Wild, windy and at times desolate, the Costa da Morte,
west of A Coruña, is often passed over by tourists heading south to the beaches
of the Rías Baixas. But while the Costa da Morte lacks both the climate and the
infrastructure for large-scale tourism, it’s not nearly as overdeveloped as the
regions to the south, while boasting similarly beautiful coves, tiny fishing
villages huddled against the headlands, and forested mountain slopes
aplenty.
Its fearsome name, which means Coast of Death, stems
from the constant buffeting the shoreline receives from the Atlantic waves. The
most notorious of the countless shipwrecks that litter the sea bed is the oil
tanker Prestige, which snapped in two following a ferocious storm in 2002.
Although 77,000 tonnes of crude oil were released into the ocean, barely a trace
of oil remained just twelve months later.
The coast from Camariñas to Fisterra is the most exposed
and westerly stretch of all. Ever since a Roman expedition under Lucius Florus
Brutus was brought up short by what seemed to be an endless sea, it has been
known as finis terrae (the end of the world), and it is not hard to see why.
This is prime territory, however, for hunting percebes (barnacles), one of
Galicia’s most popular and expensive seafood delicacies, which have to be
scooped up from the very waterline. Collectors are commonly swept away by the
dreaded “seventh wave”, which can appear out of nowhere from a calm sea. (博主註:
每年五名岸邊挖狗爪螺者被捲入浪裡淹死)
Even where the isolated coves do shelter fine beaches,
you will rarely find resort facilities. While the beaches may look splendid,
braving the water is recommended for only the strongest of swimmers, and the
climate is significantly wetter and windier here than it is a mere 100km or so
further south.
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以下轉載自:https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/cms/farnet2/on-the-ground/flag-factsheets/costa-da-morte_en
The name of the coastal area of Costa da Morte (“Coast of Death”) refers to its partly rough
and rocky shoreline. In between, the coastline which offers attractive beaches
and areas of high environmental value.
The FLAG (Fisheries Areas Network, EU) has twelve small
harbours which generate crucial employment for their immediate surroundings.
Almost 300 small-scale fishing boats sell their catches at one of the seven
auctions. Daily landings ensure the supply of high quality fish and seafood
products. The canning industry is the only processing activity in the FLAGs
territory.
In general, the area and especially small cities such as
Camarinas, Malpice and Muxia struggle with high unemployment rates due to a lack
of (quality) jobs, leading to a high number of young educated people leaving the
region. This also leads to a decline and aging of the overall
population.
Thanks to the geography of the area, which has many
beaches with fine sand and several protected areas, tourism has emerged as an
alternative to the decline of traditional industries. However, there is no
common approach to fully tap into this opportunity because of a shortage of
knowledge and services within this sector.
