El Camino de los Faros: an adventure along La Costa da Morte

The Lighthouses Way: another Camino in Galicia

The Lighthouses Way, O Camiño dos Faros (in Spanish, Camino de Los Faros or Ruta de Los Faros) does not belong to the network of pilgrim routes. However, since the tour takes place in Galicia and ends in Cabo Finisterre, where many people finish their pilgrimage, following the Camino de Finisterre. So, we wanted to dedicate an entry to it in our blog on the Camino de Santiago.

We have decided on this way because every year many pilgrims after finishing the Ruta al Fin del Mundo, decide that they want to continue walking. Obviously, if you are in Finisterre or Muxía, O Camiño de los Faros is an excellent choice to continue doing so.

It has also happened to us that some people have contacted us to complete this route exclusively. We also dedicate this publication to them. Below we tell you everything you need to know to do the Camino de Los Faros.

Stages on The Lighthouses Way

The Camino de los Faros is a route that runs along the coast of Galicia (the well-known Costa de la Muerte or Costa da Morte, in Galician). Its route joins the Rias Altas and the Rias Baixas, thus linking the Cantabrian and the Atlantic coasts.

The route starts in Malpica, however, the starting points on the route, as with the itineraries of the Camino de Santiago, are diverse and each person chooses from where to start depending on their available time. The route of La Ruta de los Faros is approximately 200 kilometres long, which can be divided into 8 stages.

El trazado atraviesa senderos, acantilados, faros, playas y pequeños pueblos costeros de la Costa da Morte. No obstante, aunque es una ruta de costa no es una ruta de playa, como el Camino Portugués de la Costa, por ejemplo.

The route crosses trails, cliffs, lighthouses, beaches and small coastal villages along the Costa da Morte. However, although it is a coastal route, it is not a beach route, like the Camino Portugues Coastal route, for example.

That implies that the route faces quite a few climbs. If there’s one thing that characterizes the Costa da Morte, it lies in its abrupt geography. Therefore, it could be said that the difficulty on The Lighouses Way is at a medium level.

The advantage of this route is that the difficulty of its stages increases progressively, so it is easy to get in shape, to face, every day, a greater challenge. Below we talk about each of the 8 stages that make up the Ruta de los Faros from Malpica.

Stage 1: From Malpica to Niñons on The Lighthouses Way

The first stage of the Camino de los Faros is 21.9 km in length. Like most of the tour, the day runs along the sea. On this stage, you will pass next to beautiful beaches, such as: Area Maior, Beo, Seiruga, Barizo and finally that of Niñons.

On this first stage, you will find the Punta Nariga Lighthouse. This is the first one on the tour and also the most recent of the entire Costa da Morte, but that does not make it any less spectacular.

Stage 2: From Niñons to Ponteceso

The second stage of the Ruta de los Faros is somewhat more demanding than the previous one. The route has a length of 26.1 kilometres and has some slopes. However, its varied landscape and the small coves that dot the route are reason enough to make the effort.

On this stage, you will cross Cabo Roncudo, where you will find another lighthouse. Then the route travels inland, following the route of the Laxe estuary, to cross in its final section the dunes of A Barra.

From Ponteceso to Laxe on The Lighthouses Way

The third stage of the Ruta de los Faros faces 25.2 km, some of the sections of the route are done by road and others by the coast. The first kilometres of the day are made with the magnificent views over the River Anllóns estuary. Then you will also have the opportunity to visit the Dolmen de Dombate and the Castro de Borneiro.

Then, the Camino de los Faros reaches its highest level, in Monte Castelo de Lourido. From there you descend to continue along the stunning coast of Cabana, with its spectacular beaches.

The fourth stage, the easiest

The fourth stage of the Ruta de los Faros is the easiest. It only travels 17.7 kilometres in distance and does not face many slopes.

The journey begins through the territories of Monte da Insua and the Laxe lighthouse. It then offers beautiful views of the Peñón de Soesto beach, before descending to Playa de Traba. The tour ends in Arou, not without first crossing a stretch dotted with amazing rocks.

Stage 5: de Arou a Camariñas

Between Arou and Camariñas, where the fifth stage of the Camino de los Faros concludes, there are 22.7 kilometres. This is a demanding stage, but it is not one of the toughest on the route.

During the day you will cross Lobeiras beach and the Monte Branco dunes. You will also have the opportunity to visit the English Cemetery and, of course, another lighthouse: The Vilán Lighthouse.

Heading to Muxía on la Ruta de los Faros

The sixth stage runs between Camariñas and Muxía, where those who travel the Camino de los Faros meet those pilgrims who follow the Camino de Finisterre to Muxía.

This stage is the longest on the route (32 km), but also the one with the least slopes. In fact, you could say that it’s practically flat.

The first part of the tour is completed next to the Camariñas estuary, dotted with beautiful villages. Then, you will cross the sands at the mouth of River Grande.

The stage ends in Muxía, where the Sanctuary of La Barca and the Muxía Lighthouse await you. Before finishing the tour, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the stunning Lago and Coido beaches.

From Muxía to Nerniña (stage 7)

The penultimate stage of the Camino de los Faros is the most rugged and therefore the most complicated of the route. It is advisable to complete the 24.3 kilometres to which this section of the route faces calmly.

The peaks of Cachelmo, Bitra and Pedrouzo will present the biggest challenges of the day. However, the landscape provided by this part of the Camino de los Faros compensates for all your effort.

From Praia de Moreira the terrain on the route becomes easier. In this more relaxed stretch, you will pass next to the Touriñán Lighthouse, located on the westernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. Finally, you will arrive Nerniña crossing its beautiful beach.

Arrival at Cape Finisterre by The Lighthouses Way

As we told you at the beginning of this piece, the tour ends at Cape Finisterre. The last stage of O Camiño de los Faros is 26.2 kilometres long and, like the previous stage, is quite complicated.

The tour is completed along a series of cliffs and beaches. It also faces the climb to Monte do Facho. During the day, you will have the opportunity to visit the maritime Castro in Castromiñán.

Once in Finisterre, visiting its lighthouse is a must, as well as enjoying a sunset there. If after finishing the Camino de los Faros, you still feel like walking, you can continue the Camino de Finisterre in reverse, thus setting course for Santiago de Compostela. An excellent city where you will find countless things to do and where you can rest from your great adventure.

Now you know what the stages of the Ruta de los Faros are like. You’ve seen that this isn’t an easy route, but it’s not an easy course to complete.

With adequate training, anyone can face these challenges. If you want to know how to physically prepare for this adventure, we advise you to read this article in which we explain to our readers how to train to complete the Camino de Santiago.

Doing The Lighthouses Way with Santiago Ways

If you want to do the Camino de los Faros you can do it by yourself or you can count on the support of a specialized agency that will help you organize the entire tour and that makes the experience easier. There are various services that make preparing the adventure and the experience that much easier.

On the Ruta de los Faros, we offer the same services that we offer on other itineraries on the Camino de Santiago. Check out our article on doing the Camino de Santiago with an agency to learn more about what they consist of.

Our proposal for The Lighthouses Way is a tour of 8 days and 7 nights. Of which the first is spent in Santiago de Compostela or In A Coruña, wherever you prefer.

From there, we help you get to Ponteceso, from where the adventure begins. That means that the route is shortened by a few kilometres and you will be able to complete the Camino de los Faros in six stages.

However, this is only our proposal. If you want to complete the full route or have additional nights in Muxía, Finisterre, Santiago or A Coruña, we can adapt to your needs. Just contact us or write to us on our Facebook to let us know.

We do not want to say goodbye before reminding you that if you are reading this and have already completed this route, we would appreciate it if you leave us a comment with your experience. So all the other people who read to us, they can make use of it.

Buen Camino!