San Andrés de Teixido

Galicien · Spain · Church

"He who doesn't go alive goes there dead" – even the souls of the departed make the pilgrimage to this clifftop sanctuary.

At the foot of the Herbeira cliffs on Galicia's north coast – among the highest in Europe at over 600 metres – stands the small pilgrimage church of San Andrés de Teixido, documented since the 14th century. Legend holds that the apostle Andrew was promised that every mortal would one day visit his remote shrine: whoever fails to come in life must make the journey after death. The souls are said to travel in the form of lizards and insects, which is why pilgrims never kill a small creature along the path, a route also linked to the Santa Compaña, Galicia's ghostly procession of the dead. To this day walkers add stones to cairns along the way as proof they completed the journey – alive.

FAQ

Where is San Andrés de Teixido located?

San Andrés de Teixido is in Galicien, Spain.

Image: Jose Manuel / CC BY 2.0 — Wikimedia Commons