Way of the lighthouses CAMIñO DOS FAROS

The first stage of this Camiño dos Faros leaves from the lighthouse in the port of Malpica and goes through this beautiful fishing village: the port, its streets, the promenade and the Praia de Area Maior to head towards San Adrián. Before reaching the chapel, we pass the beach of Seaia and the fountain of the pilgrims.

From San Adrián we have a wide panoramic view of the whole of Malpica and the Sisargas Islands, which we will see from all perspectives along the fishermen’s paths that take us to Beo, crossing the first cliffs of this Camiño dos Faros.

In Beo we stop for refreshments and continue the route towards Seiruga, where we will have to take off our shoes and pull up our trousers to the knee to cross the small river. We cross Seiruga beach and arrive at Barizo, where we pass by the beach and the port before starting the tough section of Monte Nariga that will take us to the Punta Nariga lighthouse. The surroundings of Punta Nariga are full of magic and, along the way, we will see large rock formations of the most varied shapes.

This is the first large lighthouse that we visit on our route and it is here that we realise the reason for the name of the route. From this position we can see much of what we have done and what we still have to do.

From there to the end of the stage we walk along the Penas do Rubio through a somewhat complicated stretch to Enseada do Lago, to finish at Niñóns Beach, passing through a cliffy area, so this stage should be finished during the day.

This second stage, with 26 km, goes from Niñóns to Ponteceso, crossing a wide variety of different landscapes. A route that will leave you open-mouthed.

The stage begins on the beach of Niñóns, along the cliffy coastline that separates it from the port of Santa Mariña. There, we will border the port to cross the mountain in the direction of A Barda beach.

From the beach of A Barda, we will cross the entire Costa da Tremosa along a demanding path with privileged views that will take us to the small village of Roncudo, which shows us an architecture based on the same stone and totally adapted to the wind and storms.

From the village we continue down from the wind farms along the rugged cliffs to the Roncudo lighthouse, another of the milestones on our route. There, we can see the rocks where the barnacle pickers gamble their lives to get this precious delicacy from the sea.

From there we head towards the interior of the estuary. We pass by the fishing port of Corme and head towards the beach of Valarés, passing by the beaches of Osmo, Ermida and Río Covo. We leave the latter along a narrow path over the estuary that takes us to the cliffs of Monte da Facha and Valarés, where we can stop to enjoy its beach and pine forest.

The end of the stage through Monte Branco is spectacular. The coastal route takes us to the mouth of the Anllóns, with a privileged view of the Tiñosa Island and all the dunes and the Barra beach, where we will go down to walk this kilometre of desert in the middle of the Insua inlet, a place of great ornithological importance.

From there we will walk along the Malecón de Ponteceso, which separates the farmland from the river, until we finish the stage on the Ponteceso bridge, opposite the house of the bard Eduardo Pondal.

The third stage of the Camiño dos Faros takes us along the coast and inland to end in Laxe.

The first kilometre of the stage runs along the hard shoulder of the main road, which we cross at a crossroads on the right to enter the Ensenada da Insua, and walk through its pine forests to O Curro and the Playa da Urixeira beach. From there the Senda do Anllóns starts, a 3 km walk to O Lodeiro where we can continue contemplating the large number of birds that have their habitat in this Estuario do Río Anllóns. The route also takes us past some of the old riverside carpentries that still survive today. During the 20th century there were many fishing and coastal vessels that left the shipyards of A Telleira.

At the end of the walk, on reaching As Grelas, we head inland on a demanding climb along the Ruta do Rego dos Muíños to the Castro A Cibda and the Dolmen de Dombate, two archaeological jewels of A Costa da Morte.

From Dombate we head back towards the coast, turning off at Fontefría to climb Monte Castelo, the summit of this Camiño dos Faros at 312 metres. There we have the best panoramic views of the Ría de Corme and Laxe.

From this summit we go down through Canduas towards Area das Vacas beach, which we do not reach, but we take a crossroads that takes us along the Costa da Mundiña to Rebordelo beach, where we recommend making a stop.

The last part of the stage takes us to Punta do Cabalo, from where we have panoramic views of the entire Ría de Corme and Laxe. From there, we will go along the coast passing the beautiful coído de Frexufre before reaching Laxe, which we will reach via its extensive beach to the town square, the end of this third stage of the Camiño dos Faros.

This fourth stage begins to bring us closer to the heart of the Costa da Morte. The stage begins in Laxe, visiting the port and the church of Santa María da Atalaya, and from there we head towards the lighthouse along the Insua Route. From the lighthouse we have a wide panoramic view of the Ría de Corme and Laxe and of the whole route that awaits us until we reach Camelle.

Very close to the lighthouse, we will enjoy two natural curiosities: the Furna da Espuma and the Playa de los Cristales. From there, we start a path along the Enseada da Baleeira that will take us to the Rock of Soesto, with impressive views of the entire Insua Route and the beach of Soesto.

In Soesto we make the first refreshment stop before going along the Punta de Catasol and Arnado Beach, to reach the beach and the Traba lagoons, where we can see a large number of birds.

From Mordomo, at the end of Traba beach, there is a path that will take us through another spectacular landscape of this Camiño dos Faros. This entire coastline towards Camelle takes you back to Gulliver’s tale in Lilliput, in the world of large stones. Stones of all shapes and sizes in another unique landscape of this Camiño dos Faros until you reach the cove of Sabadelle, an old whaling port.

Camelle is another key point on the route. We enter through its beach and small fishing port to reach the quay where the remains of the Man Museum are located. From there, the end of the stage takes us along small coastal paths to Arou, where this short but intense fourth stage of the Camiño dos Faros ends.

O Camiño dos Faros hooks you. If you’ve made it this far, it’s already clear to you. In case there was any doubt, today’s stage is one of the best hiking routes you have ever done, on a tremendously rugged coastline full of history.

The coast from Arou to Cape Vilán is the origin of it all. A series of shipwrecks of English navy ships that occurred between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, with hundreds of deaths in the Serpent, were the origin of the name A Costa da Morte.

And on the route we will see for ourselves. Hundreds of killer reefs enter a sea that does not give truce, a sea that does not understand, it only works…

We leave Arou early in the morning and head along the Xan Ferreiro inlet to the Lobeiras viewpoint and Lobeiras beach. From there, along a path between toxos. we walk along the pebble stones in the middle of a unique landscape, until we reach the small port of Santa Mariña, which we cross to go up the Veo pass, in the foothills of the Monte Branco dune. When we reach the top, we have one of the most spectacular panoramic views of the Camiño dos Faros, with the dune, Trece beach, the entire Punta Boi and the English Cemetery.

We are at the halfway point of the Camiño dos Faros, about 100 kilometres already covered and another 100 to go, but from the top of the dune of Monte Branco we feel that we are in the heart of the route.

On the way down, we cross the small and solitary coves of Trece to Punta Boi. There the sea breaks with force and we find the Englishmen’s Cemetery, where the victims of the Serpent rest. In the background we can already see Cape Vilán, which will still take us a couple of hours to reach.

The route from Punta Boi to Vilán takes us along all the beaches of Reira, along a comfortable path that runs along this wild and solitary coastline until we reach Monte Pedroso and reach the Vilán Lighthouse.

Vilán Lighthouse is one of the symbols of this path. Since it was put into operation, it has been the guiding light for all the ships that cross these seas of intense maritime traffic, and it is, without a doubt, a magical place in this Camiño dos Faros.

From Vilán we approach Camariñas along another path that runs along the entire coastline, passing by the chapel of Virxe do Monte and the castle to finish the stage in the centre of Camariñas, next to the fishing port.

This sixth stage is the longest of the route, the one with the most asphalt. After the spectacle of the open sea of the last two stages between Laxe and Camariñas, today it is time to take shelter in the interior of the estuary. And everything changes…

The beginning of the stage, which takes us through the Ensenada da Basa and the mouth of the Río Grande, shows us again these other landscapes of O Camiño dos Faros. In these calm waters, rich in shellfish, especially cockles, we can see the shellfish gatherers working at low tide, amidst flocks of egrets and other birds seeking shelter and food.

When we reach Ariño beach, we can no longer go up the river Grande along the shore. We will have to take the road to cross the rural villages of Tasaraño, Dor and Allo, which show us an authentic Galicia that preserves the remains of a past that we should not forget.

We arrive at Ponte do Porto, whose name comes from the 13th century bridge that crosses the river Grande. This small port, in other times, had an important timber traffic, being the commercial centre of the whole region. We cross the bridge to go along the river promenade in the direction of Cereixo. There, in a short space of time, we can enjoy a wonderful walk with a tide mill, the church of Santiago, an impressive carballo and the Cereixo Towers.

From there, the stage gets a little tougher until we reach Playa do Lago. The path narrows as we walk along the Furna do Sapo, in the direction of Area Grande Beach, where we go down to meet again the mouth of the Rio Grande. We cross the entire beach and go up through the pine forest to reach the beach of Leis, which we cross to reach the lighthouse of Praia do Lago, a place to take a well-deserved rest before tackling the second part of this long stage. In case you have decided to divide the stage in two, Playa do Lago would be the best place to finish.

We leave Lago beach, crossing the bridge over the road, and take a small path on the right that will take us to Merexo, which we will walk through the centre of the village, with panoramic views of its small bay. From there we head to Os Muiños where we will follow the small but beautiful route of the mills of the river Negro, a group of several restored mills, which connect a stretch of river of 1500 metres to the beach.

At the end of the route we find the beach of Os Muiños, one of the most visited in the area, which we must walk all the way to the end of it by a steep slope towards Chorente. At this point of Os Muiños beach there is the possibility of going to the Monastery of Moraime and, from there, along the Way of St. James, also connecting with Chorente.

From Chorente the stage takes us through the Chorente Forest and the point of the same name from where we can already see Muxía, the bride of the wind, which we will reach after crossing the beaches of Espiñeirido and A Cruz.

We cross Muxía in the direction of the Church of Santa María and, from its bell tower, we reach the top of Monte Corpiño and contemplate another stupendous view of this Camiño dos Faros. From there, we descend towards Punta da Barca, with the lighthouse, the sanctuary of the Virxe da Barca and all those stones that make this place magical. If the day is suitable, we recommend that you arrive at this point just before sunset, to enjoy one of the best sunsets on the Costa da Morte.

But the stage does not end here, we still have 1 kilometre to go along the eastern promenade of Muxía from the monument to the volunteers to the beach of O Coido, ground zero of the Prestige disaster and the end of this sixth stage of the Camiño dos Faros.

This penultimate stage is one of the most complicated of the route, especially the beginning, with ten kilometres from Lourido to Moreira of continuous ascents and descents.

We leave Muxía via O Coido and cross the beach of Lourido to Coido da Agra, from where we start the ascent to Mount Cachelmo (750 metres ascent from 0 to 150 metres, average gradient 23%). There, on Mount Cachelmo we enjoy spectacular views of Muxía with Vilán in the background, and Punta Buitra with Touriñán.

From there begins a somewhat complicated descent that will take us to Arnela beach, from where we climb the track that takes us to the end of Punta Buitra and to the top of the mountain of the same name, from where we can see the panoramic view of the rest of the stage, with Cuño, O Pedrouzo, Moreira and the entire peninsula that forms Cabo Touriñán.

The route continues along the cliffy coastline down to the Coído de Cuño where, in the regacho at the end, it is a good place to stop for refreshments and a SPA.

From Cuño begins the ascent to the 264 metres of Monte Pedrouzo (2 kilometres of ascent with an average gradient of 13%). When we reach the top and after another well-deserved rest, we start the descent through the Ribeira de Viseo to Moreira Beach, which is also very technical, with uneven ground and an average gradient of 25% in some sections.

Once we reach Moreira Beach, the stage becomes smoother in this second part. From Moreira a dirt track takes us towards Touriñán, where we reach the right-hand side of Faro Touriñán, the westernmost point of the Camiño dos Faros and of peninsular Spain. At this point, for many days of the year, the last sun in Europe sets.

In the last part of the stage we will pass Insua do Castelo and Coído de Touriñán to reach the viewpoint. From there, a road will take us, passing through the village of Talón, to Nemiña Beach, the end of this penultimate stage.

The last stage of this Camiño dos Faros departs from Praia de Nemiña, going all along the sandy beach until we reach the mouth of the Lires estuary, the smallest in Galicia and an ornithological paradise. On the other side, the beach of Lires, which we must reach on our Camiño dos Faros, and for which we have two options: to go all the way round or to cross.

O Camiño dos Faros always takes into account the worst case, so it heads upstream to cross the Vaosilveiro bridge, and arrive, through the beautiful village of Lires, at the beach of the same name, after three kilometres. This whole round trip can be saved by crossing the estuary, but this is only possible for a couple of hours in the summer months. In the rainy season a channel forms and it is impossible.

From there, the stage starts to get tough along the coast of Lires, with a steep ascent towards the spectacular cliffs of Punta Besugueira and Mexadoira, which we cross in the middle in one of the unique landscapes offered by this Camiño dos Faros.

The next point on the route is Playa do Rostro, another universe of sensations, crossing the two kilometres of beach on the sand with the constant noise of its waves filling everything. At the end of the beach we will go up a small path to Punta do Rostro, where we have other spectacular views and a good place to make a refreshment stop.

As soon as we lose sight of the Rostro beach and turn back, we will find another of the unique landscapes of the Camiño dos Faros. The cliffs formed by Punta do Rostro and Punta do Castelo, which we will cross at the top and which will remind us that this is where the Casón ran aground, causing the largest eviction of people in the history of this region.

There, in Punta Castelo, we visit the remains of the Castro de Castromiñán, of which we can barely see the outer walls and from which we can contemplate the next goal of this stage: Cabo de la Nave. To get there, we cross the cliffs that take us to the solitary Arnela Beach, where the ascent begins.

O Camiño dos Faros is growing and this stretch of the Cabo de la Nave is one of the most spectacular. From the track that borders the beach of Arnela we begin an ascent that will take us towards the antennas of the Cape of Nave along a track between rocks with the highest cliffs of our route. At the end, a well-deserved rest before facing the last descent, the last beach and the last mountain before reaching the Fisterra Lighthouse, our goal.

From Cabo de la Nave and in a very pronounced descent we reach the beach of Mar de Fora and, from the existing picnic area, we go up in search of the Camiño da Insua, which will bring us closer to Monte Facho, where the last ascent is the final highlight.

In continuous ascent we reach the western part of the Cape, from which the last steep slope begins, with a steep slope and stony ground before contemplating the first views of the Fisterra Lighthouse, perfect culmination of this incredible adventure, which we reach by a totally different way to the rest: O Camiño dos Faros.