The event celebrates European cooperation across borders, as well as the uniqueness of the Costa da Morte as the setting of the last sunset in Europe during the period between August 18 and September 19, when the latest sunset shifts from the Costa da Morte to Cabo da Roca in Portugal.
Until September 19, the Costa da Morte will be the place where the last sunset of continental Europe can be seen. From that date onwards, Cabo da Roca in Portugal will hold this privileged view, in a sequence that connects throughout the year some of Europe’s most emblematic geographical locations. This phenomenon is one of the foundations of the Atlantic Sunset project, funded by the Interreg Atlantic Area programme, with the participation of researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC).
This symbolic connection led to the project being selected within the Atlantic Area to commemorate Interreg Cooperation Day, which celebrates European cooperation beyond borders and brings together thousands of people every year through cultural, sports, and community events organized by Interreg programmes across the continent. The goal is to showcase, through participatory activities, the tangible results of European cooperation and its impact on different regions. It is the first time that European countries with historically regarded finis terrae sites join together in a common project.
The celebration will take place on September 19 in the Costa da Morte, with a programme of activities designed to highlight the sunset as a mark of territorial identity, while promoting its contemplation as a unique, sustainable, and integrative form of tourism across the Atlantic Area.
The event will be “a celebration of European cross-border cooperation, of the beautiful sunsets of continental Europe, of the spirituality of the Camino de Santiago, and of the uniqueness of the Costa da Morte, the end of the land as known by the Romans,” according to the organizers. Cabo Touriñán, Cabo Fisterra, and Monte Pindo will thus be acknowledged with plaques recognizing their special condition as observatories of the last sunset in Europe at specific times of the year. Scientific outreach, immersive virtual reality experiences, music, and sunset watching, along with other surprises, make up a programme designed to foster community interaction. “We want this to be a moment of celebration, but also of political commitment, economic promotion and business development, citizen engagement, and a good atmosphere accompanied by Galician melodies performed by local musicians,” they explain.
Programme / Download (pdf)
The activities on September 19 are structured around two main moments. At 6:00 p.m., in Cabo Touriñán (Muxía), a commemorative plaque will be placed, certifying this site as one of the locations where, during part of the year, the last sunset of continental Europe takes place. During the same event, analogous plaques will be presented to Viana do Castelo and Carnota, spaces identified as strategic within the framework of the project. With the unveiling of this first plaque, a wider initiative begins that will gradually install similar plaques in other locations previously identified by the research team. These will include, beyond the Costa da Morte, emblematic places such as Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point of continental Europe), Cabo de São Vicente in Portugal, Finistère in France, Land’s End in England, Nordkapp in Norway, as well as other symbolic points in Ireland, France, Portugal, and Spain.
Starting at 7:30 p.m., the commemoration will move to Stephen Hawking Square in Cape Fisterra, where USC professor Lucrezia López will address the importance of the Costa da Morte in the imagery of the Camino de Santiago and its connection with the sunset. Afterwards, at the Cape Fisterra viewpoint, the director of the CEER Foundation Inês Gusman will present the Atlantic Sunset project, followed at 8:20 p.m. by the collective observation and celebration of the sunset, accompanied by USC professor Jorge Mira and University of Seville professor José María Martín Olalla. Meanwhile, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the same square, Wireless Galicia will host technology demonstrations and immersive experiences designed to highlight the value of sunsets on the Atlantic coast. The event will be attended by the President of the Xunta de Galicia, Alfonso Rueda, and the Government Delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco. All activities are open to the general public.
The Atlantic Sunset project
Led by the Galicia–North of Portugal Euroregional Studies Centre Foundation (CEER), this project represents a milestone in the sustainable tourism development of sunsets beyond the traditional European sunset destinations. Drawing on the expertise of leading European research groups in physics and geography, the project aims not only to promote the natural beauty of the most unique Atlantic sunsets but also to identify and valorize local endogenous resources linked to the sun, turning them into heritage assets and tourist attractions.
Source: FCEER and USC