Costa Da Morte

Costa da Morte (, "Coast of Death") is part of the Spanish Galician coast. The Costa da Morte extends from the villages of Fisterra and Malpica.

The Costa da Morte received its name because there have been so many shipwrecks along its treacherous rocky shore. Instead of being sheltered by an intricate coastline or by islands as the RĂ­as Baixas region is, the shore of the Costa da Morte is exposed directly to the Atlantic Ocean. It is an area that has been impacted by a number of oil spills, including the spill from the Prestige in 2002.

The exterior cape region is known for anthropological, historical and geographical reasons. Its name in the Galician language is Fisterra, which descends from the pre-Roman legend which held that this area was the end of the world (Finis-terrae). The area was largely Christianized by the Catholic Church with the aid of a large flux of Christian pilgrims arriving on the Way of St. James.

The people of the area still preserve pre-Christian Celtic ritual places and pass on some of the traditional beliefs. For example, there are giant pedras de abalar (i.e. "oscillating stones", the common term in English is rocking stone) throughout the region. These pedras de abalar were sacred Celtic locations and used in various rituals that are remembered in local culture. There is also a local legend that the wind creates wild nightmares.

Read more about Costa Da Morte:  Major Commercial and Fishing Ports, Geography