Telephone: +44 (0) 1722 322 652 Email: [email protected] Galicia – Lighthouse Way – 5 nights Along the wild Atlantic coast https://www.onfootholidays.co.uk/routes/galicia-lighthouse-way/galicia-lighthouse-way-5-nights/ Route Summary At a glance Lighthouse Way 5-night option starting at Camariñas. Add a night in Santiago if you have time. How much walking? Full days: 15½-23½ km per day, 4-7¾ hrs walking Using shortening options: 9½-15¾km, 2½-4½ hrs walking using taxi starts Max. Grade: page 1/9 Welcome to the last unspoilt coast of Europe – the Costa da Morte. Grand cliffs, sweeping sandy beaches, lonely capes and iconic lighthouses from a time when this coast, with its fierce tides and dangerous shoals was rightly respected by mariners and feared by their loved ones at home. Fishing is still an important activity on this coast, witness the thriving little ports with their earthy pubs and seafood restaurants. Our path winds along the “Camino dos Faros” – the Lighthouse Way – and sticks largely to the coast, with the occasional (On Foot designed) foray inland to include an attractive place to stay. In its pure form it is a long and tough walk, but we have arranged short cuts and, courtesy of local taxi drivers, drop-off and pick-up points for those who would prefer a shorter day, maybe to spend some time on the beach! Hardy walkers could try the full length 10-night version, lesser mortals (or those with insufficient time) should start at Laxe (7-night) or Camariñas. Cliff walking – not suitable for those with severe vertigo or acrophobia. Some of the accommodation we use is quite small so please book as early as possible. Route Highlights ● The unspoilt Galician coast with its lighthouses ● Wild cliffs and windswept headlands ● Empty sandy beaches ● Fresh seafood from local fishermen ● Pretty fishing villages ● Finisterre – the “end of the world” ● Santiago de Compostela (add-on) We Recommend A night or two at the end in Santiago de Compostela would appear sensible - or you could hire a car and explore the "Rias Baixas" - the indented coast south of Finisterre. Grading Full days: 15½-23½ km per day, 4-7¾ hrs walking Using shortening options: 9½-15¾km, 2½-4½ hrs walking using taxi starts page 2/9 If done in its complete form without transfers this is a route for the true hiker, with some long and sometimes tough days, but we have arranged with local contact Aznar to be on hand to arrange shortening option taxis as and when required. Easy navigation with waymarked paths - the only difficulties come when trying to refind the route on the other side of a beach! Medium-hard: Average cumulative uphill stretched (CUSs) 596m (250m-940m) per day. Easy-medium: CUSs 328m (250m-400m) per day using taxi shortening options on the longer days. GPX file available for handheld GPS or smartphone App for complete route. Important note: Times given for each day are walking times for an “average” walker and exclude stops. “CUSs” stands for “Cumulative Uphill Stretches” and measures the aggregated ascents in each day, expressed in metres of climb. See “Walk Grading” for more information. When to go The best months to walk: May, June, September Other possible months: April, July, August, October, early November The 10-night version of this route can be done from April to July and from September to mid-October, when the accommodation closes. The shorter versions (7 and 5 night) can be walked throughout the summer (availability permitting) and into November. NOTE FOR THOSE PLANNING TO SPEND TIME IN SANTIAGO: Xacobeo 2021 and 2022 2021 is a Camino de Santiago Holy Year which occurs when the Feast of St James (25 July) falls on a Sunday. St James is the patron saint of pilgrims and the camino, and therefore, this is a cause for great celebration. There will be lots of events, extra church services, and thousands more people flocking to the pilgrimage trails than in a normal year, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these celebrations have been extended into 2022 too. According to Jacobean tradition, pilgrims who walk to Santiago de Compostela during a Holy Year and Pass through the Holy Door of the Santiago Cathedral are forgiven all their sins. This is called a plenary indulgence and was started by Pope Calixto II. The very first Holy Year was in 1122, with Holy Years falling every 6,5,6 and 11 years. The next one is in 2027. Therefore, be prepared for hotels being busy and finding many more pilgrims on the way to Santiago. Please note: date ranges shown are for a 'normal' year. While Covid-19 restrictions remain, please contact us to discuss your plans and availability. Itinerary Day 1 - Arrive Camariñas You reach Camariñas normally by taxi from Santiago or A Coruña airport. Settle in, have a look round and select somewhere to eat. page 3/9 Day 2 - Camariñas to Cereixo (5 night start) An easy day on good tracks and paths that wend their way inland to explore Galicia’s more rural side of life. There’s a chance for a swim at Ariño Beach which you cross on the way to A Ponte de Porto, where you should stop for lunch. Then follow the course of the River Porto to the fascinating site of Torres de Cereixo, before heading to Casal de Cereixo, a lovely converted farmhouse, for an excellent supper and a quiet night's sleep. (4hrs, 15¾km, CUSs 250m) Option For the time-poor, this day and the following can be combined, missing out the night in Cereixo. Day 3 - Cereixo to Muxia Having waved a fond "hasta luego" to your lovely hosts at Casal de Cereixo, today’s walk takes you quickly back to the Camino you left yesterday. Follow the Rio Porto to its mouth and you will suddenly realise how quiet the last day was, away from the crashing waves of the Atlantic. As you head to Muxia, you will visit the unspoilt village of Merexo and the deserted mills of Os Muinos. Swimming is definitely on the cards today too, with at least three beaches you could test out, conditions permitting. (Easy-medium 4¾hrs, 15½km, CUSs 375m) Day 4 - Muxía to Lires Let the drama begin again! After a couple of easier days, the excitement starts almost as soon as you leave your accommodation with a quick scramble up to the Monte Corpiño mirador with amazing views back to Muxia and beyond. Then explore the end of the peninsula and the Nosa Señora da Barca church and lighthouse before setting off for Lourido Beach and your first chance for a swim. Today is a long and quite tough walk (even though we have abridged it to keep it within the capabilities of most). Follow the coast and climb up to the top of Monte Pedrouzo before descending back to sea level at the beach of Moreira. After that, the going is easier and with a few more ups and downs, you will explore a more rural part of the coast before descending once more to the huge beach at Nemiña. Good roads and tracks then take you upriver to your much needed accommodation for the night in Lires. (Hard 7¼ hrs, 23½ km, CUSs 940m, or Medium 2¼ hrs, 9½ km, CUSs 500m after a taxi start) Day 5 - Lires to Fisterra And so to the end of the world... And what an epic journey too! The day starts peacefully enough as you follow the path of the River Lires down to the point at which it disgorges into the Atlantic but then you climb up to the cliff tops and spend much of the morning following the coastline. Descend to the golden beach of Rostro – over a mile long and a perfect place for a swim. It’s up to the cliff tops again after that and you’ll pass rocky coves far below but will sometimes feel the spray from the crashing waves even at this height. From the peak of Veladoiro you’ll be able to see Finisterre in the distance but it’s still quite a walk. A further chance for a swim as you pass the town of Fisterra and then, following a final climb to remind you that this is a pilgrimage, it’s onwards to the lighthouse where you may have chosen to stay for the night. (7¼hrs, 20¾km, CUSs 830m, or 3¾ hrs, 11km, CUSs 400m after a taxi start) page 4/9 Travel Information ARRIVING AND DEPARTING BY AIR The best “local” airports are either Santiago de Compostela or A Coruña. Intercontinental flights would use Madrid – internal flights from there connect with both airports (or transfer by train – see below). While transfers to the start by bus are theoretically possible, they are poorly timetabled and also involve a final leg taxi in any event. Buses between Fisterra and Santiago or A Coruna are also possible but they take a long time – therefore taxi transfers from and back to both airports (or railway stations/town centres) are included in the holiday price. SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA Land by: 18:00 for taxi transfer to first hotel Return flight earliest: 14:30 (no time limit with pre-booked taxi) A CORUNA Land by: 18:00 for taxi transfer to first hotel. Return flight earliest: 14:00 Return flight earliest times not applicable if using a pre-booked taxi. Flight information can change rapidly and not all flights run daily. Please do check directly with the airlines’ websites or Skyscanner (see below) before finalising any booking with us.