My last 4 days -planning questions

[Ahaj]

After allowing myself one full day to see Santiago and hopefully obtain my compostela, I have 4 full days until my flight out. I would not be able to do the regular route to Finisterre, add on the walk to Mucia then get back to Santiago at the end of day 4 but I would like to visit Muxia and Finisterre and do as much walking as I can but my limit is 35km a day. I was thinking of getting the bus out to Muxia on day 1 and then looking around and staying there then on day 2 either walking to Finisterre or to Oliveiora. If I go to Oliveiora then on day 3 I would walk to Finisterre and then on day 4 bus it back to Santiago.
If I go to Finisterre on day 2 on day 3 I would walk back to Oliveiora and then on day 4 walk a while and get a bus back to Santiago.
My questions are:
1. Which would be the more scenic option? Muxia to Finisterre or Muxia to Oliveiora?
2. Does anyone know if there is a bus route from Oliveiora back to Santiago and are there intermediate stops close to the Camino path? Is there a link to the bus company so I can find a timetable?
By this stage I imagine I shall be focused on enjoying every last minute before returning home rather than completing the Muxia Camino in full.
Any opinions and advice gratefully received.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Ahaj,
I think it's a great idea to plan in four extra days at the end -- I always do that, and sometimes wind up using them on my Camino, but sometimes I find I've got the days to make it out to Finisterre and/or Muxia.

I also think it's not a bad idea for you to wait to see how you feel when you arrive in Santiago. You may be ready to hop on a bus or you may just want to keep walking for as long as possible. You can walk to either Muxia or Finisterre in three days, with one of those days being in the low 30s. You could then take a bus back to Santiago on Day 4. If you were really in crazy walking mode, you could walk Santiago-Muxia-Finisterre, and arrive in Finisterre in time to hop on a bus back to Santiago on Day 4 (many more buses from Finisterre to Santiago than from Muxia). I have done that, in a pinch, but of course it isn't as nice as being able to spend the night in Finisterre, go up to the lighthouse, etc.

As far as your specific questions, the only section of this camino that is well marked in both directions is between Finisterre and Muxia. I know there are more and more people walking back to Santiago from Finisterre, so maybe it's not as difficult as I imagine. But I think it would be a bit of a challenge walking from Muxia to Olveiroa. The walk from Muxia to Finisterre is pleasant, but very little is on the coast. To remedy that deficit, you should take the detour from Lires, out to the beach at Lires and then you continue a little further along the coast. It is a short loop off the "main camino", well marked in either direction, and gives you some very nice coastal walking, if only for a km.

Buen camino, I know some people on the forum have given a rather "blah" review to this walk, but I personally always find it to be like a very sweet and special dessert after my Camino.

 

[Ahaj]

Hi, Ahaj,
I think it's a great idea to plan in four extra days at the end -- I always do that, and sometimes wind up using them on my Camino, but sometimes I find I've got the days to make it out to Finisterre and/or Muxia.

I also think it's not a bad idea for you to wait to see how you feel when you arrive in Santiago. You may be ready to hop on a bus or you may just want to keep walking for as long as possible. You can walk to either Muxia or Finisterre in three days, with one of those days being in the low 30s. You could then take a bus back to Santiago on Day 4. If you were really in crazy walking mode, you could walk Santiago-Muxia-Finisterre, and arrive in Finisterre in time to hop on a bus back to Santiago on Day 4 (many more buses from Finisterre to Santiago than from Muxia). I have done that, in a pinch, but of course it isn't as nice as being able to spend the night in Finisterre, go up to the lighthouse, etc.

As far as your specific questions, the only section of this camino that is well marked in both directions is between Finisterre and Muxia. I know there are more and more people walking back to Santiago from Finisterre, so maybe it's not as difficult as I imagine. But I think it would be a bit of a challenge walking from Muxia to Olveiroa. The walk from Muxia to Finisterre is pleasant, but very little is on the coast. To remedy that deficit, you should take the detour from Lires, out to the beach at Lires and then you continue a little further along the coast. It is a short loop off the "main camino", well marked in either direction, and gives you some very nice coastal walking, if only for a km.

Buen camino, I know some people on the forum have given a rather "blah" review to this walk, but I personally always find it to be like a very sweet and special dessert after my Camino.

Thank you- lots to think about!!

 

[whariwharangi]

Autocares Vazquez provides bus service from Olveiroa to Cee and Cee to Santiago.
http://autocaresvazquez.net/

Empresa Monforte (Monbus) provides bus service from Cee to Santiago.
http://www.monbus.es/es

 

[rometimed]

I found the walk to Muxia very nice. I'm not sure on the buses though everyone seems to say the easiest way back to Santiago is from Finisterre where I ended up and it was pretty easy I think there was 5 or 6 buses through-out the day.

 

[Ahaj]

Thank

Autocares Vazquez provides bus service from Olveiroa to Cee and Cee to Santiago.
http://autocaresvazquez.net/

Empresa Monforte (Monbus) provides bus service from Cee to Santiago.
http://www.monbus.es/es

you

 

[NualaOC]

Hi @Ahaj. I agree with @peregrina2000's comment that you won't really know how you feel about this until you arrive in Santiago. But it's good to do some research now on your options.

Last year, my husband and I had a few days to spare after arriving in Santiago. We didn't want to do 'serious' walking and decided to treat those days as post-Camino down-time, with very short walks. We took the Finisterre bus from Santiago at 9am, got off in Cee and walked the final 13 (?) kms to Finisterre. This was a really nice walk - the last few kms were on the beach and boardwalk. We spent a night in Finisterre, and then walked to Muxia, stopping overnight in Lires. Muxia was a fantastic place to end our Camino. There are two buses from Muxia to Santiago each day. Timetable: Monday to Friday: 6:45 and 14:30 – Saturdays and bank holidays: 07:30 and 14:30 – Sundays: 07:30 and 18:45. The journey takes about 2 hours.

This 'lazy' approach worked well for us as we were both going back to work straight after arriving back home. However, it left me with a feeling of 'unfinished business' as I didn't walk all the way from Santiago to either Finisterre or Muxia. I returned a few months later and did the full walk to Muxia - which I would highly recommend. It took me 3 days.

This year we might have 3 days to spare at the end of the Primitivo. We don't plan to do any walking, other than around Santiago. If we get bored, we are going to take a bus or train to visit Pontevedra, Baiona or another easily accessible city.

You have lots of options - what a great luxury! Buen Camino

 

[Ahaj]

Thank you all for such helpful advice. I am taking all the advice in and now refocusing!! This forum is invaluable and your sharing much appreciated!

 

[Tia Valeria]

@JohnnieWalker has a published a guide, the Route of Routes, which is a circular walk around Santiago touching on all the Camino routes as they enter the city. You can walk it all or parts with various starting points. We walked the section to Monte Pedroso and it was a good way to see the city and Cathedral from the high point near the TV masts.