Having completed the Camino Inglés this past April during Semana Santa, I met so many special people and came to know a new side of myself as well. Over my 114 kilometers to Santiago de Compostela from Ferrol not only did I push myself physically, but spiritually as well. Since then, my cry for “Ultreia” meaning “still further” — has had me yearning to return. So, on this trip, that is exactly what I did. My plan to discover the End of the World led to the coastal cities of Muxía and Fisterra from Santiago making it a Goal after the Goal. While Santiago de Compostela is known traditionally as the spiritual Kilometer 0, a pilgrim making their way to the coast — and the western most point in Europe — reached the true end of their Camino. Therefore, over the next 4 days I planned to follow the Way first to Murxía — where the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint James and told him to “go further” — and then follow the coastline south to Fisterra — the real End of the World. Going into this Camino, I knew it would be much more challenging than my first. Spanning 108 kilometers — 75 miles — I was going to have to push myself to walk around 30 kilometers — 20 miles — every day. Easy to say that I was intimidated, but the rewards and challenges the Camino provides excited me with the pursuit of Ultreia!
September 13 ~ Santiago de Compostela to Negreira
(20.4 Kilometers - 12.7 Mile)
My overnight bus from Salamanca was as to be expected. I didn’t sleep very well, so after seven hours on the bus I was beyond excited to get out of my seat and on my feet! I was already getting a later start on hiking for the day, but as it was also my shortest day on the Camino I wasn’t too worried about arriving early enough to find a bed. After getting my first sello from the tourist office in Santiago de Compostela and taking in the Cathedral for a joyful moment, I began my second Camino by heading down the steps in front of the Cathedral around 10am.
The path leading out of Santiago followed a large pine tree grove and it wasn’t long before I met my first friend on the Camino — José Luís. He was an older gentleman from Madrid who matched my already quick pace. From then on out, the day passed by rapidly. Walking through the forests and old pueblos, the afternoon grew hotter and hiking became a bit more of a struggle. However, the great company helped the time and miles pass quickly. José told me he was currently on his seventh Camino, but it was his first time making the way to Fisterra and the End of the World. He told me that he always walked alone on his Caminos much like I have, but said it was always a welcome feeling to have someone walk with him and share their lives with him. Moments like these are something I feel every solo hiker on the camino can appreciate. We stopped for an early lunch and rested at a bar along the way. José was kind enough to buy me a drink to beat off the ever-growing heat. Soon enough, we were back on our way.
Feet hurting and drenched in sweat, we arrived at the top of the hill overlooking our first checkpoint on the Camino — Negreira. José’s hotel happened to be off to the right, so we parted ways with hopes of finding each other on the Camino later on. So, after thanking each other for the mutual company throughout the day, I went in search of my accommodation for the night. Unfortunately, as I had expected, the municipal albergue had filled around 1pm — two hours before I arrived. Thankfully, there were many other albergues in the pueblo to choose from. I was easily able to find one along the way that seemed decent enough — although twice the price than the municipal one. Nevertheless, I was beyond happy to get off my feet and have a solid rest before an even earlier morning and harder day on the Camino to come.
September 14 ~ Negreira to Olveiroa
(33 Kilometers - 20.5 Miles)
I woke up pretty early in my hostel, but being as I wanted to get an early start anyhow, I quickly gathered my belongings and was out the door at 6:30am. As it was going to be a longer and hotter day, I wanted to finish in the early afternoon, however that meant leaving hours before first light. With a full moon and stars to light my way I left Negeira full of excitement.
I walked for a bit on the road leaving Negreira, but right before entering a dark forest path, I caught up with an older guy with a flashlight. We began walking together through the dark using his light to lead the way. Tex — my nickname for him — was undoubtedly from Austin, Texas. I loved listening to his many stories and found that he led a very successful and adventurous life back in the US. He was also a pretty fast walker, so I had to push a bit harder to keep up with him. We stopped a couple times during the 7 hours we walked together for a quick water break or a few bites of his dark chocolate bar — which he deemed essential.
We pushed on for a long time and I really enjoyed his company and getting to know him. We talked about jobs, family, politics, and even football! I was almost a bit disheartened when we arrived in Olveiroa — our stop for the day — at 1:30pm and went our separate ways.
I made my way to the albergue, and being that I was only the third person to arrive, beds were plentiful! I began chatting with the other two hikers and quickly made friends with both of them. One was an Argentinian named Martín who was currently living in Madrid and the other was a girl my age from the Cheque Republic named Anushka. We all showered and then went to lunch together at one of the only restaurants in the pueblo. I had a full menú del día consisting of a huge mixed salad, pork chops, fries, and flan for dessert. While Martín went back to the albergue to rest, Anushka and her friend from Singapore who had just arrived — Julian — met us for a drink. I continue to be astounded by how English lets people from three different continents be able to communicate, share experiences, and get to know one another. A few drinks later, I returned to the albergue to check in with family back home. After a long day, an early bedtime called my name.
September 15 ~ Olveiroa to Muxía
(32.5 Kilometers - 20 Miles)
Another long day ahead of me, I happened to begin my trek with Anushka by my side around 6:15am. She had a VERY fast pace, and we found ourselves out of a long forest trail and at the split in the road to Muxía/Fisterra before I knew it! We continued on the trail to the right leading to Muxía still in the dark and reentered the pine forest and walked along a ridgeline trail for some while. We eventually ran into our friend Martín around daybreak and then shortly after we caught up to my friend from yesterday, Tex. Martín and Anushka stopped for coffee, but Tex and I continued on — I liked not having to keep up a slow sprint to keep up with Anushka. Tex and I were both pretty tired and seemed to walk a touch slower than the day before. However, only having taken one break about halfway through, we pushed on.
The day before, I had heard that there was going to be a large festival in Muxía the day we were set to arrive. What Tex and I encountered was not at all what I expected from a pueblo fiesta. This small town was hosting a huge festival! Tons of people were camping along the beach and near the trail...and subsequently using the trail as a private bathroom. Now that is the only “shitty” thing I can say about my experiences on the Camino. Tex and I split up halfway along the beach in Muxía to find our lodgings. Knowing that he was going to spend an extra day in Muxía while I planned to continue on, we said our final goodbyes.
I made my way among hundreds of festival-goers up a large hill to the albergue. There, I found my friends and a few others stretched out on the sidewalk as the albergue did not open until 1pm. A couple I sat next to gave me a celebratory Estrella Galicia and a few cookies. While waiting, I met a guy from Poland and we hit it off! Eventually, the doors opened and while checking in we were told about the festival and the celebrations that were about to take place in the center.
The festival was to celebrate the very day in which it is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to Santiago off the coast of Murxía on a boat made of stone and instructed him to “go further” to Fisterra — talk about good timing! So, I threw my pack on my bed, skipped my shower, and gathered my new and old friends to see the parade of the Virgin. This was also the one day of the year in which a statue of the Virgin is removed from the town’s sanctuary and paraded throughout the town. We found a seat on some rocks above the road below and watched as hundreds of people followed the Virgin through the streets. Shortly after they passed, we watched an awesome display of fireworks and colored smoke which was shot off the pier and a few boats in her honor. What a special occasion that I felt so fortunate to see!
Afterwards, we returned to the albergue to shower and then I made a large lunch with Anushka, Julian, and my new Polish friend. We were also able to attain our Murxíana certificates from the albergue at that time to recognize our arrival and completion of a difficult leg of the Camino.
That evening, my friends and I decided to grab some snacks and a couple of bottles of wine and hiked up to the Sanctuario to watch the sun set over the Atlantic. It was really cold, however we stayed on the rocks watching the waves crash into the large rocks below for hours. At times, it felt so surreal. Moments like these are a big reason why I find the Camino de Santiago to be so special. It is what kept me and so many others to return to a seemingly never-ending pilgrimage.
Once the sun was gone, we started our walk back to the albergue for the night, but we happened to easily become caught up in the festivities. Before I knew it, Anushka, Julian, and I, were all laughing and telling stories over a hot plate of pulpo a la Gallega! What a way to end such a special day and to set the mood for my final day on the Camino to come.
September 16 ~ Muxía to Fisterra
(33 Kilometers - 20.5 Miles)
Even though we ended last night pretty late by Camino standards, getting up early wasn’t too much of a challenge. My Polish friend from yesterday was headed home, so thankfully we were all able to say goodbye before we parted ways. I have to say that the only downside of a Camino like this is that you meet so many great and interesting people one day only to leave them the next.
Well, things don’t end here! I got ready and was out the door alongside Anushka and Julian as we began our final day on the Camino. We got turned around in the dark, but found our way soon enough. Hiking in the dark was so relaxing and reminded me of hunting with my dad back home. With the full moon and plenty of stars, we were able to walk without lights until the sunrise almost 2 hours later. One image that survives in my memories was how the light from the moon reflected off the sea as we walked along the coast and the sound of gravel crunching beneath my feet as I pushed to keep up with my slightly faster counterparts.
About 15 kilometers in, we stopped for a breakfast of café y tostada and sat overlooking a large river which led to the ocean beyond. Shortly after back on the Camino, we were leaving the pueblo where we ate breakfast and came to a choice — continue on the original inland route or take a lesser followed coastal path. While I was initially hesitant about markings along the way, we all decided to take the scenic route and figure it out as we went.
Scenic is was! With amazing ocean views, we hiked along a challenging path which ran along the steep cliff sides of the coast. Today was unarguably the most gorgeous day on my Camino.
Although we had thought the coastal path would reunite us with the original Camino right off the coast, things didn’t quite turn out as we had hoped. We ended up walking along a large paved road parallel to the Camino for a long time. We walked in the growing heat along the paved road and soon enough all of us ran out of water. Luckily, there were a few houses a couple miles further down the road and I saw an older woman working in her garden. I asked her if we could fill up our water bottles with the hose and she immediately invited us into her house and filled our bottles up to the brim with ice water. She was very kind and made quick conversation with us — not to mention her garden was really gorgeous!
From there, we were only another 45 minutes from Fisterra, but we took our time and enjoyed the scenery. Following the ocean to our left, we eventually rejoined the Camino and skirted along the peninsula leading out to the town.
We checked into the municipal albergue around 1:30pm, showered, and then treated ourselves to a delicious menú del día of pimientos de padrón and a seafood paella — some of the best paella I have had! Afterwards, we walked to the tourist office to pick up our Fisterra Credential to represent our completion of “ultrea”.
However, our day wasn´t over yet! We packed up a few things for the beach and made our way to the white sand for the afternoon. The shore was littered with many large shells. It is said that pilgrims traditionally used to travel to Fisterra first before arriving to Santiago de Compostela to pick up their concha — the symbol of pilgrims on the Camino — as proof they had truly completed their pilgrimage. It was so nice to put my aching feet in the cold water and sooth my blisters. We enjoyed our time in the sand and sun, however dark clouds started to come in followed by the rolling sounds of nearby thunder. We made our way back to our albergue just in time to miss the downpour.
Anushka, Julian, and I stayed up for a long time sharing our Camino experiences and hopes for the future. Interestingly enough, Julian was joining a Franciscan monastery at the end of the month. I would have never guessed his future intentions even by walking with him for the past couple of days. However, it was really insightful to hear about his choice to join and what he expected to come from it. As it grew later in the day, we decided to make the final hike to the true End of the World and Kilometer 0 at the lighthouse on the far end of the peninsula first thing in the morning. Our Camino wasn’t over yet!
September 17 ~ Fisterra & Santiago de Compostela
Anushka, Julian, and I, woke up and brought our packs with us to hike the final 2 kilometers to the lighthouse and Kilometer 0. The walk, while mostly uphill, followed the coast until we finally reached our goal — The westernmost point in Europe, The End of the World, Fisterra.
We all scrambled beneath the lighthouse and sat on the large rocks on the cliff facing the Atlantic. We sat apart from each other reflecting and looking out into the vastness of the Atlantic as so many others before us had done. I expected it to feel like any other coastal point I’ve visited in the past, but there was something different in knowing that this was, at some time, the furthest one could go. Sitting there, I also had time to sit and thinkg about my Caminos and how I have brought those lessons with me into my daily life. I’ve been able to open myself up to a more spiritual side of myself as well as to people from all over the world. I’m still not sure of the impact that will follow this Camino, but I am okay with giving it time.
As it is traditional to burn something of significance once reaching Kilometer 0, I decided in that moment to burn the bracelet that was given to my on my first Camino 5 months before. I thought it was only just to burn the think I had kept so close to me for so long. I’m quite the sentimental person when it comes to items such as these, but not once did I question or think leaving it behind would be hard. Watching it burn, I felt at peace to be able to let go and have the feeling of coming full circle with myself and the Camion wash over me.
Soon, it was time to head back into town and catch our bus back to Santiago de Compostela. Luckily, an older couple from the Netherlands offered to give us all a ride in their motorhome back down the hill. Due to this kindness, we had some time to spare and grabbed a coffee while we waited.
One final bus ride later we were back in Santiago. Once we arrived, we took a short walk to the municipal albergue — where we planned to spend the night — and checked-in, showered, and rested, before a large lunch together. After a short food-induced coma we all headed into the center and soon found ourselves in front of the Cathedral. For a long time we sat in the plaza and watched late pilgrims arrive and celebrate with their friends, families, or strangers met along the way. The feeling of joy is something that never seems to leave the plaza.
We returned to the albergue for the night armed with a bottle of wine and a bundle of snacks. A couple other pilgrims were playing their guitar that night so we all gathered around for a night of music and goodbyes. It ended up being a pretty late night, but I’m so glad it happened just in that way.
The next day, I said a very early morning goodbye to my friends made along the Way and shortly after boarded my plane back to Seville.
This trip was much different than my first experience on the Camino. I still met many wonderful and inspiring people, but the overall feeling was different. This Camino was much more of a physical test. It was filled with early mornings, barely taking the time to stop and rest between my 20 mile days, and pushing through the pain my body felt. However, the daily sunrises and friendly faces kept my spirits high.
Reaching Fisterra was more so a relief of a challenge having been overcome, rather than the spiritual experience I had when I first arrived in Santiago de Compostela. I am still very proud to have accomplished such a feat of 75 miles in 4 days and to have proved to myself that I am able to push myself harder and further than I ever thought I could — all the time making connections and friendships between people from around the world.
Comments