Day 25 - Finisterre, Dams and another beach- side sleep.

 What a morning to wake to , still gloriously sunny and we are beside a beautiful beach! Grahams found a bakery, we have fresh croissants and we can have the door open watching pilgrim after pilgrim cross the path in front of the van. We chat to one who started his journey in Lisbon and will be at Finisterre in under an hour. So much emotion on faces…the lone walkers make you well up every time you see them, they’ve spent much time with their own thoughts….but there are also groups where you can see they are not of equal fitness but are supporting each other throughout. I suspect they’ve shed tears too! 

One other van joined us last night , possibly a full timer. But no noise at all, though the street lamp overhead definitely meant we weren’t in darkness! There was a mass influx of cars at around 9.30 and we did wonder was was going on for a bit then realised there was a community beach clean about to start  we hit the beach not long after them … it’s probably the cleanest beach I’ve ever seen being litter picked but they are picking up every tiny piece of plastic between the driftwood before returning all the natural materials to the beach.We used our walk to grab a couple of handfuls of plastic to add to their collection including paddling a bit deep for a plastic bag! 

It’s so warm today that Graham joins me in the shallows. Unheard of! The Atlantic may be cold generally but this is sheltered and the sand is warm so paddling is a delight!

Before we leave we make the big decision and book a ferry for just over a weeks time. Earlier than originally planned but it’s time to get home and get my knee sorted or I may struggle all summer. We’ve done well to get this far and it still gives us another week and a bit to pick a path back. 

Up to Finisterre , passing pilgrims all the way. We park at the end of the road and I hobble the last 100m or so looking worse than people who’ve been walking for months! There’s an hotel before the old lighthouse and the newer lighthouse beyond that with Camino 0km somewhere in between. It’s s sunny Sunday and there are lots of day trippers but there’s a very calm atmosphere… it feels very special. In my imagination Finisterre was going to be rough and exposed but with today’s weather it’s the calmest lighthouse site we’ve visited. It’s not hard to avoid the crowds by stepping away from the main paths and Graham picks a path to the end of the rocks. 

We spend a lot of time resting on rocks people watching before a coffee in the sunshine at the hotel. A random purchase of s ceramic thermometer for in the van, then we move the van to the carpark for large vehicles, which is a great spot looking out over the sea. There are two miradors in easy walking distance. Its good place to eat lunch on the grass and it’s tempting to hang on here for the night, but to leave on a high it’s time to move on. We are heading in the general direction of Santiago but we plan to stick to the coast for a bit longer if we can. 

First stop is the waterfall at Ezaro, it’s at a hydro electric plant with an easy walkway for access, but for some reason currently stops short of the water with a barrier closing off the final stretch. The inlet itself is really pretty too - almost fjord like with bright boats and little red houses ( and lots of day trippers!) . We then drive on up the hill to a lookout on a ridiculously steep road (30% at times) and then on to a little riverside area of fast flowing water where we can collect water at a fountain, before retracing our steps a little to cross the dam. Not the biggest but with an outlet open and a huge water jet being released still quite impressive. 

Back on the coast road it’s getting close to time to find a stop for the night. There’s s huge beach at Carnota but parking is quite restricted though in diverting to explore we do find a 34 metre eighteenth century grain store which is quite something! 

We finally find a track to a tiny cove. There’s already a German van here whose owner is friendly enough, but I doubt he expected company! He is lined up for the sunset but we can park facing the prettiest beach of her day … looks like we are in northern Scotland, very unspoiled and empty! We watch the sunset at the back doors. The sea is really close and the waves sound great. This may be our last beach stop for some time so we need to make the most of it! 


Cumulative Mileage: 1133

Overnight: Praia de Cons (P4N 15292)

Spending: breakfast bakery €6 souvenir €15 coffees €5.50

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