To clarify, The Camino de Faros between Finisterre and Muxia is an alternative route to the Camino de Santiago between the two towns. While The Camino de Santiago is a relatively easy 27K jaunt, the Camino de Faros is 52K of more challenging rugged coastal walking with some narrow, rocky paths and significant elevation changes. The two Caminos do merge briefly in Finisterre, Lires, and Muxia.
While the Camino de Santiago is well marked with frequent milestones and yellow arrows, the Camino de Faros, is marked not nearly as well with mostly painted green arrows and dots on stones. More likely to take a wrong turn on de Faros, so a GPS of some sort is advisable. I use the excellent and easy download from the Dutch site; www.santiago.nl which overlays nicely onto maps.me which can be used offline. de Faros is also mapped out on Wikiloc.
Day 2 Lires to Muxia is a long 30K. The walking is similar with mostly narrow, rocky, mountain trails along the rugged beautiful coastline of Costa del Muerte “The Coast of Death” named so for the many shipwrecks along its dangerous shores.
I did pass a single bar in Nemina on the beach where there were some surfers. Not sure if it was open as I was walking on to Lires just 5K further.
It is mostly you and Mother Nature which is a nice alternative to the Camino de Santiago. The colors of spring are magnificent with the bright yellow gorse, purple heather, and white and yellow daisies amidst the lush green grass and blue sea and skies.
Admittedly, I skipped the loop west of Tourinan and its lighthouse as I fell earlier and bloodied up my hand and knee. I figured why push it as I am now living in Global Pilgrim House in Muxia and plan to do this local walk often so now I have a reason to return.
Some people mentioned that this walk should be walked from Malpica to Finisterre, it being the end of the medieval world, thus making it similar to a Camino from Santiago to Finisterre. Makes sense, but if you are like me and have already walked to Finisterre from Santiago then I don’t see any other benefit to going one way or the other. This is more of a long walk. Very reminiscent of the Kerry and Beara Ways in Ireland, both around 200K of rugged coastal walking. There are very few fellow walkers so this is totally different from the Camino Frances or most other Caminos. More like the Camino Levante with you rarely seeing another hiker.
