The NORTHERN ROUTE is perhaps the most historic and the first that taken by pilgrims from throughout European Christianity to reach Santiago de Compostela.

In the first centuries of the common era and from the moment that the tomb of the Apostle was discovered, the domination of the Moslems reached many of the northern-most territories of the peninsula, which was the main reason behind these primitive routes.

Taking the Coastal Route is to take one of the most beautiful, attractive and exciting of the routes of the Camino de Santiago. Most of the route runs between the mountains and the Cantabrian sea. The views, often lost in the distant blue of the sea; the intense greenery of the mountains dotted with hamlets; the small villages that seem to have appeared straight out of a fairytale; the seafaring towns and villages, the beautiful cities, the finest dining and last, but certainly not least, the warm hospitality of the people, all combine to make this Route an unforgettable experience for pilgrims and adventurous tourists alike. There is a variant of the North Route that travels through all the Mariña Lucense which, although not official, is historically documented. THE SEA ROUTE. This route branches off north route in Ribadeo and continues to Viveiro in its first variant and to San Andrés de Teixido in its second. From there the route heads to the interior to Ortigueira and Ferrol on the way towards Santiago de Compostela. The history of this route is collected in two books by the historian and curator of the Centro de Interpretación do Camiño do Norte, Prof. José Ramón Fernández Pacios: Hospitality and pilgrimage. O Camiño do Norte na Mariña luguesa and O Camiño de Santiago na Mariña Lucense published in 1993 for the first time defend a new route of pilgrimage: THE SEA ROUTE.