The End- Stage 36. Finisterre to Muxia and Home

June 6, 2025 -  Finisterre to Lires.  Distance - 8.35.  Weather high 60s and overcast- rain threatening.  Lovely undulating walk through eucalyptus and pine forests with occasional views of the sea. The signs changed a bit because pilgrims use the same path if they are coming Finisterre to Muxia or Muxia to Finisterre, so there were arrows only, no distance markings. The way out of town was a bit different than our entrance to the town and we left on the ridge, so we had nice views of the town, sea and beaches. We had a snack at a very laid back cafe near Buxán and continued on to Lires. Supposedly there was an alternative route closer to the sea, but we couldn’t find it.

We beat our bags to the hotel and had lunch there. Lunch was noodle soup and a toasted cheese sandwich which tasted good because it wasn’t a peregrino meal.  Dinner was our last peregrino meal which was actually one of the better ones - salad and meatballs. I never want another peregrino meal. We saw a new born colt on our way out of Finisterre and very cute kittens on our evening walk on Lires.   Unfortunately, there were lots of mosquitoes in the room, forcing Chris to go hunting at midnight. Maybe the neighbors have forgiven us by now as that was quite a loud effort.  We had a patio and I forgot to bring my boots in. The next morning they were rather damp from the dew, but it all worked out.

Getting to Muxia

June 7 - LAST HIKING DAY- Lires to Muxia and we are done! Distance - 10 miles to the lighthouse. Weather - chance of rain, but it missed us. Today was another lovely walk which took us up undulating hills and through the eucalyptus/pine forests again. We went up among the windmill farms and down a very long downhill into Muxia. The final few miles into Muxia were dead boring - even by the sea - road walking and not a very interesting entrance to the town.

Historically, Muxia was sought after because good harbours were hard to find. It was a fishing village and held the Celtic holy place of the Rocking Stone. Because it was a prime fishing village it was open to successive attacks by pirates. Emperor Charles V bought it to have access to the harbor. Napoleon destroyed it in the early 1800s. The waters off the cape were the site of the worst environmental disaster in Spain’s history when in 2002 a Greek oil tanker split in two and spilled 60,000 metric tons of oil into the sea. Probably because the stupid light house wasn’t working.

We finally found the tourist office and waited about 20 minutes (felt like 20 hours on sore feet) waiting to get our completion certificates. From there we found the harbor and shared a pizza for lunch, before going to the Sanctuario de Nosso Senora de barco at Cape Muxia built on the Celtic Shrine (see above). This church can be seen in the last sequences of the movie “The Way“ (highly recommended) and, according to legend, is where the Virgin Mary arrived in a stone boat when she arrived in Galicia to give encouragement to Santiago and his missionary efforts.

The weather was perfect when we arrived here - 70s, sunny with a breeze, so we took advantage of it and rested on the rocks, in the sun, next to the lighthouse. Since I walked over 2 months to get here, I wanted to enjoy the feeling of achievement watching the tide come in. I wish I could say that I had profound thoughts and feelings upon completing this epic journey, but, frankly, I was just thankful I was off my feet and didn’t need to walk anywhere further.

We finally made it to the dramatic end of our route!

We had an ice cream and watched 3 tour buses arrive and disgorge passengers from Santiago, before walking back to the harbor and taking a taxi to the hotel (no interest in walking back 2 miles and up a steep hill).

This hotel is our last one here - a Parador - a 5 star ending to our historic trek. We celebrated with a champagne dinner.

For those interested, you can see the article of my trek posted to the Alzheimer’s page here: https://alzmindfl.org/2025/06/06/jacksonville-beach-hiker-completes-500-mile-pilgrimage-to-honor-mother-and-fight-alzheimers/

All told, between the US and UK sites, I raised about $2000 for the cause.

Highlights of June 8 and 9, 2025- Final Day of Rest (about a mile of walking - great weather) and Returning Home. A late (9am) leisurely breakfast buffet which was quite delicious after some of the others along the route. We trekked down to the beach so I could actually put my feet in the Atlantic Ocean and say I offically touched the coast. The water was too cold to go in, but there was an infinity pool at the hotel which I went into quickly before getting out to get warm in the breezy sunshine. We walked into town which was much easier without pack or heavy boots. Dinner was at a small seafood house that was about the only thing open on Sunday. Dinner wasn't great, so no photos. Instead there are photos of lunch which was my last chance to get padrono peppers. Before dinner we stopped for a drink and I had some of the best Sangria of the trip - so I had 2!

Final Days

Here are photos of my poles and shoes after 550 miles. I wore through both pole covers and wore down my newly soled boot heels.

The trip back was uneventful and now back to everyday life. What did I learn from this trip:

-big goals can be achieved by reducing them into bite sized pieces

-having support along the way is very helpful in achieving goals

-I don't need to feel vulnerable after my stent

-I breath better when I breath in through my nose and out through my mouth

-I have a touch of asthma, so my breathlessness isn't all in my head

-I'm in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in.

-I like Finisterre better than Muxia

A big THANK YOU to all who have followed my journey and supported me along the way. A big THANK YOU to all who donated to support a cure for Alzheimer's and dementia.

The End!