Why Book a Camino dos Faros Self-Guided Hike + Coupon Code

The 200km-long Lighthouse Way (Camiño dos Faros) is an extraordinary long-distance hike along Galicia’s legendary Coast of Death in northern Spain. 

Among European coastal treks, it sits firmly on the more challenging end of the spectrum, with substantial cumulative elevation gain, long daily distances, demanding terrain (including sand, granite, and overgrown sections), and occasionally unclear waymarking. With the right support, this trek can be far more manageable, easing both pre-trip preparation and the challenges on the trail.

After we completed the trail, many readers reached out with questions about abbreviated itineraries, recommended shortcuts, and luggage transfer options. It quickly became clear that many, if not most hikers would benefit from professional planning and booking support.

With that in mind, I reached out to UK-based On Foot Holidays, one of Europe’s most trustworthy and ethical self-guided hiking operators, to learn how they organize Lighthouse Way treks for their clients.

Below, I’ll explain exactly why they’re the best operator to book this hike with, and why we’d choose them in a heartbeat for the Lighthouse Way or virtually any village-to-village hike in Europe.

Exclusive offer: On Foot Holidays is offering our readers a £20 voucher for their first trip. To redeem, enter the coupon code M&H20 in the “Promotional or voucher code” field on any inquiry or booking form. This offer is available to new On Foot Holidays customers only.

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Luggage Transfer is Included

Unlike Portugal’s Fisherman’s Trail or England’s South West Coast Path, luggage transfer on the Lighthouse Way isn’t easy to arrange independently, since there’s no luggage transfer service available along the entire route. On most stages, you’d need to contact local taxi services the day before and coordinate luggage transport to your next accommodation. 

Booking with On Foot Holidays takes care of luggage transfer for you, so you can hike with a much lighter pack. And of course, a lighter pack makes for significantly easier hiking days.

It also makes carrying water more manageable. If you prefer not to source water from streams, I recommend carrying up to 3 liters on certain stages (such as stages 2 and 7). Trying to carry that much water on top of a fully packed backpack is extremely taxing. 

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Pre-Booked Taxis to the Trail Start and from the Trail End are Included

Another benefit to booking this trek with On Foot Holiday, is that they organize your transfer from A Coruña (airport or city) or Santiago (airport or city) to Malpica, the starting point of the Lighthouse Way. They also organize your transfer from Finisterre, the ending point, back to A Coruña (airport or city) or Santiago (airport or city).

We also booked a private transfer to Malpica: the only practical way to get from A Coruña Airport to the trailhead without having to overnight in the city. On the return to A Coruña, we used public transit, which turned was exhausting (bus, train, and taxi). In hindsight, a private transfer would have been a far more enjoyable way to end the trip. 

Keep in mind that the Camino Finisterre pilgrimage route also ends in Finisterre, so getting from Finisterre to Santiago de Compostela by public transit can feel like a bit of a circus.

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Shorter Itineraries and Customizations

The official Lighthouse Way is divided into 8 stages, which means that hikers have to tackle an average of 25 km a day. Luckily, On Foot Holidays divides the route into 9 stages, making it far more manageable. In addition, you can further customize your itinerary with taxi shortcuts, allowing you to comfortably shorten some of the longer stages.

One of the most frequently asked questions we received was whether the route can be shortened.

In addition to the complete route (10 nights total), On Foot Holidays also offers a shorter 7-night itinerary starting in Laxe and a 5-night itinerary starting in Camariñas. 

If you want to build in a rest day, you can also request extra nights in Laxe, or Camariñas.

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Navigation App + Digital Handbook

The Lighthouse Way is marked with bright green waymarking. Given the verdant foliage, spotting the green waymarks isn’t always easy. Though the trail rarely deviates from the coast, it’s easy to end up on other tracks if you’re not paying attention. You absolutely need GPX tracks to navigate the Lighthouse Way. 

On Foot Holidays customers receive access to the bespoke On Foot Holidays Companion App, which includes an offline navigation system, your day by day itinerary, accommodation, arrival/departure instructions, and a wealth of other information about the trail and area including points of interest, dining options, and packing essentials. Additionally, you can access the contact details of your local contact. 

I downloaded the app to test its functionality and would give it a five-star rating. It’s well-organized and intuitive. I was particularly impressed by the daily maps, which track your progress, display detailed hiking directions, and show clickable waymarks indicating historic sites, viewpoints, dining options, tricking junctions, taxi drop-off and pick-up locations (when relevant), etc… 

Tip | Make sure you have sufficient storage on your phone before downloading the app, so that all offline maps download completely. 

In addition to the information available in the Navigation App, customers receive a 30+ page digital Lighthouse Way handbook with valuable insights covering every aspect of the trip. Beyond logistical details, there’s an extensive section exploring the history of the region, the economy, local food and drink, architecture, flora and fauna, and so much more.

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Local Contact for Questions 

On all On Foot Holidays self-guided tours, each trail is overseen by a local collaborator. On Foot Holidays clients can contact the local collaborator via whatsapp whenever they have questions, or need extra support. 

For example, if you need to change the pick-up time of your taxi, you can reach out to your local contact. Or if you want to take a taxi to shorten a stage, you can arrange that with your contact the day before.

Their contact details are located in the On Foot Holidays Companion App under “Contacts & Emergencies.” 

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Coupon Code for our Readers

If you would like to book the Lighthouse Way with On Foot Holidays, don’t forget to enter the coupon code M&H20 in the “Promotional or voucher code” field on any inquiry or booking form. Every hiker on your trip will receive a £20 discount. 

This coupon code applies to all On Foot Holidays walking tours. I recommend also taking a look at their England tours, Slovenia tours, Greece tours, France tours, and Italy tours.

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More Hikes in Europe

Coastal Treks:

• Best Coastal Hikes in Europe
• Fisherman’s Trail in Portugal
• South West Coast Path in England 

Europe Treks:

• Best Treks in Europe
• 2-Day Hikes in Europe
• Hut to Hut Hiking

Alps:

• Best Treks in Austria
• Liechtenstein Panorama Trail in Liechtenstein
• Alpstein High Trail Trek in Switzerland
• Triglav National Park Hut to Hut Hike in Slovenia

Hiking in Spain:

• Our Favorite Hikes in Spain
• Best Hikes in Tenerife
• Best Hikes in Mallorca
• Best Hikes in Picos de Europa
• Best Hikes in Gran Canaria

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