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Lighthouse Way (Camino dos Faros)

From lighthouse to lighthouse along the rugged Costa da Morte.

Length
191 km
Stages
8
Difficulty
Hard
Hiking trail · not a CaminoA multi-day hiking trail, not a pilgrim route: you sleep in guesthouses, hostels and hotels rather than albergues, and you don't need a credential.
0 m150 m300 m0 km255075100125150175

This is walking on the edge of Galicia, where the Atlantic Ocean calls the shots. You walk along cliffs, through dunes and past broad beaches. In between, you pass through fishing villages where life still revolves around the sea. From one lighthouse to the next.

This is not a classic route with centuries of history behind it. In December 2012, six walkers and two dogs walked it for the first time. You can tell: it is quieter and wilder, and you need to keep your wits about you. The green waymarking only runs from north to south, from Malpica to Fisterra. It is demanding, too. The route goes up and down constantly, and the longest days are around 30 kilometres. It suits walkers in good shape who want to plan their own days.

The start is wild and rocky. As you head south, the landscape opens up and the sea becomes a constant companion. At Muxía the route turns towards Fisterra, where the land runs out and all you see is water.

The best months are May to September. It is drier then and the days are long. From November to April it is cool and often rainy. Walking across open cliffs then becomes a lot bleaker.

When to walk?

Best time: May–SeptemberPleasant weather: average daytime highs of 17–22 °C.
Less suitable: November–AprilCool and often wet (up to 17 rainy days a month).
  1. 1Malpica de Bergantiños → Niñóns20.0 km · ↑ 536 m · Moderate
  2. 2Niñóns → Ponteceso27.0 km · ↑ 682 m · Hard
  3. 3Ponteceso → Laxe25.5 km · ↑ 609 m · Moderate
  4. 4Laxe → Arou17.6 km · ↑ 244 m · Easy
  5. 5Arou → Camariñas22.4 km · ↑ 330 m · Moderate
  6. 6Camariñas → Muxía29.0 km · ↑ 428 m · Hard
  7. 7Muxía → Nemiña31.5 km · ↑ 1,051 m · Hard
  8. 8Nemiña → Fisterra18.4 km · ↑ 721 m · Moderate