Punta Martiño Lighthouse

The Punta Martiño Lighthouse (Spanish: Faro de Punta Martiño) is an active lighthouse on the Canary island of Lobos, near Fuerteventura in the municipality of La Oliva.[2][3]

Punta Martiño Lighthouse
Punta Martiño lighthouse
Canary Islands
LocationLobos Island
Fuerteventura
Canary Islands
Spain
Coordinates28.764957°N 13.814879°W / 28.764957; -13.814879
Year first constructed1865
Constructionstone tower
Tower shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / patternunpainted tower, grey lantern
Tower height6 metres (20 ft)
Focal height29 metres (95 ft)
Light sourcesolar power
Range14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi)
CharacteristicFl (2) W 15s.
Admiralty numberD2786
NGA number24044
ARLHS numberCAI-005
Spain numberES-12140
Managing agentParque Natural Islote de Lobos[1]

The lighthouse is situated on a hill at the north-eastern end of the island, and along with the other lights at Pechiguera and Tostón, marks the La Bocayna strait that separates Lanzarote from Fuerteventura.[2][4]

History

The lighthouse was opened in 1865, making it one of the oldest in the Canaries. Built in a similar style to other Canarian 19th-century lights, it consists of a painted single storey house, with dark volcanic rock used for the masonry detailing. A six-metre-high (20 ft) masonry tower is attached to the seaward side of the house.[2]

View from pathway to the lighthouse

The sixth order light was originally powered by olive oil, and gave a steady red light that had a range of 9 miles. In 1883, the oil-powered lamp was replaced by one that ran on paraffin, and then in 1923 this was superseded by an acetylene lamp, that provided a longer range, and flashed twice every five seconds. An automatic sun valve was also added, to save the keeper having to light and extinguish the lamp, each day at dusk and dawn. A system of solar panels and batteries now provide the power for a 150-watt electric halogen lamp, which has a reach of 14 nautical miles. When the lighthouse was automated in the 1960s the keeper and his family were the last to leave the island, which now has no permanent residents.[5][6][7]

The area around the lighthouse can be reached by following the marked 3.5 km footpath from the ferry landing; although the site is accessible, the tower and buildings are closed.[2]

Map showing the principal lighthouses of Fuerteventura

See also

References
  1. Punta Martiño Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 29 March 2016
  2. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Spain: Canary Islands". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  3. "12140 Faro Punta Martino". Aids to Navigation. Puertos del Estado. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  4. "Museum of Traditional Fishing". Museums. artesaniaymuseosdefuerteventura.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  5. "Las Palmas – Faro Punta Martino". History of the Lighthouses (in Spanish). Puertos del Estado. Archived from the original on 29 September 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  6. "Faro de Punta Martino". Maritime Signals (in Spanish). Puertos de las Palmas. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  7. Dorling Kindersley (3 May 2010). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Canary Islands. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-4053-5200-0.
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