Stage Muxía to Olveiroa

Walked in the Muxía-Olveiroa direction, this is the most demanding stage of the Camino a Finisterre y Muxía: 31.1 kilometres and more than eight hundred metres of accumulated ascent, some seven and three-quarter hours of walking according to the reference times. The profile is deceptive, because you never reach any great height, but the constant chain of short climbs between sea level and the three hundred metres of the interior ends up taking its toll.

The way out of Muxía skirts the ría by way of Os Muíños, where the path passes the tidal mills that give the place its name. After Quintáns the route takes its leave of the Atlantic and begins to gain height, leaving the coastal landscape behind to enter the inland Galicia of enclosed meadows, stone walls and scattered hamlets.

The middle section, between Trasufre and Dumbría, is the loneliest of the day. It runs along rural tracks and paths through eucalyptus plantations, with few places to stock up, so it is worth leaving Muxía with enough water and food. Dumbría, at kilometre 20.4, is the first village with real services and the point where some pilgrims decide to split the stage in two.

Past Dumbría the path climbs towards Hospital, the junction where the Muxía branch meets the one coming down towards Cee and Fisterra. It is a classic landmark of the Camino, little more than a handful of houses beside the road, but full of meaning for anyone who has walked the whole coastal route.

The last stretch drops gently by way of O Logoso, a hamlet with accommodation just over two kilometres from the finish, before entering Olveiroa. This small cluster of stone houses and restored hórreos is one of the best-kept spots on the Camino a Finisterre and works as a natural base for tackling the long stage to Negreira the following day.