Finisterre Camino July 20-24

[Quinranda]

Hello experienced pilgrims.

My daughter and I are planning to spend 4 days walking the Finisterre route after spending a few days in Santiago. I have booked a room in Santiago for the fireworks on July 24th before we fly back to Madrid the next day. As I know this is a very busy time in Santiago, I'm wondering if I have to worry about booking accommodation in advance along this route? We know we only have 4 days, so I could map it out in advance. My main concern is feeling rushed walking to find a room as this is our wind-down before going home. We will also look for twin rooms for these last few days.

Finally, with only 4 days to walk , I'm having trouble deciding whether to walk 4 days to Finisterre or to push it and walk to both Finisterre and Muxia. Route suggestions would also be appreciated.

Thanks so much in advance!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Quinranda,
I've walked this route several times and always enjoy it. Whether to push it or not will of course depend on you, but I last walked this camino in 2014 at the age of 64 and was comfortable walking in four days to Muxia and Finisterre. I think the key is to push the first day beyond Negreira. It's a nice little town, has some good restaurants and good accommodation, but it's only 21 km. Adding 12 more on to get to Vilaserio, where there is a nice private albergue (and also a very basic public albergue) makes the rest of the stages easier. I have gone first to Muxia and first to Finisterre, and though I like Muxia better than Finisterre, it does feel more "right" to end in Finisterre. So that means that my Day 2 from Vilaserio is the great albergue in Dumbria. People in town are fabulous, the albergue is awesome. Day 3 into Muxia, and Day 4 out to Finisterre.

Now there is a downside to walking first to Muxia, and that is that unless you walk back from Finisterre to Santiago, you will not get the beautiful coastal views and walk that you get when you walk from Santiago to Finisterre. That's the side of the triangle that the "Muxia first" option doesn't include.

In 2012, I walked first to Muxia and Finisterre and then went into Santiago for the July 24 festivities. I didn't find the crowds to be much larger than on earlier caminos. I probably called Vilaserio when I got to Negreira, just to make sure they had rooms, but didn't make any other reservations. My blog has some details on that http://caminoolvidado.blogspot.com/

I think you will be happy you added this on to the end of your Camino. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Quinranda]

Laurie, this is very helpful information! Thanks so much for the detailed response. My two choices right now are to do what you suggest and go to both places or to take 4 days to get to Finisterre and to spend one night on the coast near Cee with a short last day into Finisterre. I'm traveling with my 17 yr old daughter, so I am trying to come up with options and then let her help me decide.