(S) From the center of Santa Mariña, head west out of the hamlet past the recreational area with tables and benches. Follow this road up to a T-junction with the main AC-400 road. Here turn left (there is a good walkway on the left shoulder) and walk about 400 m. On this stretch of road there are a couple of bars, a private hostel and a bakery. Just as the road starts to bend to the left, our route leaves it on the right, taking a local road that leads to the small farming hamlets of Bon Xesús and Gueima; In this section, be very attentive, as numerous tanker trucks circulate through it on their daily route to collect milk from the farms. Although the official spelling is Gueima, the locals pronounce it “Geima” or “Xeima”. At a junction, bear left then follow the road past a bus-stop on the right. This is the beginning of the ascent towards Mount Aro, still on the tarmac, passing in front of some farms and warehouses. After 300 meters, when the rpute reaches the first houses in Vilar de Castro, there's a double sign with large green arrows and some yellow arrows, which can cause confusion. Ignore the green arrows and stick to the yellow arrows and shell posts.
(1) The route reaches the first houses and turns 180 degrees to the right to take a tarmac track that gently ascends the northeast slope of Mount Aro; after 800 meters our route joins another track that comes from Gueima (whoever has taken it from there will have been able to avoid the small detour); In just over 300 meters the signs indicate a left turn, to head up a steep dirt slope, which leads to a viewpoint with wooden benches to rest and enjoy the panoramic view. Continue towards the summit of the mount (where the remains of a Celtic fort are found), but our route does not go all the way to the top. At 500 meters before the summit, turn right and begin a steep descent along a dirt track. Throughout this section, there are excellent views over the region, and especially over the great Fervenza reservoir (built in 1966 and which flooded a good part of the Xallas river valley). After a sharp curve, the descent ends in the town of Lago, where there is a bar, a shop and a private hostel.
(2) Turn right to head out of Lago and at a junction turn left in front of some farm buildings onto a local road. Follow it, in a gentle ascent, soon reaching a detour to the right at a small bus-stop in the hamlet As Abeleiroas near a green-coloured building. Continue past a couple of Hórreos, along a pleasant tarmac track that runs between fields, meadows and a stretch of forest. At a fork in the track, bear right, then turn left at a crossroads. Pass by some penedos (granite outcrops, the majority associated with a fertility cult, coming from prehistory). Shortly after, pass the church of San Cristovo on the left as the route enters Corzón. Bear left at the fork in the road and after about 1 km the route reaches A Ponte Olveira. At the road junction, turn right along the CP-3404 road to cross the bridge over the Xallas river (with great caution, since the hard shoulder disappears here), and enter the Dumbría region. Continue on for 1.5 km along the side of the same road, which usually has a lot of traffic, until you reach a turn off to the left which will take you into the village of Olveiroa.
(3) Our route leaves Olveiroa following the street that runs through the center of the village. Go past the As Pias pension-restaurant and, 50 meters before the main road, turn left and cross a stream on a platform; the path joins a track that ascends rapidly towards Alto do Sino, in the direction of a wind farm. From the top, there are beautiful views over the narrow course of the Xallas river and the Castrelo reservoir to be enjoyed. Continue along a dirt track in the middle of the slope, leaving the wind turbines to the right, and on the way down, cross the Hospital Rego over the Vao de Ripas bridge, rebuilt in 2005 thanks to the AGACS (Galician Association of Friends of the Camino de Santiago). This leads to the village of O Logoso, which has a private hostel, a bar and a pension-restaurant.
(4) Continue along a dirt track, which ascends to the hamlet of Hospital, were already at the beginning of the 13th century there was a pilgrims' hospital, probably the oldest on the Fisterra road, today replaced by a modern information center. Take the road to the left, passing the 27 km sign. Keep on the main road to reach a bar-restaurant and cross over. Here it's best to take advantage of the layout of the old road (with some dodgy white road markings), which ascends in the direction of some more wind turbines. Follow the road round to the left to reach a factory on the other side of the main road. This is Curvellas and the factory is Ferroatlántica (Ferroglobe steel factory). Bear right along the road, reaching a large roundabout, take the right fork (marked with two milestones) sign-posted to Dumbría. The alternative route direct to Fisterra, avoiding Muxia, bers off to the left, past the factory.
(5) Continue to the right along the DP-3404 road, towards Dumbría and Muxía, accompanied by the wind turbines on the right. Take care along the hard shoulder of the road for about 1 km; then leave it on the left (opposite a 50 blue speed warning sign), taking a nice downhill dirt road. Go across a stream and ascend back towards the road, but continue straight on along a dirt track over another stream. After crossing the road again (carefully, as it is a dangerous point with poor visibility) continue along a path on the opposite side that descends in zigzag and once again joins the road. Bear right but take a track off to the left (just in front of a no overtaking sign) that leads into the hamlet of As Carizas. Turn right at the bottom, surrounded by farm buildings, and head out along a tarmacked track to cross a local road and continue on the other side on a rough track past an abandoned house. Follow the track round to the right to reach a junction of tracks and turn left. This also bends round to the right near a sports complex (high metal fencing up to the right) and then as the tarmac returns reach the public hostel for pilgrims O Conco, with a modern and multicolored design (mostly red). We entered the town of Dumbría, head of the council. If you are not planning to stay the night in the public hospital, turning left at the road junction will take you into the village of Dumbría(E)
