Welcome to Finisterre, the “End of the Earth”, a mystical place. The fishing town of Finisterre, surrounded by the sea, is one of the most typical fishing towns of the Galician coast. Everything is here related to the sea; the gastronomy, the traditions and the way of being of its people.
The Cape Finisterre, a very important place by its meaning and its astonishing landscape, is one of the busiest sea routes in the world, which impresses everyone.
As in all our indications, the following information is based on our experience and the experience of our customers.
SITUATION
Finisterre is the “end” of A Costa da Morte, at one of the ends where the Ria of Corcubión starts. It is one of the most typical and recognizable landscapes of the Galician coast.
Due to its situation, it is a perfect place to make different visits to the area, which we list below:
– 12 km (15 minutes by car) far from Corcubión, declared a historic-artistic site since 1985. It is one of the most typical towns of A Costa da Morte.
– 25 km (25 minutes by car) far from O Ézaro, where the Xallas River flows into the waterfall.
– 29 km (35 minutes by car) far from Muxía, with the sanctuary of the Virgen de la Barca, and unfortunately known as the Km 0 of the catastrophe of the Prestige.
– 47 km (50 minutes by car) far from Camariñas, the capital of the traditional bobbin lace, and where we find Cape Vilán, one of the most beautiful lighthouses in Galicia.
– 108 km (80 minutes by car) far from the city of A Coruña, a lovely city we advise to visit for its beauty and the stunning sea landscape.
– 87 km (85 minutes by car) far from the city of Santiago de Compostela, capital of Galicia which represents the tourist / historical / monumental icon of Galicia.
THE WEATHER
Located on the central coast of the province of A Coruña, Finisterre has a very mild climate throughout the year. Not too cold in winter and not extremely hot in summer.
With temperatures of 20/21 degrees in summer, 14/15 degrees in spring and autumn, and 11/12 degrees in winter. In Finisterre you will never need air conditioning to sleep peacefully at night (ver windguru >>)
THE BEACHES
Finisterre has several beaches around. From the beautiful quite beach of Langosteira, to the beaches of O Rostro and Mar de Fora with a rougher sea.
We list now the beaches of Finisterre:
– Langosteira beach: The best known and the most visited beach of the area, with 2 km long, which starts at the end of the town. This beach is located just in front of our Apartments VIDA Finisterre. This is one of the most beautiful beaches in Galicia, with calm and clean water. It’s surrounded by pine trees which is perfect for those who do not like the sun very much and prefer the shade and tranquility.
– Mar de Fora Beach: Beautiful beach just on the other side of the Finisterre peninsula, facing the Atlantic Ocean. Perfect for walking, sunbathing, but not very suitable for swimming as the sea is often quite rough over there.
– O Rostro Beach: Also facing the Atlantic Ocean, larger than Mar de Fora beach, and a bit further away from the centre of Finisterre. This beach is perfect for walking and sunbathing, but be careful when swimming, because the sea is quite often rather rough.
– Arnela Beach: Beautiful and small beach, with fine white sand, surrounded by cliffs.
RESTAURANTS
In addition to the wonderful landscape, gastronomy is also a great attraction. Although Finisterre is a small town, we have here more than 40 places to enjoy a delicious meal; from a set menu of 9/10 euros to a great seafood meal.
Now, and without demeaning to any other restaurant (we repeat that all the information provided here is based on our personal experiences), we liste different restaurants in the area (Finisterre and around).
– Restaurante Tira do Cordel (Finisterre): No matter what they say, we think that this restaurant is still the best. It’s said many different things about this restaurant but the thing is that they serve the best grilled sea bass of Galicia. However, they try now to get customers of all budgets and here it is the complaint, because the sea bass or seafood you are given for 25 euros it is not going to be the same as the one you get for 75 euros. We advise to book, mainly on summer dates. In case you are a small group of people, we recommend ordering the same fish for everyone as you will be served a big fish instead of different small fishes, which are not so tasteful as the big one.
– Restaurante O Centolo (Finisterre): The best rice with lobster overlooking the sea. A privileged situation in the centre of Finisterre just in front of port and the sea. Everything is delicious but we remark the rice with lobster; the best you can eat in Finisterre. Definitely advisable.
– Restaurante O Fragón (Finisterre) – Restaurant with a tasting menu, with an unbeatable quality, both in product and in the preparation and care. In a very quiet rural area, just 5 minutes by car from the center of Finisterre. Obviously, it is necessary to reserve, even well in advance. Although the price range is a bit high, we consider that it is very well priced in relation to what is offered.
– O Pirata (Finisterre) – Do not miss it, it is superpeculiar.
The treatment is more than familiar (even with a point of madness), the views spectacular, and the raw material of the highest quality, and extremely fresh
– Etel and Pan (Finisterre): A lovely small place, where they make hamburgers and different types of sandwiches in a very original way, very good quality and in a modern / traditional atmosphere. It is perfect for those who do not want to go to a restaurant for 1st course, 2nd course and dessert.
– Restaurante Casa Lestón (Sardiñeiro): Located in the road to Corcubión, a 5 minute drive from Finisterre. This restaurant was founded in 1917 and it serves “grandma’s” style meals. Good meat and excellent fresh fish at a very reasonable price. The “Chipirones en su tinta” is one of the most remarkable specialties (I used to go there with my grandfather more than 30 years ago).
– Restaurante Mar Viva (Corcubión): It is an innovative restaurant. It is like a fish shop / restaurant where we can see all the fish displayed as in a fishmonger. The customer chooses the fish he wants to order and how he wants it to be prepared. Medium/high price for a product of the highest quality.
– Restaurante Insua (Cee): Located 13 km far from Finisterre, in Cee. This restaurant is a very good option both for a set menu and for a la carte. The menu is always varied and very economical. You can also order takeaway food: seafood, paella,…
NIGHT LIFE
Although Finisterre is not a popular destination for its nightlife, there are a few interesting places to have a drink, always in a quiet enviroment.
– Pub Boulevard: A quiet and friendly place, where we can be served good drinks, with good music and live music from time to time, especially on weekends.
– Bar A Galería: A common bar that has become a classic in Finisterre to have a coffee or the first drink of the night. The bar is totally “decorated” with souvenirs, photos and other things brought by many different pilgrims from all over the world. Roberto Traba, the owner of the bar, is a very interesting character.
EXCURSIONS
We always suggest some visits to other areas of the Costa da Morte or cities in the province of A Coruña in order to make your trip more complete … Galicia is a place to be visited and to make a few kilometers by car.
With the intention of making things easier, we detail the possible excursions you may make once you have arrived in Finisterre (Places you cannot miss).
1- SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA – For a full-day or half-day excursion.
We advise to leave after breakfast, without hurry, to Santiago de Compostela (80 minutes by a good road). Visit the cathedral, take a walk around the old town, and for those who are very devout (or just for curiosity) attend the Pilgrim’s Mass, which is held every day at 12:00.
Getting lost in the streets of the old town of Santiago de Compostela is a very rewarding activity, as you will be walking through history.
If you decide to have luch in Santiago, we recommend the Dezaseis Restaurant, located in Rúa San Pedro, 16 (981564880 – It’s advisable to book before). A typical Galician restaurant with very good product. It is not the cheapest restaurant in Santiago but the value for money is excellent.
2- A CORUÑA – For a full-day or half-day excursion.
Leave early in the morning and you will arrive in A Coruña in 80 minutes, half the journey by a good road and the other half by a motorway.
We advise you to leave the car in a car park, as parking on the street in the centre of A Coruña is very complicated. Then, visit the port, Plaza de María Pita, Los Olmos area, Calle Real, Calle Galera, Riazor,… A Coruña is a place to walk.
Then, take the car again to visit A Torre de Hercules, icon of the city of A Coruña, and San Pedro Mount, which was an old military battery, and nowadays it is a lovely garden area from where we have some of the most amazing views of the city and the sea.
If you decide to have lunch in A Coruña we recommend two options: La de Alberto Restaurant (981907411 – It’s important to book beforehand), great quality at medium price; or a second option would be to go for “tapas” in Los Olmos and Calle Galera. It’s more casual but funnier too.
3- MUROS / CARNOTA / O PINDO / EZARO – For a half day excursion.
We advise you to do it after breakfast in a quiet way. Go along the coastal road to Muros, where you can visit this charming town with a beautiful old part. In the summer, there is sometimes a boat offering voyages to visit the Ria which it is well worth it.
On your way back, you will find Carnota along the coastal road. Here we have the largest beach in Galicia, with 7 km long and with a wonderful state of preservation, avoiding crowds and horrible construction. You can also visit the famous “hórreo”. It’s the biggest one with 35 meters long, and where the local people used to store the grain. Nowadays, it’s mainly used for decorative purposes.
A little further north we will reach the village of O Pindo with its great Mount Pindo. We will talk about it a little bit later in the section of Trekking, as climbing the Mount Pindo is a great activity for those who like walking and nature.
Later on, we will arrive at O Ézaro, where the Xallas river flows into a waterfall (the only river in Europe that does it this way), creating an atmosphere of great beauty, both day and night, when the area is illuminated. Once you have visited the mouth of the Xallas River, we advise you to go up to the Mirador de O Ézaro, and enjoy some of the most beautiful views of the Galician coast.
4- COSTA DA MORTE – Stunning nature and sea
Depending on the time you have got for your trip, we propose you, from north to south, some places that should be “obligatory visits” during your stay in A Costa da Morte. There are some others, but we encourage visiting these ones.
– Malpica de Bergantiños: One of the most typical towns of A Costa da Morte, with a picturesque traditional fishing port and a beautiful beach in the town center surrounded by a promenade with terraces.
– Corme: The village of Corme, and the lighthouse of O Roncudo form one of the most unspoiled areas of A Costa da Morte. In the lighthouse of O Roncudo, we find the most tasteful goose barnacles (and the most expensive too) of the Galician coast. Once we know the whole area that surrounds the lighthouse of O Roncudo, we realize the reason why the goose barnacles are so expensive. In the summer, we have the “Festa do Percebe”, where we can taste this seafood at reasonable prices, and in a great atmosphere.
– Laxe: Beautiful seaside town with a beach of 2 km long in the town-center of with a lovely promenade. In addition to this beach in the town-center of the village, we also have the Traba Beach at 8 km far fron Laxe. A large and unspoiled sandy beach with great charm.
– Camariñas: Capital of the traditional bobbin lace, and the origin of A Costa da Morte, where many “famous” boats sank. Many stories and legends on this topic have been publised. In addition to the fishing port, located in the town-center, you cannot miss Vilán Cape. The lighthouse keeper is still living there and she will be delighted to have a chat with and to tell you stories of the area.
– Muxía: Recently known for being the Km 0 of the Prestige catastrophe which took place at the beginning of this century. Muxía is a charming town with great history (half real and half legend. It depends on anyone’s ears). The sanctuary of the Virgen de la Barca, (where it is said that the virgin appeared on a boat), has a special scenic beauty, and many of the characteristics that define A Costa da Morte: wild sea, stunning landscape, wind, nature,… The famous “pedra dos cadrís” and the “pedra de abalar”, with their special shapes, call visitors’ attention.
– Ría de Lires: A haven of peace, and one of the most amazing sunsets in the area. We recommend visiting the Ria de Lires just before the sunset. Go for a walk, visit Touriñán Cape and go to a terrace for a cup of wine, beer or even a Gin Tonic to witness a sunset of great beauty that impresses everyone.
– Corcubión: The “pearl” of A Costa da Morte. This town has been declared as a historical-artistic site since 1985. It is one of the most typical towns of A Costa da Morte, with an old pretty part, which has not been still destroyed by the Globalization.
FISHING
A Costa da Morte is a small paradise for those people keen on fishing. The sea bass fishing is one of the most popular.
It’s difficult to list all the places where you can practice sea bass fishing with decoys (vinilos, rapalas …), since the weather changes the coast conditions a lot. Anyway, there are many different places to practice this type of fishing.
Besides, you may also enjoy squid fishing in many ports around, which is easier, more comfortable and funnier for children.
TREKKING
In addition to the Camino de Santiago Fisterra-Muxía, which passes in front of our apartments, For those who enjoy trekking, we have a great product to show: Camiño dos Faros (caminodosfaros.com). This trekking route, divided into 8 stages, runs along the 200 km that join Malpica de Bergantiños and Finisterre, always close to the coast, and passing through the most beautiful areas (beaches, cliffs, lighthouses, …) of A Costa da Morte.
There are stages of all types for the more experienced and prepared walkers; from the shortest stage to the most complicated one … but all of them of great beauty.
For beginners, or less prepared hikers, we advise the stages “Laxe-Arou” and “Arou-Camariñas”, which are less demanding.
SURF
For surf lovers, A Costa da Morte has one of the best known beaches to practice this sport, which is Nemiña beach, on the coast between Corcubión and Muxía (20 minutes away from Corcubión).
