Finisterre and Costa da Morte day trips from Santiago de Compostela

For a long time it was believed that this was the end of the world. The most rugged coastline in Spain will leave you with spectacular views of the Atlantic, lighthouses guarding dizzying cliffs and you will see dozens of pilgrims burning their boots.

Carmen Navarro

Carmen Navarro

7 min read

Finisterre and Costa da Morte day trips from Santiago de Compostela

Costa da Morte | ©Sergio Vilas

This coast is shrouded in mystery and legends, but what will attract you here is its exuberant beauty, the force of the Atlantic breaking against the rocks and picturesque villages that adorn the coastline with colorful houses. If you are in Santiago de Compostela and want to complete your trip with a day of nature, this is the best option.

And if you want to enjoy Finisterre and the Costa da Morte, which are also considered the true end of the pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago, it is best to join an organized tour to help you move between the key points. Its orography makes it quite inaccessible by public transport, so a guided tour will be the most comfortable option. I'll tell you all about it below.

The best option

Finisterre and Costa da Morte Day Trip from Santiago

The best of Finisterre and Costa da Morte, on a guided tour

Perfect if you want to tour Spain's most rugged coastline with an expert guide without having to worry about schedules, car rental and the area's narrow roads.

Duration: 9 hours 15 minutes

Get ready to get up close and personal with the local way of life and culture of the Galician coast. Departing from Santiago de Compostela, in this tour you will make several stops to discover first hand the anecdotes of the pilgrims who walk the Camino. You will visit the beautiful town of Muxía, on the coast, and reach the most popular lighthouse, Finisterre, to marvel at the sight of the end of the world.

During the guided tour you will have free time to explore Finisterre at your leisure and explore what interests you most. You will also be able to taste local products and you will be told the most amazing stories that surround this area with a halo of mystery. Its shipwrecks, popular beliefs, the most ancestral legends...

You will also have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the Galician tradition by visiting one of the largest hórreos in the world (hórreos are the typical Galician wooden constructions used to insulate agricultural products from humidity). You will also visit a spectacular waterfall and return to Santiago along the Costa da Morte.

Why choose this tour: this is the most complete and best value for money guided tour that will take you to discover the best of the Costa da Morte.

Recommended if... you want to complete your trip to Santiago with a day in the middle of nature getting to know the most furious Atlantic.


Is it worth visiting Finisterre and Costa da Morte from Santiago?

Finisterre Lighthouse| ©Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie
Finisterre Lighthouse| ©Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie

Absolutely, yes. The raging sea, the cliffs, the spectacular lighthouses on the edge of the rocks and the legends surrounding this place make it the perfect destination to complete your vacations in Galicia. You will take home the best photos of your trip and taste the best seafood and fresh Atlantic produce you have ever eaten.

Santiago de Compostela is a city with a lot of culture and charm that all visitors love, but adding to your trip a day in nature discovering the Galician coast will make the difference in your perspective on the area. Keep in mind that this is an area quite far from the rest of Spain and taking advantage of your visit to Santiago to get to know it will take you little more than an hour by road and I can assure you that it is well worth it.

Book an excursion to Finisterre and Costa da Morte

Why take a trip to Finisterre and Costa da Morte?

Costa da Morte| ©Sergei Gussev
Costa da Morte| ©Sergei Gussev

Due to its rugged coastline, the Costa da Morte is a rather inaccessible area to move between villages and lighthouses by public transport. Renting a car or joining an organized tour will be your only option, but if you want to cut costs and make sure you don't miss the essentials, as well as getting to know the area from a local guide, I 100% recommend you to choose to join a tour.

The Costa da Morte covers about 200 kilometers and organizing your visit on your own can be quite a tedious job. You should bear in mind that the roads can sometimes get complicated: there are quite a few curves, they get narrower at times and in most cases you are going along the cliffs, so letting yourself be guided by an experienced driver of the area and putting yourself in the hands of a guide who will make sure to show you the most relevant points of the area is a good idea.

Book an excursion to Finisterre and Costa da Morte

How to book a tour to Finisterre and Costa da Morte?

Finisterre Cape| ©Deensel
Finisterre Cape| ©Deensel

The best thing to do is to book it in advance and online to make sure you can compare schedules, rates, availability and prices, but above all to make sure you have time on the day you want to do the tour. In Hellotickets you can find it for 36 €.

In principle this guided tour has departures every day from August but only three days a week in July and the demand during high season (summer) is usually quite high. Booking in advance is essential to avoid being left without a place.

Book a tour to Finisterre and Costa da Morte

How much does a tour to Finisterre and Costa da Morte cost?

Sanctuary of the Virgen de la Barca, Muxía| ©Mario Sánchez Prada
Sanctuary of the Virgen de la Barca, Muxía| ©Mario Sánchez Prada

Depending on the duration and the route the prices may vary, but the most complete option to visit Finisterre and Costa da Morte is available at Hellotickets for 36 €. This is the most complete and cheapest option you will find to visit the area on a guided tour.

You will join the group in the morning and return to Santiago in the afternoon, after having visited Finisterre and its lighthouse, having enjoyed the views of an amazing waterfall and also having had time to explore some areas at your own pace, which will allow you to explore at your own pace.

Book a tour to Finisterre and Costa da Morte

How long does it take to get from Santiago to Finisterre?

Typical Galician hórreo| ©Fresco Tours
Typical Galician hórreo| ©Fresco Tours

From Santiago to Finisterre is just over 80 km and it will take you about an hour and a quarter to walk this way. You can see the location on Google maps to calculate the route. If you then want to continue touring the villages of the Costa da Morte you have about 200 km to go.

Book an excursion to Finisterre and Costa da Morte

Visit the Costa da Morte with children

Live your adventure among idyllic landscapes| ©Raúl Hidalgo
Live your adventure among idyllic landscapes| ©Raúl Hidalgo

Taking the little ones to visit the Costa da Morte will be for them the great adventure of the trip. The waves, the views of the Atlantic, the lighthouses and the small villages you will visit will attract their attention and they will be entertained all day long.

Of course, keep in mind that you will be several hours visiting different stops, so it may be convenient to bring some snacks in case they get hungry along the way or even a game to make the journey (even) shorter.

Book an excursion to Finisterre and Costa da Morte

What to bring on your excursion to Costa da Morte

Dressing appropriately will help you enjoy the experience.| ©Max Ducourneau
Dressing appropriately will help you enjoy the experience.| ©Max Ducourneau

The first thing I must recommend is undoubtedly comfortable shoes, which will be essential for walking along some of the paths you will walk and will allow you to spend the day comfortably and without discomfort. On the other hand, if it coincides with very sunny days, it may be convenient to wear a hat and surely also a raincoat or windbreaker because even in the middle of summer it can get cold on the cliffs.

You will have time to stop for lunch and tour Finisterre on your own, but if you want to make sure you don't get hungry in the middle of the day, you can carry some snacks in your backpack.

Book a tour to Finisterre and Costa da Morte

What to see in Costa da Morte

Ézaro Waterfall| ©Andrés Suárez García
Ézaro Waterfall| ©Andrés Suárez García

The best things to see on the Costa da Morte are undoubtedly the landscapes, the cliffs and the views of the Atlantic breaking over the rocks. During the guided tour you will also visit Finisterre, the coastal town that represents the end of the world (for many centuries it was thought that the surface of the Earth ended there) and where you can walk at your own pace for a couple of hours and stop to eat fresh produce. There you will also visit its mythical lighthouse and visit its interior.

You will also pass through Muxía, another charming village on the coast where you will stop to see the Sanctuary of the Virgen de la Barca. You will have the chance to see one of the largest hórreos (granaries) in the world and visit the impressive Ézaro waterfall.

Book an excursion to Finisterre and Costa da Morte

Where to eat in Finisterre?

Enjoy the best seafood| ©José Carlos Cortizo Pérez
Enjoy the best seafood| ©José Carlos Cortizo Pérez

The best rated restaurant in Finisterre is Arco da Vela, where you can taste the best fish and seafood of the Atlantic with great views. If you go to Finisterre during the weekend, it is recommended that you call by phone to reserve a table and not run out of space.

Other places where you can eat very good local and fresh products, fresh from the ocean are Etel and Pan and Anduriña, both run by local gastronomic experts. A Lareira will also leave a good taste in your mouth after your visit to the Costa da Morte.

Book a trip to Finisterre and Costa da Morte