century & refurbished in the 18th Century.

A Spanish village.

Tomorrow is our last very long hike. We plan to start earlier & take more breaks. Forecast is for rain all day. Unfortunately, there will be few places along the route, possibly with a bar where I can enjoy a break for a cafe con leche.

Count down:

3 days to Finisterre

Camino: Day 34

Distance: 16.4 KM (10 miles)

Weather: rain, 50-61°

Time on trail: 4 hours with few stops

It’s official, we walked into Santiago today.! The forecast showed rain all day & that’s exactly what it did.

But, a little rain is not going to stop people who have already walked over 475 miles.

We were on the trail at 8:40 wearing all our rain gear.

Fortunately, today was a short walk. An hour into our walk, we saw our young friend from Italy. She stayed with us the rest of the way.

The count down begins.

It is hard to explain the feelings you have when you reach the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela. Pure joy & disbelief are just two.

Pictures never do justice to this church. It is incredibly large & you can feel it’s all encompassing presence. Experiencing it justifies all the time spent to reach it.

After we arrived, we watched trail friends arrive. Many hugs & big smiles were included in the greetings.

We also had hugs with several Koreans who had been walking with us from the 1st day as well.

Our next stop was inside the cathedral.

Next we went to the pilgrim office where you show your pilgrim passport with all the stamps collected on it since the start. You need at least one stamp each day which are collected from hotels, churches, restaurants, & volunteer stations.

Once you show your passport stamps to the official at the pilgrim office, you are issued the official completion certificate.

Our hotel adjacent to the cathedral was once a 16th Century Monastery.

In the square next to the cathedral is the world’s oldest hotel started in 1489 by Queen Isabella & King Ferdinand to accommodate pilgrims.

We celebrated at our evening meal with a Torte de Santiago.

What a day!!!

Tomorrow, we head for what was once believed to be the “end of the world”, hence its name Finisterre. I hope my knees, feet, & legs can handle walking another 90 KM. It will be interesting to see if we know anyone from the Camino Frances on the trail or make new friends along the way.

Camino: Day 33

Distance: 23 KM (14.2 miles)

Weather: cloudy with periods of light rain, 45-54°

Time on trail: 6 hours 40 minutes including all breaks & stops

Next to a perfect day on the Camino. Only some light rain during a nice autumn day walking through woods full of oak & eucalyptus trees. With the ground covered with so many fallen yellow leaves, it was easy imagining being somewhere in Vermont in October.

As we get closer to Santiago, we almost always see pilgrims either in front or behind us most of the day. It wasn’t until the last 5-6 KM that we had the trail to ourselves. This was because most people stopped before us in Pedrouzo.

With the number of pilgrims currently on the trail, it is hard to envision how crowded the Camino must be during high season.

By 9:00 we were high above Arzua & on our way.

After several rainy days, you could feel the happiness in the air from the pilgrims as well as everyone knowing that Santiago was very close.

With few bars open, it is not uncommon to see friends congregated at the first major bar during the walk, which today was about 2.5 hours into the trail.

Bars also provide the opportunity to introduce yourself properly to people who you see each day. Now I finally have a real name to go with “orange jacket” & “black glasses” who walk together. 😉

The main obstacle today was trying to avoid the mud.

Around noon, we came across this bar/restaurant. I only wanted tea; but, their salad looked too good to miss.

Cute menu too.

When we left the restaurant, it started raining; but, it was a short shower & we enjoyed the remaining afternoon rain free.

Came across this man offering inspirational quotes & smoothing music.

Solitude in the forest on our next to last day to Santiago was a wonderful way to end our hike.

Tomorrow, I expect a crowded trail even though rain is forecasted all day. Some people rise very early to hike in the dark to reach Santiago at sunrise. We don’t plan on participating in this custom. 😂

Count down:

1 Day until Santiago 🤗!!!

5 days until Finisterre