Global InformationWay of the Lighthouses information
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|---|---|
 "A Ferida" (The Wound) sculpture by Alberto Bañuelos[1] | |
| Length | 200 kilometres (120 mi) |
| Location | Galicia, Spain |
| Trailheads | Malpica and Finisterre |
| Use | Hiking, backpacking |
| Highest point | Castelo, Loureiro[2] |
| Lowest point | Atlantic Ocean, 0 ft (0 m) |
| Difficulty | Easy to strenuous |
| Maintained by | Camiño dos Faros Association |
| Website | Official website |
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.
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]
- ^ 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).
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
spainincomingwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Brochure 2023, p. 2.
- ^ Simon, Johnny (24 December 2018). "Christmas is a profitable and perilous time of the year for Spain's barnacle hunters".
- ^ Matabuena, Laura (1 August 2007). A Ferida recuerda la huella de la marea negra en Muxía. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 May 2021.