Fisterra:
The end of the world
This place has been considered since ancient times as the place where the sun would die and the end of the world known until then.
In the port area of this small town, the comings and goings of small boats laden with fish that bring life to the whole of its coastline and whose catches are caught in the fish market stand out.
There are a large number of shops and different types of accommodation for pilgrims on the Pilgrim’s Way from Santiago to Finisterre. Don’t leave without taking a walk along the streets of the town full of bars and taverns where you can taste some fish or seafood caught in the wild waters of the so-called Costa da Morte!
Recommendations:
Church of Santa María das Areas. Romanesque church built in the 12th century with the image of the Christ of Barba Dourada inside, a very peculiar image since, according to tradition, the Christ’s hair grows back.
Hermitage of San Guillerme. It is a place with maximum powers over fertility, as it is visited by couples trying to conceive a child that does not come.
Lighthouse of Finisterre. This cape has been the scene of reflection, spirituality and maritime journeys. Built in 1853, it is made of stone and has an octagonal base. Its light reaches a distance of 31 nautical miles. Since 1888 it has had a siren due to the constant néboa that exists in the area.
Castle of San Carlos. Built in the 17th century to defend the town from the English and French invasions, today it houses the Fishing Museum.
Monument to the emigrant. In the centre of the village and next to the harbour is the monument that pays homage to all the people who had to leave Galicia in search of better living conditions, especially to America.
Nearby places:
Nearby QRs:
More information in:
Webs of interest:
https://www.turismo.gal/que-visitar/destacados/cabo-fisterra?langId=es_ES
http://www.finisterrae.org/info.php?informacion=32&idioma=es&sec=5
More information:
Small seaside village located in the province of A Coruña, marking the beginning of the so-called Costa da Morte.
The Council of Fisterra has catalogued three mámoas in Sardiñeiro de Abaixo. In the same valley, in Castromiñán, we can find the remains of a castro, perfectly outlined in the contours of the landscape. This shows the prehistoric occupation of the place.
Known since ancient times as a place of difficult navigation, because the entire coastline that makes up the coast of death, steep, rocky and full of dangerous shallows and rocks, is evidence of numerous shipwrecks, which claimed many human lives, not being higher this figure thanks to the generosity and heroism of the people of these lands, some of which were able to put their lives at risk to save others.
Due to the large number of shipwrecks that occurred (statistics show a sad 140 shipwrecks over a period of 100 years), the stories of the raqueros, the local version of sea pirates, who managed to cause shipwrecks by confusing the ships and making them run aground, and managed to get hold of powerful boats, became popular. However, these stories obey more to popular imagination than to real facts.
At ethnographic and architectural level, Fisterra is very important because of its crossroads, churches or manor houses, marking a very own character always inspired by the end of our way.
Legends:
Surely one of the most well-known legends and stories is that of Ara Solis, a supposed altar to the Sun created by the Phoenicians to venerate the king of the stars. Every evening, when the sun set, the ancients paid homage to it so that it would grant them its most precious favour: fertility. For these civilisations, the sun was the source of life for everything that happened on Earth, from agriculture to the fertility of men and women. According to the Xacobean tradition, however, this altar was first taken by the Romans and later destroyed by the Apostle James in the name of Christianity.
The exact location of the Ara Solis is unknown, although there are some theories that argue that its original location would be Muxía. If this were the case, much of the history of this area would change radically. Others, on the other hand, argue that the small island that lies just in front of the cape – known as Ara Solis – would be the original altar. In fact, they claim that the line of the horizon that marks the ocean and the sun represent the chalice and the host of the coat of arms of Galicia.
Finisterre is also known for the legend of Orca Vella.
Mount Facho was the retreat of a barbarian woman called Orca Vella who, after a long life dedicated to the arts, to robbery, to eating children and chasing people, chose this place to end her days. He dug a grave and buried himself next to the body of a shepherd, whom he loved. The shepherd’s watercresses were visited by the people who were unable to do anything about it, due to the serps that came out of the ashes.