I’m talking about Cabo de Finisterre – that end of the world. It is on that bit of western Spain that is north of Portugal. If Portugal just kept going north, Finisterre would be part of Portugal, however, there is that northern bite that is part of Spain. It all probably came about after some war, and I will not be doing a Google rabbit-hole-deep-dive to discover how that part of the Iberian peninsula is part of Spain.
Before Europeans really did get their heads around the idea that the earth is round, standing on this Atlantic shore and looking west, they imagined that somewhere out there, on the horizon, it just ended, and fell off. Wow, I would say that is pretty scary and made Columbus and Cabot and company very brave people.
Finisterre is a much-favoured add-on bonus Camino destination. When pilgrims reach Santiago de Compostela, the very official Camino destination, they can keep going for a few more days due west to the Atlantic seashore, to Cabo de Finisterre.
Just a note, I did not do this. Forgive me but there has been a lot of salty water in my life and hanging out in a sophisticated European city had greater appeal.
As I was saying in a previous blog, I have been following the around-the-world Vendée Globe solo sailing race. Now the yachts and their skippers are on the way to the finish (which was also their start point) at the Sables d’Olonne in northwest France. In fact, 15 skippers are already there but that leaves about 20 yachts still working their way north. The North Atlantic, yes, it is winter, has been wicked for the skippers. Really hard going with violent winds and squally seas with giant waves. Just yesterday another sailor has been demasted. He is devastated, so close to the finish. He is now sailing with an emergency sail called a Liberty Kite that just flies attached at two corners and does not need a mast. He is off Cape Verde which is, (another geography lesson for Julia) west of Senegal but he is halfway between Africa and America, and as far as I understand will sail west to the Antilles.
Because of the rough conditions, skippers have been avoiding the worst storms and have to make big decisions for which route to take. And this brings us back to Finisterre. Off the coast at Finisterre, there is a no-go zone for the sailors, but there is room to get through between this and the land. It is the most direct way, however, off Finisterre there is the Continental Shelf and this means more rough seas and churning waves. Some have gone this way, others staying out way further west.
Finisterre is an important waypoint, as once around that corner you are into the Bay of Biscay and that can be another whole adventure of rough seas.
How exciting for me to see how Finisterre, a Camino pilgrim destination, is also a point that joins together the great bracelet of the around-the-world race. Not the end of the world, but nearly the end of this mighty Vendée Globe race for these courageous skippers.