Costa da Morte, Fisterra, Muxía and the Vilán lighthouse facing the Atlantic.

The Costa da Morte (Coast of Death) is the stretch of Galician coast from Malpica to Fisterra, with a name that comes from shipwrecks: granite capes, lighthouses, open beaches and fishing villages. Here you will tour mainly its southern and best-known part, the one done in a day or a weekend from Santiago or A Coruña: Cape Fisterra, the Muxía sanctuary, the fervenza do Ézaro, which falls directly into the sea, and the Vilán lighthouse, in Camariñas.

How do I get there from Santiago or A Coruña?

By car. From Santiago, Muxía is an hour and a quarter away and Fisterra a little under an hour and a half, by the Negreira road or by the dual carriageway towards Carballo and the coast. From A Coruña the times are almost the same, entering via Carballo and Vimianzo. From Pontevedra allow an hour and three quarters or two hours. Without a car, the practical way to see several places in a day is a group excursion: Finisterre Express, by Optimus Tours, leaves Santiago at 9:00 and stops at Muros, O Ézaro, Fisterra and Muxía, from €52.

Where do I park?

Each place has its own car park: the one at the Fisterra lighthouse, at the end of the cape road, fills up at sunset in summer; in Muxía you can leave the car next to the sanctuary or in the port; Cape Vilán has parking next to the interpretation centre; at O Ézaro, the walk starts from the O Castrelo power station. What there isn't is public transport between them that works for a day.

What do I do besides seeing lighthouses?

Get in the water or walk. At O Ézaro, Atlantis Aventura takes you by kayak along the mouth of the Xallas to the foot of the waterfall, about two hours from €25, and from Fisterra or Corcubión it rents a skippered boat for six people, from €390 per boat. Above O Ézaro, the climb to A Moa, the summit of Monte Pindo, is three hours there and back. If you walk for several days, the Camiño dos Faros from Camariñas to Fisterra is four stages along the water's edge, with accommodation and luggage handled by an agency in Cee from €435. In the north, Razo beach, in Carballo, has had a surf school since 1991, and half an hour inland is the Dombate dolmen, a Neolithic tomb with paintings, open every day.

How long do I need?

A day is enough for two or three stops without rushing: Fisterra and O Ézaro, or Muxía and Camariñas. If you want to see all four, sleep one night, better two. The coast road is slow and each cape calls for its own walk. An order that works from Santiago: O Ézaro in the morning, lunch in Fisterra, the lighthouse in the afternoon and, the next day, Muxía and Cape Vilán.

When to go

From May to September the days are long and the sun sets late over the Atlantic, which is what everyone comes to see from Fisterra. In autumn and winter there are storms: the coast is wilder and the O Ézaro waterfall carries more water, but wind and rain shorten the walks. Some museums and centres change their hours according to the season: in 2025 the Vilán shipwreck centre opened Wednesday to Monday and the Fisterra fishing museum, Tuesday to Sunday. Confirm beforehand. In September is the romería of the Virxe da Barca at Muxía, a festival of National Tourist Interest.

Where do I eat and sleep?

For Sunday lunch, in Fisterra there is O Fragón, with views over the estuary and open every day at midday, and Tira do Cordel, the grill over Langosteira beach, which closes on Saturdays. In Muxía, A Lonxa de Álvaro, in the port; in Camariñas, Villa de Oro, with a Bib Gourmand. Both close on Wednesdays. To sleep, the Hotel Mar da Ardora, with a spa in Fisterra, or Casa de Trillo, a village house inland from Muxía that accepts pets.