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Wise Pilgrim APPYou've arrived in Santiago, but the camino doesn't have to end here. Two ancient paths lead west from the Cathedral to the Atlantic coast -- one to Finisterre (the End of the World) and one to Muxia (the sanctuary on the rocks). Most pilgrims walk both, connecting them in a loop. The shared route from Santiago to Olveiroa covers roughly 55 km of quiet Galician countryside, after which the path splits at a roundabout known as The Great Divide.
The walk to the coast is different from everything that came before. There are no pilgrim crowds, the villages are smaller, the services thinner. The terrain is rolling Galician forest and farmland -- eucalyptus, granite, horreos, and the occasional cow. It's a decompression walk, and many pilgrims find it more emotionally satisfying than the arrival in Santiago itself.
Pick up supplies before you leave. The first reliable bar isn't until Alto do Vento, roughly 15 km into the walk.
The Feast day of Saint James is celebrated with a full week of music and dance, with a fireworks display in the Plaza Obradoiro on the evening of the 24th of July. The best views can be had from Obradoiro, or from Alameda park.
The start of the camino to Finisterre is poorly marked, and the fading yellow arrows are hard to find. Fortunately, the way is easy to describe and is very brief; you will be in the forest in less than 1km. Facing the Parador (with the Cathedral to your right) exit the square along the road to your left. It goes downhill along the Rúa da Hortas (named for the gardens which are behind the homes that line this road). The cobbled road ends at an intersection, and here there are several crosswalks, you want the one that takes you over the larger of the roads. The camino follows along the Rúa da Poza de Bar, you can recognize this street for the popular Café Tertulia (perfect for breakfast). It continues straight down this road to a small park at the end, and here the first official marker of the way can be found.It directs you through the park and towards your right, and eventually downhill to cross the river at Ponte Sarela.
