Walking the Camino dos Faros

Thank you to John Davies for the following updates and recommendations

With only 5 walking days available we had to cut out the long, inland stage (6) and took 2 strategic shortcuts so that we could complete within our constrained timeframe. We were fully equipped for camping but the weather dictated otherwise. Here are my suggested amendments, based on what we did walk.

Getting to Malpica 

We took the airport bus to the centre of Santiago, almost immediately got on a small bus/minibus from the bus station to Carballo and then took a €24 taxi ride straight to Malpica. Shared between 2, this came out at about £17 per person for a speedy transfer from airport to trailhead. 

We started the route at 4pm on our air flight/travelling day... in pouring rain. Listed accommodation at Casa Vasca and Az Garzas (p 35) was full but they kindly passed us on to Cabanas de Barizo (900m up the road). We got a delightful 2-bedroom cabin with cosy woodburner for €95 ... an extravagance but needs must! The restaurant La Ratundo has replaced the Bar Xan (Page 35) and is a delightful place, and very reasonably priced.  

We walked one and a half stages the next day to Ponteceso, which was tough, for anyone else considering it. Praia do Ninons to Corme was particularly brutal and quite overgrown.  For information, we wanted early (7am) starts but shops along the Cost da Morte don't tend to open until 9am, which is a problem, supply-wise. In Ponteceso there is a really good pizzeria and bar within 75m of the Pension Teyma and the only one that opened at 7.  

Stage 5 

The route no longer seems to go over the giant sand dune, Duna de Monte Branco, but the green dots now lead you on a contour around the headland.  

Stage 7 

The gorse is king here and bare legs got lacerated.  

Stage 8

Walking from Faro Fisterra into Fisterra is more like 3/3.25km (Page 93)  

The bus ride from Fisterra back to Santiago took only an hour, much to the astonishment of most passengers who expected the full 3hr 15min. No explanation.. but it was clearly direct!  

Overall, a brilliant walk and John's guide an invaluable companion. Sections of the walk are really quite neglected now and many green markers are so faded as to be invisible. We were caught out numerous times by faded/indistinct signage. The promised GR red and white flashes have not materialised. 

For those planning lunch on Stage 1 the Bar Xan and Restaurant Seiruga were recently reported as closed, although the Restaurant Seiruga may open in the summer

p35 - the Restuarant O Xan - the best place en route to buy a sandwich - is now closed, so if not stopping for a meal at either of the other two restaurants buy a sandwich in Malpica.

p65 - the cafe at the lighthouse Faro de Cabo Vilan is shut so buy a sandwich at Arou.

One of our customers, Ferdinand, walked the route in early October and while he enjoyed excellent weather, made a number of points that should be considered if walking late in the year and out of the holiday season.

Firstly he found a number of the bars and lunch spots mentioned in the guide closed - this may be a seasonal thing or it may be that some of these businesses haven't survived Covid. In particular, the Michelin starred As Garvas was shut on Monday (many Spanish restaurants if they open on Sunday shut on Monday) and the Bar Xan looks like its closure might be more permanent.

He also discovered that in October there is no direct bus from A Coruna to Malpica at the weekend and that you need to change at Carballo, something not mentioned in the guide. The guide does recommend that travel arrangements are checked using the wonderful RometoRio website and this usually provides up-to-date information direct from the operators' websites.

Ferdinand also speculated that it would be possible to cut across the Rio Grande at low tide after Praia do Arino and avoid some of the inland track to Ponte do Porte and indeed the whole river bed is used by locals to harvest shellfish. This is not the recommended route however as far as Camino dos Faros Association is concerned although they do identify other low tide shortcuts later in the walk.

The GR white-red waymarkers have not yet been installed and the trail still uses the green markers, but Ferdinand found the GPX traces generally accurate and helpful.

Despite the out of season feel, Ferdinand recommends the route in October and, although there are some closures, helpfully found some previously unidentified and recommended accommodation after Cereixo - the Casa Rural de Cereixo (www.casaruraldecereixo.com) .