Fisterra

Fisterra is a town of 4,700 people (2018) in Galicia. Fisterra is believed by many people to be the most western point of Europe, and the alternative finishing point for the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James). In fact the most western point of Europa is in Portugal, near Lisbon and it is called Cabo da Roca.

Understand
Fisterra is on the rocky Costa da Morte (Galician: "Coast of Death"), named because of the large number of shipwrecks along these shores. The name Fisterra comes from Latin finis terrae, meaning "land's end". This name stems from the fact that this area is on a remote peninsula that is one of the westernmost points of land in Galicia, and hence in Spain.

Fisterra is an ancient port and fishing village, formed by narrow streets leading to the Plaza de Ara Solis. The chapel of Nosa Señora do Bon Suceso, dating from the 18th century, is on the plaza. There is a lighthouse on a 600-metre promontory called "Monte Facho" at the tip of Cape Finisterre overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. On the road up to the lighthouse is the parish church of Santa María de Fisterra which contains the Chapel of Santo Cristo.

Get in
Fisterra is 108 km from A Coruña, and 98 km from Santiago de Compostela.


 * Walk the Camino de Santiago
 * Get the bus from Santiago de Compostela

Get around
Walk.

See
The sunset over the sea - the last place in Europe to see it.


 * Castle of San Carlos, built during the reign of Charles III of Spain.
 * Church of Nosa Señora das Areas (late 12th century, modified later). It houses the image of the Holy Christ of Fisterra.
 * Bon Suceso Chapel (18th century)
 * Fisterra Lighthouse, the main on the Costa da Morte.

Do



 * Don't burn something you used on your camino, like your shoes (if you walked the camino). You can be fined by police. Also you may cause a wildfire.
 * Don't burn something you used on your camino, like your shoes (if you walked the camino). You can be fined by police. Also you may cause a wildfire.


 * Fisterra has several beaches like O Rostro, Arnela, Mar de Fóra, Langosteira, Ribeira, and Corveiro. Many of the beaches are framed by steep cliffs leading down to the "Mare Tenebrosum" (or dark sea, the name of the Atlantic in the Middle Ages).


 * Every Easter there is a local festival featuring the Christ of the Golden Beard.

Go next

 * If you didn't come from Santiago de Compostela, go there next and see the magnificent cathedral.