Way of the Lighthouses

The Way of the Lighthouses, or the Lighthouse Way (Galician: Camiño dos Faros, Spanish: Camino de los Faros) is a 200 kilometres (120 mi) hiking trail along the Costa da Morte ('Coast of Death') in the province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. It joins Malpica with Finisterre along the coastline linking the lighthouses and landmarks along the way. The name of the route refers to the numerous lighthouses built on the Costa da Morte during the 19th and 20th centuries to make navigation safer.

"A Ferida" (The Wound) sculpture by Alberto Bañuelos[1]
Length200 kilometres (120 mi)
LocationGalicia, Spain
TrailheadsMalpica and Finisterre
UseHiking, backpacking
Highest pointCastelo, Loureiro[2]
Lowest pointAtlantic Ocean, 0 ft (0 m)
DifficultyEasy to strenuous
Maintained byCamiño dos Faros Association
WebsiteOfficial website

The route is divided into eight segments, averaging 26 kilometres (16 mi). The shortest segment is from Laxe to Arou which measures 17.7 kilometres (11.0 mi), while the longest is from Camariñas to Muxía which measures 32.6 kilometres (20.3 mi).[3] From north to south, on its way from Malpica to Fisterra the trail passes through the municipalities of Malpica, Fisterra, Ponteceso, Cabana de Bergantiños, Laxe, Arou, Vimianzo, Camariñas, Muxía and Cee.[3]

Small crosses along the coast memorialize drowned gatherers (Spanish: percebeiros) of goose barnacles (Spanish: percebe gallego), and are a reminder of how dangerous this stretch of coast is, both for local fishermen and sailors on longer voyages.[4] In addition to the lighthouses, other reminders of the different tragedies that occurred in this area include the English Cemetery, which contains the remains of English sailors shipwrecked at the end of the 19th century, as well as the occasional remains of ships and cargo giving rise to the names of beaches, rocks, shoals, etc. The most dramatic monument is La Ferida, a sculpture located in Muxía facing the Atlantic Ocean, on a hill next to the Virxe da Barca sanctuary, commemorating the 2002 Prestige oil spill.[5]

Background

In December 2012, a group of Galician hikers decided to go for a hike along the seashore, from Malpica to Fisterra, taking advantage of the paths that had been opened by fishermen and barnacle gatherers (Spanish: percebeiros); a journey of 200 kilometres (120 mi)[6] around the northwest coast of Galicia that took several weeks to complete. They wanted to create a route that stayed as close to the sea as possible.[7][8] From that small start, the popularity of the trail has grown.

The non-profit "Camiño dos Faros Association" is working to formalize the entire route.[9]

Stages
Porto de Malpica, starting point for the Camiño dos Faros

The trail is designed for each stage (each stage corresponds to one day of walking) to be easily broken up based on the hikers pace. Six of the eight stages follow a mixture of paths that pass by cliffs and beaches, while the other two head inland, circumnavigating the estuaries of Corme e Laxe estuary and Camariñas along what they are two stretches of very jagged coast. The stages start and finish in small fishing villages with plenty of accommodation options.[10][11]

From north to south:

Stage 1 Malpica–Niñones

This first stage starts at the port of Malpica and ends at Niñones beach.[12]

Stage 2 Niñons–Ponteceso
Cape Roncudo

The second stage begins on the beach of Niñones and after 27.1 kilometres (16.8 mi) ends in Ponteceso, next to the house where writer of the Galician hymn,Os Pinos, Eduardo Pondal, was born,[13] and the bridge that connects Ponteceso and Cabana de Bergantiños over the Anllóns river. This stage takes place in its entirety through the municipality of Ponteceso.[13]

Stage 3 Ponteceso–Laxe
See also: Castro de Borneiro

The third stage is 25.3 kilometres (15.7 mi) and starts at the bridge of Ponteceso, ending at the port of Laxe. Most of this stage passes through the municipality of Cabana de Bergantiños where the high point of the trail is located.[14] Castelo, Loureiro sits at 312 metres (1,024 ft) above sea level.[2]

Stage 4 Laxe–Arou

At 18 kilometres (11 mi) the fourth stage is the shortest segment of the Camiño, starts at the port of Laxe and ends at Arou beach. This stage takes place in the municipalities of Laxe, Vimianzo and Camariñas.[15]

Stage 5 Arou–Camariñas

The fifth stage is 23.8 kilometres (14.8 mi) in lenghth and starts at the beach of Arou and ends at the port of Camariñas. This stage takes place in its entirety through the municipality of Camariñas.[16]

Stage 6 Camariñas–Muxía
See also: Virxe da Barca sanctuary

The sixth stage starts at the port of Camariñas and ends at Coido beach in Muxía after traveling 32.6 kilometres (20.3 mi), a distance that makes this the longest and flattest stage of the Camino dos Faros. This stage runs through the municipalities of Camariñas, Vimianzo and Muxía and has two distinct parts: one from Camariñas to Puente del Puerto and the other from Puente del Puerto to Muxía.[17]

Stage 7 Muxía–Nemiña
Further information: Touriñán Lighthouse

The seventh stage starts at Coido beach in Muxía and ends at the beach in the parish of Nemiña, Muxía, after traveling 25.3 kilometres (15.7 mi). This stage takes place in the municipality of Muxía.[18]

Stage 8 Nemiña–Cape Finisterre
Further information: Cape Finisterre Lighthouse
Cape Finisterre Lighthouse, end of the eighth stage

The eighth and last stage starts on the beach at Nemiña, Muxía and ends at the Cape Finisterre Lighthouse after traveling 26.9 kilometres (16.7 mi). This stage takes place in the municipalities of Muxía, Cee and Fisterra.[19]

Cape Finisterre is also the final destination for many pilgrims on the Way of St. James, the pilgrimage to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.[20] Cape Finisterre is about 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Santiago de Compostela.

See also
  • Categoría:Camiño dos Faros

References
  1. A Ferida sculpture symbolizing the wound done to the sea by Prestige oil spill. The sculpture is 11 metres (36 ft) high, and weighs over 400 tonnes (440 tons).
  2. "The Way of the lighthouses stages". spainincoming.info. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  3. Brochure 2023, p. 2.
  4. Simon, Johnny (24 December 2018). "Christmas is a profitable and perilous time of the year for Spain's barnacle hunters".
  5. Matabuena, Laura (1 August 2007). A Ferida recuerda la huella de la marea negra en Muxía. Retrieved 21 May 2021. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  6. "By road this route is 71.8 km" – via Google maps.
  7. Brochure 2023, p. 3.
  8. Camiño dos Faros. "OS TRASNOS DA COSTA DA MORTE". Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  9. "Proceso de homologación: O Camiño dos Faros" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  10. Mishev, Dina (7 June 2019). "Hiking Spain's luminous Lighthouse Way". Washington Post.
  11. Barone, Jeanine (16 June 2019). "Why Hiking Spain's Lighthouse Way Trail Is A Must Do". Forbes.
  12. "Stage 1: Malpica-Niñones". Camiño dos Faros. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  13. Ferreiro Fernández, Manuel (2017). Eduardo Pondal, o cantor do eido noso (PDF). Edicións Laiovento. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  14. "Stage 3 – Ponteceso-Laxe". Camiño dos Faros. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  15. "Stage 4 – Laxe-Arou (18 KM)". Camiño dos Faros. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  16. Camiño dos Faros. "Stage 5 – Arou-Camariñas (23.8 KM)". Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  17. "Stage 6: Camariñas-Muxía (32.6 KM)". Camiño dos Faros. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  18. "Stage 7: Muxía-Nemiña (25,3 Km)". Camiño dos Faros. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  19. "Stage 8: Nemiña-Cape Finisterre". Camiño dos Faros. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  20. "Cape Finisterre – Galicia". Retrieved 20 June 2023.

Bibliography
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