Between the Camino de Santiago and the sea

The Fisterra-Muxía Camino passes through Cee. For walkers continuing towards medieval Finisterrae after visiting the Apostle in Santiago, the town is an unavoidable stop on the way to the sanctuaries of Fisterra and Muxía. Monte de la Armada is also part of this stretch: on the route from Santiago to Fisterra, it is the first place where pilgrims can see the sea. If you are interested in the routes and their history, you can combine your stay with a historical guided tour. In Cee, it is offered free of charge on Saturdays at 11 a.m.; sign up through the tourist office or by calling 881 98 21 46. Check the date and registration details with the tourist office before your visit. For continuing on to Fisterra and Muxía, the tourist service provides pilgrim passports, maps and a stamp.

Beaches, viewpoints and coastal scenery

The coastal locations differ in specific landscape features. The town beach in Cee is about 185 metres long and 35 metres wide. Green spaces surround it, and a cycle path runs along the promenade. Gures Beach is sheltered from the wind. From Mirador de Gures, the view stretches towards Fisterra, across the Ézaro inlet and to Monte Pindo, as well as to the Lobeiras Islands and across the Ría de Cee y Corcubión. There is a fountain, tables and benches at the viewpoint.

To reach Mirador de Gures, take the turn-off towards Caneliñas from the AC-550 Cee-Ribeira road; at the next junction, take the left-hand turn. Lires offers a different kind of beach: its broad sandy beach is divided into two parts by the mouth of the Río Castro. There is a campsite near Estorde Beach. These coastal features offer a range of landmarks for planning your visit: a town beach with a promenade, a sheltered beach, a divided sandy beach and a viewpoint with far-reaching views.

Buildings and local history

Castillo del Príncipe stands on a small rocky headland at the coast in Santiago de Ameixenda. The Xunta de Galicia designated it a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) in 1994. Pazo Cotón dates from the 18th century and is designed in the Baroque style. Its balconies and balustrade are inspired by the Baroque style of Compostela. The churches reveal further layers of history: Iglesia de Toba is a 12th-century Romanesque church; in the main chapel of Iglesia de Cee, remnants of 15th-century Gothic architecture have been preserved.

The Molinos de Toba, several watermills on the Río das Laxes, also known as the Río de Toba, are part of the area’s ethnographic history. The complex includes fireplaces and stone picnic tables. The whaling processing plant in Caneliñas was the largest on the Iberian Peninsula, the longest-running in Spain and the last of its kind in Europe to cease operations. Many of the original buildings from its first phase and from the IBSA period are still standing.

Instituto Fernando Blanco de Lema also tells the story of the town: it was built between 2 August 1880 and 6 May 1884 at the foot of Monte de la Armada. Its grounds include a botanical garden and a monument in honour of Fernando Blanco de Lema, inaugurated on 13 October 1973. The Fernando Blanco de Lema collection is housed in the former Escola das Nenas in the centre of Cee. The present-day Santuario Nuestra Señora de la Xunqueira was built in the 19th and 20th centuries on the site of the former church.

Sunday market in Cee

The Sunday market offers cured meats, bread, fruit, vegetables, fish and seafood; the market hall is also open that day. The market adds a practical glimpse of local produce to the selection of buildings and coastal locations. The different highlights are easy to distinguish when planning your trip: the Camino de Santiago and historical guided tour focus on pilgrimage history, while the beaches, viewpoint and mills show other sides of the surrounding area.

Discover more destinations: Lires, Bermun, Dodro, Beres, Arzúa, Ponteceso, As Restrebas, Condomiña.

Back to the main travel overview: Coruña.