Compostela from Santiago, encompassing walk to Muxia/Finisterre

[Brightmore]

Hello everyone

Compostela encompassing Muxia/Finisterre

Apologies if this has been asked before, I did look!

I will be walking from SJPP to Muxia, via Finisterre, then getting the public bus back to Santiago before flying home the following day.

My question is if I delay getting my Compostela when I first pass through Santiago, may I get it once I return to Santiago from Muxia and will this certificate encompass the additional miles to the coast and state that as the end point? It would be nice to have the one document for the entire pilgrimage.

Thanks so much!

 

[CarolamS]

I suspect they will not add distance beyond Santiago but don't know for a fact. I bought a delightful credential dedicated to the Finisterre and Muxia walk with pictures next to the sello spaces of the places you visit. It was about €2 or so and a really lovely memento. You can also get separate certificates from both places that are lovely. The credential I obtained from the Pilgrims Office in SdC.

 

[Brightmore]

Thank you

 

[Martin 888]

There are essentially two documents. The first is your compostela which is the official certificate of completion, issued free by the pilgrim office upon satisfactory review of your completed credential/s. This makes no mention of distance. The second document is a distance certificate which is an optional extra which you have to pay a few euros for (I didn’t bother on any of my Caminos, the completed credentials being the most important thing to retain for me). I am sure that the pilgrim office would oblige in incorporating both the Frances and the Camino Finisterre together onto one distance certificate for you.
If this is your first Camino, I feel I should mention that you don’t need to worry at all if say you are approaching somewhere like Burgos and you have almost filled your first credential with stamps (sellos). You can fill as many credentials as you like, within reason obviously…lol. I love my completed credentials, they are a magnificent keepsake. I am a very enthusiastic ‘sello’ collector as it’s really fun……don’t miss out on town halls and other municipal offices in smaller communities, in my experience, they have the best stamps and are more than happy to receive pilgrims to stamp your credential, just ask!
Buen Camino!!

 

[Brightmore]

Thank you so much for the wonderful advice!

 

[t2andreo]

The Compostela is ONLY granted to otherwise eligible pilgrims who COMPLETE a pilgrimage into and ending at Santiago on one of the approved routes. The Finisterre/Muxia routes are acknowledged, but only as a segment in a larger effort - e.g. the Irish Camino a del Norte detour, etc.

So, you MUST walk at least the FINAL 100 km on an approved route: e.g. Frances, Portuguese, Norte, Primitivo, Invierno, Sanabres, de la Plata, etc.

Bicycle riders must ride at least the final 200 km. Electric ASSIST bikes with NO THROTTLE are approved to qualify.

E-bikes with throttles, that can be ridden without pedaling are NOT approved for Camino use - at least if you want to qualify for the Compostela. The security guards are supposed to check this on arrival. I cannot state definitively whether they do or do not.

If riding a horse, the 100 km limit applies.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Brightmore]

The Compostela is ONLY granted to otherwise eligible pilgrims who COMPLETE a pilgrimage into and ending at Santiago on one of the approved routes. The Finisterre/Muxia routes are acknowledged, but only as a segment in a larger effort - e.g. the Irish Camino a del Norte detour, etc.

So, you MUST walk at least the FINAL 100 km on an approved route: e.g. Frances, Portuguese, Norte, Primitivo, Invierno, Sanabres, de la Plata, etc.

Bicycle riders must ride at least the final 200 km. Electric ASSIST bikes with NO THROTTLE are approved to qualify.

E-bikes with throttles, that can be ridden without pedaling are NOT approved for Camino use - at least if you want to qualify for the Compostela. The security guards are supposed to check this on arrival. I cannot state definitively whether they do or do not.

If riding a horse, the 1000 km limit applies.

Hope this helps.

Tom

It does, thank you

 

[willydp]

I received a Compostela for my walk from Santiago de Compostela to Muxía, Fisterra and back to Santiago....had two credenciales with sellos

 

[davestevenson]

In September, we did a reverse camino starting from Muxia to Finisterre to Santiago. That met 100km requirement to get a certificate. At the end, the pilgrims office was confused until we said the magic word - "reverso",
The walk was beautiful, with the ocean visible for the first half of the days. Signage was confusing at times and we kept having pilgrims tell us we were going the wrong way.

 

[brendano]

Hello everyone

Compostela encompassing Muxia/Finisterre

Apologies if this has been asked before, I did look!

I will be walking from SJPP to Muxia, via Finisterre, then getting the public bus back to Santiago before flying home the following day.

My question is if I delay getting my Compostela when I first pass through Santiago, may I get it once I return to Santiago from Muxia and will this certificate encompass the additional miles to the coast and state that as the end point? It would be nice to have the one document for the entire pilgrimage.

Thanks so much!

Greetings,
There are three compostelas. The one from Sarria to Santiago at the office in Santiago; just bring your camino passport book; I've done it after hiking the loop '' Santiago-Finisterra- Muxia- Santiago ''. The Finisterra compostela at the municipal ( Xunta ) and when you walk over to Muxia , collect the compostela at the municipal ( Xunta ) for Muxia. If your up to it the hike from Muxia back to Santiago ( thru the mountains; not well blazed ) is challenging! I just discovered there are other compostelas for the half way on the Camino Frances etc. The next time I walk the Camino Frances I'm going to check that I get all the composteles available; Buen Camino !
ciao, ciao Brendano.

 

[trecile]

There are three compostelas

Actually there are three different certificates, but only one Compostela. The certificates given in Fisterra and Muxía are the Fisterrana and Muxiana.

The Muxiana and the Fisterrana - How to obtain them?

How to get the Muxiana and Fisterrana ? Everything you need to know about this Pilgrim certificate and much more in the following article.

viajecaminodesantiago.com

In addition, those who walk the Camino del Salvador can receive a Salvadorana at the cathedral in Oviedo, and those walking the Portuguese Camino can receive the Pedronía in Padrón.

 

[Brightmore]

In September, we did a reverse camino starting from Muxia to Finisterre to Santiago. That met 100km requirement to get a certificate. At the end, the pilgrims office was confused until we said the magic word - "reverso",
The walk was beautiful, with the ocean visible for the first half of the days. Signage was confusing at times and we kept having pilgrims tell us we were going the wrong way.

Thank you so much

 

[Brightmore]

Actually there are three different certificates, but only one Compostela. The certificates given in Fisterra and Muxía are the Fisterrana and Muxiana.

The Muxiana and the Fisterrana - How to obtain them?

How to get the Muxiana and Fisterrana ? Everything you need to know about this Pilgrim certificate and much more in the following article.

viajecaminodesantiago.com

In addition, those who walk the Camino del Salvador can receive a Salvadorana at the cathedral in Oviedo, and those walking the Portuguese Camino can receive the Pedronía in Padrón.

That’s good to know. Thank you!

 

[Brightmore]

Greetings,
There are three compostelas. The one from Sarria to Santiago at the office in Santiago; just bring your camino passport book; I've done it after hiking the loop '' Santiago-Finisterra- Muxia- Santiago ''. The Finisterra compostela at the municipal ( Xunta ) and when you walk over to Muxia , collect the compostela at the municipal ( Xunta ) for Muxia. If your up to it the hike from Muxia back to Santiago ( thru the mountains; not well blazed ) is challenging! I just discovered there are other compostelas for the half way on the Camino Frances etc. The next time I walk the Camino Frances I'm going to check that I get all the composteles available; Buen Camino !
ciao, ciao Brendano.

Thank you so much! I guess it’s Muxia town hall?

 

[willydp]

No, 'Biblioteca municipal de Muxia', left of the 'Oficina Municipal de Turismo de Muxia'.
See that you get a stamp at the 'Sanctuario da Virxe da Barca' before.
They got two, one normal (when you continue) and one for ending the Camino.
It was closed the day I arrived in June and went open the day after, but too late...had to continue to walk ... Fisterra.

 

[Brightmore]

That is excellent advice. Thank you!

 

[willydp]

Same for Fisterra, get a stamp at 'Faro de Fisterra' (hotel-restaurant,...) before you get you certificate in the city centre 'Punto Información'

 

[Brightmore]

Thank you! I think we will finish in Muxia, but walk there from Finisterre, then bus back.

 

[SioCamino]

Thank you! I think we will finish in Muxia, but walk there from Finisterre, then bus back.

Just to note that your walk into Santiago only will be counted for the Compostela (and i expect the distance certificate). Walking from Santiago to Muxia /finisterre would not.
The Pilgrim's Office in Santiago is ONLY concerned with caminos arriving in Santiago.

Hope this helps

 

[Brightmore]

It does, thank you

 

[David Tallan]

Hello everyone

Compostela encompassing Muxia/Finisterre

Apologies if this has been asked before, I did look!

I will be walking from SJPP to Muxia, via Finisterre, then getting the public bus back to Santiago before flying home the following day.

My question is if I delay getting my Compostela when I first pass through Santiago, may I get it once I return to Santiago from Muxia and will this certificate encompass the additional miles to the coast and state that as the end point? It would be nice to have the one document for the entire pilgrimage.

Thanks so much!

Let's talk about the different certificates. In Santiago de Compostela, given out by the Cathedral authorities at the Pilgrim Office, are the Compostela and the Distance Certificate. These are two different certificates. The Compostela is the more famous one. It doesn't indicate distance or starting point at all. A Compostela for someone walking from Sarria will look the same as a Compostela for someone walking from Geneva.

If you want to show your distance and starting point, the good folk in the Pilgrim Office are ready to sell you a distance certificate. They look up your starting point in their table and see the distance from Santiago and that is the distance they put in the certificate. I don't believe this will suit your purposes, because they don't calculate the distance, they just look it up in the table, and it won't include the Santiago to Muxia distance. This makes a certain amount of sense because these are certificates for pilgrimages to Santiago and the tomb of St. James. Any other walking (e.g. to Muxia) is superfluous to what they are certifying.

But all is not lost for those who walk on to Finisterre and Muxia. Each of those towns has their own certificate for those who walk on to them. So while you won't have one certificate for the entire pilgrimage, you can have certificates for both (or all three).

In terms of one document for the entire pilgrimage, your credencial could potentially serve that purpose. Admittedly, I filled two. But had I been stingier in my stamp collecting I could have made do with one, and others staple or glue or tape multiple credencials together to make one long one.

 

[Brightmore]

Thanks so much! It’s a very good idea, I suppose, to continue collecting stamps to Muxia after the final Santiago stamp.

 

[trecile]

They look up your starting point in their table and see the distance from Santiago and that is the distance they put in the certificate. I don't believe this will suit your purposes, because they don't calculate the distance, they just look it up in the table, and it won't include the Santiago to Muxia distance.

When I walked a Camino combining several routes I kept track of my distances. When the Pilgrim's Office volunteer saw my itinerary he was only too happy to use the distance that I gave him so that he didn't have to work out for himself.

 

[Brightmore]

I hope I meet the same volunteer. Thanks!

 

[1elantra]

There are essentially two documents. The first is your compostela which is the official certificate of completion, issued free by the pilgrim office upon satisfactory review of your completed credential/s. This makes no mention of distance. The second document is a distance certificate which is an optional extra which you have to pay a few euros for (I didn’t bother on any of my Caminos, the completed credentials being the most important thing to retain for me). I am sure that the pilgrim office would oblige in incorporating both the Frances and the Camino Finisterre together onto one distance certificate for you.
If this is your first Camino, I feel I should mention that you don’t need to worry at all if say you are approaching somewhere like Burgos and you have almost filled your first credential with stamps (sellos). You can fill as many credentials as you like, within reason obviously…lol. I love my completed credentials, they are a magnificent keepsake. I am a very enthusiastic ‘sello’ collector as it’s really fun……don’t miss out on town halls and other municipal offices in smaller communities, in my experience, they have the best stamps and are more than happy to receive pilgrims to stamp your credential, just ask!
Buen Camino!!

So out of curiosity. Do we collect 1 stamp per day, per stop when walking Frances to get the certificate or 2 please. 1st camino in April

 

[Martin 888]

So out of curiosity. Do we collect 1 stamp per day, per stop when walking Frances to get the certificate or 2 please. 1st camino in April

Hi there…..there is often confusion over this subject. If you are walking the last 100kms or so only (the minimum to qualify for a Compostela certificate) then you must obtain a minimum of two stamps ( sellos) per day. However, if you are walking further like from SJPdP on the Frances, Porto or Lisbon on the Portuguese or Irun on the Norte, then this requirement does not apply…..just collect sellos regularly and at will. If it’s your first Camino, I’m confident that you will find collecting sellos is great fun and one of the unique pleasures of the Camino journey. I always fill at least two credentials when I’m on the Camino, they are fantastic keepsakes!

 

[Brightmore]

I believe you only need one stamp per day if you start from SJPP, but you need two stamps per day if you start from Sarria.

 

[1elantra]

I believe you only need one stamp per day if you start from SJPP, but you need to stance per day if you start from Sarria.

Im walking SJPP to Santiago, so only 1 stamp per day? Thanks very much

 

[Martin 888]

Im walking SJPP to Santiago, so only 1 stamp per day? Thanks very much

You’ll voluntarily be getting way more than one stamp per day……it’s so much fun! Buen Camino !

 

[trecile]

Hi there…..there is often confusion over this subject. If you are walking the last 100kms or so only (the minimum to qualify for a Compostela certificate) then you must obtain a minimum of two stamps ( sellos) per day. However, if you are walking further like from SJPdP on the Frances, Porto or Lisbon on the Portuguese or Irun on the Norte, then this requirement does not apply…..just collect sellos regularly and at will. If it’s your first Camino, I’m confident that you will find collecting sellos is great fun and one of the unique pleasures of the Camino journey. I always fill at least two credentials when I’m on the Camino, they are fantastic keepsakes!

I believe you only need one stamp per day if you start from SJPP, but you need two stamps per day if you start from Sarria.

Im walking SJPP to Santiago, so only 1 stamp per day? Thanks very much

@Martin 888 and @Brightmore are both incorrect.
Everyone needs two stamps per day for the final 100 km, regardless of their starting point.

The Pilgrims Office is clear on this:

You must collect the stamps on the “Credencial del Peregrino” from the places you pass through to certify that you have been there. Stamps from churches, hostels, monasteries, cathedrals and all places related to the Way are preferred, but if not they can also be stamped in other institutions: town halls, cafés, etc. You have to stamp the Credencial twice a day at least on the last 100 km (for pilgrims on foot or on horseback) or on the last 200 km (for cyclists pilgrims).

It is true that people who have started from SJPDP, León, Irun, etc. have received a Compostela without having the requisite two stamps per day in the final 100 km, but it at the discretion of the volunteer in the Pilgrims Office that day.

To be on the safe side its best to follow the rules.

 

[Martin 888]

@Martin 888 and @Brightmore are both incorrect.
Everyone needs two stamps per day for the final 100 km, regardless of their starting point.

The Pilgrims Office is clear on this:

You must collect the stamps on the “Credencial del Peregrino” from the places you pass through to certify that you have been there. Stamps from churches, hostels, monasteries, cathedrals and all places related to the Way are preferred, but if not they can also be stamped in other institutions: town halls, cafés, etc. You have to stamp the Credencial twice a day at least on the last 100 km (for pilgrims on foot or on horseback) or on the last 200 km (for cyclists pilgrims).

It is true that people who have started from SJPDP, León, Irun, etc. have received a Compostela without having the requisite two stamps per day in the final 100 km, but it at the discretion of the volunteer in the Pilgrims Office that day.

To be on the safe side its best to follow the rules.

Thanks for clarifying Trecile. However, I don’t agree with your interpretation of the rules so we’ll just have to agree to differ in the subject. For those who have walked more than 100kms, can you really imagine a volunteer in the pilgrim office counting back stamps from Sarria or Tui or other places similarly situated. It just doesn’t happen. The 2 stamps per day requirement is totally focused on the large volumes of people walking the minimum 100kms.

 

[trecile]

Thanks for clarifying Trecile. However, I don’t agree with your interpretation of the rules

I didn't interpret the rules, I quoted the rules.

While you are probably right that most pilgrims who start hundreds of km before Sarria will receive a Compostela even if they don't have two stamps per day in the final 100 km, pilgrims have been denied in that same circumstance. It seems to me that if you value the Compostela then you would want to follow the rules set out by the Cathedral to receive it.

 

[Martin 888]

I didn't interpret the rules, I quoted the rules.

While you are probably right that most pilgrims who start hundreds of km before Sarria will receive a Compostela even if they don't have two stamps per day in the final 100 km, pilgrims have been denied in that same circumstance. It seems to me that if you value the Compostela then you would want to follow the rules set out by the Cathedral to receive it.

With respect Trecile, you may have ‘quoted’ the official text from the Pilgrim Office but you have still interpreted its meaning. It is poorly written and not clear about the requirements for those who walk more than 100kms. What is more relevant to me is what actually happens in practice. In any event, the vast majority of our fellow pilgrims enjoy collecting way more than one stamp/day anyway…..it’s part of the fun.

 

[David Tallan]

So out of curiosity. Do we collect 1 stamp per day, per stop when walking Frances to get the certificate or 2 please. 1st camino in April

For the Compostela: as many or as few as you'd like before the last 100 km (if walking) and two each day thereafter. For the Distance Certificate, I'm not sure of the rules but I'd recommend at least one per day. There is no maximum per day.

 

[David Tallan]

However, if you are walking further like from SJPdP on the Frances, Porto or Lisbon on the Portuguese or Irun on the Norte, then this requirement does not apply…..just collect sellos regularly and at will.

As referenced above, the rules, as posted on the official website and implemented by the staff and volunteers in the Pilgrim Office in Santiago do not clearly state this to be the case.

Certainly many volunteers or staff in the pilgrim office are not sticklers for two stamps a day in the last 100 km for pilgrims who have walked significantly longer distances. If you follow the advice above and are not rigorous about two stamps a day for the last 100 km you stand a very good chance of receiving your Compostela. However, there have been reported cases of pilgrims sho have walked longer distances not receiving their Compostela for not having the required two stamps a day in the last 100 km, which is the part that really counts for the Compostela.

For that reason, I would always advise anyone for whom the Compostela is important, to collect two stamps a day for the last 100 km. If it's a nice to have but not really important, go ahead and take your chances.

 

[trecile]

With respect Trecile, you may have ‘quoted’ the official text from the Pilgrim Office but you have still interpreted its meaning. It is poorly written and not clear about the requirements for those who walk more than 100kms. What is more relevant to me is what actually happens in practice. In any event, the vast majority of our fellow pilgrims enjoy collecting way more than one stamp/day anyway…..it’s part of the fun.

The text from the Pilgrims Office doesn't say anything about those walking more than 100 km being exempt from this requirement.