A grassy path heads away from the English cemetery along the coast, where rocks off the treacherous cape can be seen close up.
Our route reaches a single-track road which has a pavement at the side of it.
Bear right for easier walking along the pavement with incredible vistas of the broken shore.
The first views of the Vilán cape and its lighthouse appear; it’s around 6.5km to reach the lighthouse.
The road passes above two beaches, the Area Longa and Balea, with the option to drop down to a lower, undulating grassy path.
Our route continues on, towards the hill ahead which has to be scaled.
The road snakes up the slope on the way to the lighthouse. As it climbs, the dramatic views back along the coast can be admired.
The road bears right to offer even better vistas of the elongated cape. Pass a giant wind turbine on the descent towards Vilán. Bear right for the shin up the lane to the lighthouse.
You may have the pleasure of seeing Cristina Fernández, one of the first women to work as a lighthouse keeper in Spain.
Return on the same lane to start the next section, which is a change of direction along the coast.
The route enters the Ría de Camariñas, an inlet which runs east to meet the mouth of the Río Grande (Grande river).
It’s 4.1km to the Virxe do Monte hermitage; first passing a fish farm, and onto a path before we get on a wide track that runs along the shoreline.
We can see the hill ahead which is home to the Virgin of the Mountain. The track runs up to the stone-walled building; a place of pilgrimage and a hermitage where sailors’ wives traditionally go in bad weather to offer prayers to bring them home safely.
The bell can be rung by anyone who visits the site. There is just 3.7km left to reach Camariñas.
Head back down the track and bear right to follow the track which leads to the Lago de Camariñas beach.
The track skirts the beach and then heads into the tall pine trees for a shady section. The route continues to hug the shore before emerging at the road which rounds the bend and drops down into the port of Camariñas.
If you have had an early enough start then you may be in time for a late lunch. I had reserved a room in the Hotel Ave del Mar, via booking.com (which appears to be their favoured way of taking reservations).
It’s in a good spot looking onto the harbour, with a restaurant on the ground floor and rooms upstairs.
Even though it was 3.30pm, the landlady said I had time for a shower before ordering lunch; I’d arrived hot and bothered so this may have been for her benefit as well as mine.
When I came back down she told me what was left on the menu (la carta). I was very happy to find Padrón peppers and horse mackerel (jurel) were still on offer.
Washed down with a glass of Albariño, I was once again in food heaven in Galicia; the prayer at the hermitage definitely paid off.
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