statue negreira 16 Camino Finisterre Galicia

On The Camino Finisterre in Spain, Ponte Maceira to Negreira

June 18, 2013 — Leave a comment

Well, I had just visited one of my favorite sites along the Camino de Santiago, the village of Ponte Maceira with the ancient bridge over the Río Tambre. If you’re walking, give yourself some time to relax here. There is a café or you can sit at the edge of the river with views of the waterfall upstream. Maybe, you desire a little more tranquility and want to watch the river flow slower on the downstream side as it travels on its own journey toward the Atlantic. Whichever side you choose, you will have a great view of the amazing bridge, certainly a site to remember.

On my last post, On The Camino Finisterre in Ponte Maceira, Spain, we walked slowly across the bridge to here. Now, let’s have one last look at the peaceful scene.

rio tambre ponte maceira 14 Camino Finisterre Galicia On The Camino Finisterre in Spain, Ponte Maceira to Negreira

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rio tambre ponte maceira 10 Camino Finisterre Galicia

On The Camino Finisterre in Ponte Maceira, Spain

June 15, 2013 — 9 Comments

Sometimes, it’s best not to know what’s ahead of you. The memory of coming across an unexpected beautiful, tranquil scene will last a lifetime. Without a doubt, the highlight for me between Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre on the Camino Finisterre was the sleepy hamlet of Ponte Maceira in the parish of Portor. The scene was so enchanting that I took many photos, enough to warrant a post on its own.

I left my last post, On The Camino Finisterre in Spain, Carballal to Ponte Maceira, just as I had arrived here, overlooking the bridge and the Río Tambre in Ponte Maceira.

ponte maceira Camino Finisterre Galicia On The Camino Finisterre in Ponte Maceira, Spain

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cruceiro carballo Camino Finisterre Galicia

On The Camino Finisterre in Spain, Carballal to Ponte Maceira

June 12, 2013 — 4 Comments

You will find out very quickly that the Camino Finisterre is much different than the last few days on the Camino Francés, The French Way, of the Camino de Santiago. There are definitely less crowds which makes the route a lot more peaceful, in my opinion. If you like walking through laid-back communities, eucalyptus forests, and eventually, along the sea, then you would absolutely love the Camino Finisterre.

On my last post, On The Camino Finisterre in Spain, Santiago de Compostela to Carballal, I started my journey on the Camino Finisterre in the middle of the Praza do Obradoiro, in front of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. I left Santiago de Compostela on a brilliant morning in mid-May. Now, let’s resume our journey as I arrived to the small community of Carballal before noon.

A field of lupines under sunny skies. What a pleasant way to begin a new post!

Lupines carballal Camino Finisterre Galicia On The Camino Finisterre in Spain, Carballal to Ponte Maceira

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Santiago de Compostela cathedral Camino Finisterre Galicia

On The Camino Finisterre in Spain, Santiago de Compostela to Carballal

June 9, 2013 — 8 Comments

For many pilgrims, their journey on the Camino de Santiago does not end in Santiago de Compostela. For many centuries, we have traveled the ancient path to Finisterre (Fisterra in Galician) on the Costa da Morte, the Coast of Death. In ancient times, Finisterre was considered by many to be at the end of the world, until Columbus and others proved them wrong. Nevertheless, watching the sunset on the horizon of the Atlantic is one of the amazing sites that you can look forward to.

If you only have a few days to walk a Camino, you may want to consider the Camino Finisterre. It’s only 93 kilometers (58 miles) and you may be more interested in completing a Camino instead of a portion of the Camino Francés. If you have an extra day, you can add the pilgrimage to Muxía, about 30 kilometers north of Finisterre. You can also expect the Camino Finisterre to be less crowded than the last 100 kilometers of the Camino Francés.

Before we start our Camino Finisterre, let’s take a quick look how the route leaves the Praza do Obradoiro, the large plaza in front of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. The Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos is on your right, and the Palacio de Rajoy or Ayuntamiento de Santiago is on your left. The Camino Fisisterre leaves the plaza by following a narrow street on the right hand side of the Ayuntamiento.

Santiago de Compostela Praza do Obradoiro On The Camino Finisterre in Spain, Santiago de Compostela to Carballal

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Jesus Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Cristo de Burgos

The Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Views From The Interior

June 6, 2013 — 8 Comments

For many pilgrims, their journey on the Camino de Santiago is not finished when they enter the Praza do Obradoiro, the large plaza in front of the cathedral, nor is it when they are issued their certificate, the Compostela, from the nearby Pilgrim Office. Since ancient times, pilgrims have been arriving to the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral to view the interior, and especially attend the pilgrim mass and visit the crypt of St. James. It’s a special and important event for those who come from all over the world to visit this Holy site.

On my last post, Views Around The Praza do Obradoiro, Santiago de Compostela, I focused on the historically important buildings around the plaza, and on The Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Views From The Praza do Obradoiro, I focused on the exterior views from the Obradoiro, façade and included a brief history. Now, let’s enter the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela.

This entrance is the Puerta de las Platerías or Fachada sur ou das Praterías in Galician. As you can tell, it can get quite busy, especially if you arrive just before mass. I recommend arriving at least an hour before and securing your seat, or starting your visit of the interior. If you include the paid tour that gives you access to the crypt, treasury, and museum, please give yourself at least a few hours as you could easily spend a day inside the cathedral.

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral Puerta platerias The Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Views From The Interior

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Sunset Santiago de Compostela Galicia The Praza do Obradoiro

Views Around The Praza do Obradoiro, Santiago de Compostela

June 3, 2013 — 6 Comments

Once you have finished walking the Camino de Santiago, you must have a tour inside the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. Not only will you see amazing museum pieces and artifacts, you will get views from the upper level overlooking the Praza do Obradoiro, the main square. Obradoiro is Galician for workshop and this is what the plaza must have been during the construction of the cathedral. I couldn’t imagine the effort bringing in these large stones during ancient times.

On my last post, The Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Views From The Praza do Obradoiro, I focused on views of the cathedral from the plaza. However, there are other great buildings surrounding the plaza that I’ll focus on now. From the upper levels of the cathedral, here is the Praza do Obradoiro looking northwest. The Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos is on your right, and on your left is…

Santiago de Compostela Praza do Obradoiro Views Around The Praza do Obradoiro, Santiago de Compostela

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