We invite you to discover Galicia on a different journey: with more than 1,100 kilometers of coastline and cliffs, of small southern capes, the route of the Galician lighthouses opens a window to the Atlantic and Cantabrian Galicia that you will not forget.
We enter an eminently maritime land, through its light guides in the form of 44 lighthouses arranged in the 76 municipalities that host them, and of which we have selected the most beautiful lighthouses in Galicia .
The lighthouse route in Galicia, a trip to the past
Since the 1st century AD, the Tower of Hercules has been recorded in history as a guide for Roman sailors who braved the waters of the End of the World in search of their limits. History, and its geographical position, have given Galicia a splendid nature crowned by beautiful lighthouses.
This is the origin of the Galician lighthouse route, a journey of more than 1,100 kilometers to be done by vehicle, which covers all the Cantabrian and Atlantic coasts from the Rías Bajas to the Rías Altas.
These are the lighthouses of Galicia that you have to know and visit on any trip to this land of Celtic reminiscence, from the south to the north.
Cabo Silleiro Lighthouse
Inaugurated in 1866 in the vicinity of Baiona, it is one of the lighthouses with a more complex access. Its light, on clear days, can be seen from Cape Finisterre.
O Monte Faro Lighthouse
The Cíes Islands are a true paradise on earth. And part of its charm lies in its areas of cliffs and beaches. The O Monte do Faro Lighthouse is the main one of the entire set of lighthouses on the islands.
It was built in the middle of the 19th century, and its zigzag ascent is one of the busiest, at the top of which is one of the best views in all of Galicia.
Punta Cabalo Lighthouse on Arousa Island
The Arousa estuary is one of the most beautiful areas in Galicia. There is the homonymous island, which houses one of the most unknown lighthouses on the Galician coast, today converted into a restaurant.
Faro de Finisterre or Finisterra, one of the most touristic of the lighthouse route in Galicia
Next to the Tower of Hercules, it is the most famous and photographed Galician lighthouse . Also the one that attracts the most tourists and pilgrims. Not surprisingly, it is kilometer zero of the Camino de Santiago .
It is a tradition that pilgrims who complete the entire Camino de Santiago burn their travel boots at Cape Finisterre
The environment certainly invites relaxation, a sensation only lost by the constant flow of tourists and pilgrims. And, of course, because of the air that blows : located facing the sea, it is quite common to find strong gusts of wind.
From here you can contemplate the particularity of the Rías Baixas coast .
Faro Touriñan, the authentic Finis Mundi
Since ancient times, Cape Finisterre was assimilated as the southernmost area of Europe. And it is true, although not so in regard to the lighthouse, since it is located in the south sleeve.
Thus, the Touriñán Lighthouse is actually the westernmost lighthouse on the peninsula. In fact, at the spring and autumn equinoxes it is the point in continental Europe where the sun later sets.
Located on the Costa da Morte , in the municipality of Muxía , and sadly famous for being one of the areas most affected by the Prestige ecological disaster, it is one of the most beautiful and lonely places in Galicia.
Cape Vilán Lighthouse
In the heart of the Costa da Morte, its profile is drawn imposingly on a projection of the steep coast. It is one of the tallest and most impressive lighthouses in Galicia (and in Europe) .
You can access it by road or by doing a simple hiking route along the Costa da Morte.
Shellfish and fishermen use the rocks to find the rich and dangerous delicacies of the rugged coastline
The visit to the Cabo Vilán Lighthouse, which on foggy days seems to emerge from it as in the movies of sailors , is worth visiting the place, yes, but also the Interpretation Center of the shipwrecks, lighthouses and signs of the Coast of Death.
A highly recommended visit full of curiosities such as the existing maps with annotations on each of the shipwrecks that occurred in these dangerous waters. The best known, the British navy ship HMMS Serpent that sank in 1890. The 172 crew members who died gave rise to the so-called Cemetery of the English, in the vicinity and looking out to sea.
As a curiosity, it holds the title of the first lighthouse to use electrical energy.
The Punta Nariga Lighthouse
It is the most modern lighthouse in Galicia . Not in vain it was built in 1995, and reaches about 50 meters above sea level in an environment full of viewpoints.
Its shape like a boat invites you to scan the coast. To the north you can see the Sisargas Islands and its impressive lighthouse.
The visit is worth it for the curious zoomorphic formations that are traditionally identified from the surrounding rocks, although you have to use your imagination to visualize them.
Due to the strong winds in the area, there are numerous wind farms that take advantage of the force of nature to generate electricity on the Costa da Morte.
Sisargas Islands Lighthouse
Following the coastline towards the Rías Altas, we find the Sisargas Islands lighthouse , off the coast of the Coruña municipality of Malpica.
In addition to its location, it is a lighthouse with a lot of history, since it was the landing point for numerous pirate raids in the area . As a vestige of those years of exposure to the sea, the ruins of the hermitage of Santa Mariña.
The Tower of Hercules, the high point of the lighthouse route in Galicia
We arrived on our journey through the rugged Galician coast to La Coruña. There the beautiful and well-known Tower of Hercules awaits, one of the tallest Roman buildings that are still preserved (with nuances), and the only one of Roman origin that still fulfills its mission.
For many years it was used as a quarry to build other buildings
Its strategic position quickly made it a point of great importance both to protect and to be a dock for ships en route to the British Isles.
Its external appearance is the result of the reconstruction undertaken from the 18th century. Few are the indications of what was the external appearance of this magnificent Roman monument.
At its feet is the famous Rose of the Winds , one of the most photographed snapshots of the Galician city.
Cape Ortegal
Cape Ortegal is the point of union between the Cantabrian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean . Here the waters and winds bring danger in the form of great bravery.
The cliffs of Vixía Herberia on which the lighthouse rises are one of the highest in continental Europe . Two especially interesting moments to be in the environment are sunrise and sunset: authentic spectacles of nature.
In front of the lighthouse Os tres Aguillóns rise, three very sharp rock formations that receive all the force of the union of both waters.
From here it is easy to see Cabo de Estaca de Bares.
The Lighthouse of Punta Rocadoira
Already within the Rías Altas , we find the first stop at the Punta Rocadoira lighthouse, where it is worth recreating with the surroundings : in the background, stake of Bares; at the foot, the cliffs of Punta Cameiro and the inlet of the Landro river.
Isla Plancha, the last of the milestones of the lighthouse route in Galicia
We arrive at our last destination in Ribadeo , on the border between Galicia and Asturias that divides the Eo estuary. There awaits a small island connected to the peninsula by a bridge of great beauty , at the end of which is a small and romantic lighthouse.
During the spring, the soil of the island is covered with purple flowers in a sight to behold, especially at sunrise and sunset.
The Way of the Lighthouses (Or Camiño dos Faros)
Have you been wanting to travel this rugged but beautiful land on foot? There are several routes for hiking in Galicia in one or more days, such as the Camino de los Faros (which is not the route of the Lighthouses of Galicia).
This consists of 200 kilometers of road between the municipality of Malpica and Cape Finisterre, which border the coast offering the traveler an impressive view of the extraordinary cliffs and headlands of Galicia, and the depth of its estuaries.
We leave you the tracking of the Camino de los Faros de Galicia route that the company TerraMetrics has carried out:
