lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
at the southern end of the island of
La Palma
La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and officially San Miguel de La Palma, is the most north-westerly island of the Canary Islands, Spain. La Palma has an area of making it the fifth largest of the eight main Canary Islands. The ...
in the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
. The original lighthouse was built in 1903 and while it still exists it was replaced by the current lighthouse in 1985. It is one of a number of lighthouses in the Canary Islands.
Location
The lighthouses are located at the southern end of La Palma, around south of Los Canarios. It is accessible by road, and whilst the tower is closed the site is open with parking spaces. It is adjacent to the and the village of El Faro.
1903 lighthouse
The construction of the original lighthouse started in 1882. It was built with stone imported from
Arucas, Las Palmas
Arucas is a municipality in the northern part of the island of Gran Canaria, province of Las Palmas, Canary Islands. Arucas is west of Las Palmas city. Its population is 36,852 (2013), before it entered service in 1903. It consists of a cylindrical tower at the front of a single level keeper's house, both made of stone. The original light flashed three times in a sequence, lit by an oil lamp. It was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1939 and had to be substantially rebuilt, with the tower demolished and rebuilt with concrete. The light was temporarily replaced with an
acetylene
Acetylene (systematic name: ethyne) is the chemical compound with the formula and structure . It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in its pure ...
light, which subsequently became permanent, and emitted a single flash every 6 seconds, with a range. The keep's house was abandoned and subsequently fell into ruin, with its decay hastened by earthquakes from the . The lighthouse closed in 1985, and its lantern was removed at the time. It is
Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society
Founded in 2000 by Jim Weidner, K2JXW, the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) is devoted to maritime communications, amateur radio, lighthouses, and lightships. Its members travel to lighthouses around the world where they operate amate ...
number CAI-083.
It was replaced with a new lighthouse that was built next to it, but the building and tower were conserved. Restoration started in May 2001 and finished in 2004, with a new lantern installed. An interpretation centre for the marine reserve on the island (Centro de Interpretación de la Reserva Marina de la Isla de La Palma) is now located in the keeper's house, which opened in 2006. The main room has been recreated as a volcanic cave with on a raised glass floor. A full scale
bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for Casting (metalworking), cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply "a bronze". It can be used for statues, singly or in groups, reliefs, and small statuettes and figurines, as w ...
of a
dolphin
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...
is displayed, caught in a fishing net suspended from the ceiling.
1985 lighthouse
The new lighthouse started construction in 1983 and started operation in 1985. It is a cylindrical concrete tower, with a double gallery and lantern. It is painted white, with two red bands. It has a focal plane that is above sea level and emits three white flashes every 18 seconds. Its IDs are ARLHS CAI-037; ES-13030; Admiralty D2850; NGA 23800. Its light can be seen for 14 nautical miles.
Memorial place
During the trip to Brazil, on 15 July 1570 while sailing near the Canary Islands, the Santiago, the ship of
Inácio de Azevedo
Inácio de Azevedo (1526–1570) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Jesuit missionary. He is one of the :pt:Quarenta Mártires do Brasil#targetText=Os Quarenta Mártires do Brasil,liderados por Inácio de Azevedo., Forty Martyrs of Brazil, beati ...
and 39 Jesuits was attacked and captured by a fleet led by French
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
corsair
Jacques de Sores
Jacques de Sores was a French pirate and corsair who attacked and burnt Havana, Cuba in 1555.
Other than his attack on Havana, little is known of de Sores. He was nicknamed "The Exterminating Angel" ("L'Ange Exterminateur"). He was the leader of ...
off Fuencaliente Lighthouse. Following the capture, Azevedo and his 39 companions were massacred. In 1971 40 concrete crosses at the place of martyrdom for the Forty Martyrs of Brazil, about 200 off the Fuencaliente lighthouse were placed on the seabed by the government of the island La Palma. This place is situated in a depth of about 20 meters and is today a popular diving destination. Adjacent to the old tower, another monument for the Forty Martyrs of Brazil was erected in October 2014. This monument is a stone cross, with a plate on which the names of the martyrs are engraved.
A los Jesuitas - Fuencaliente - La Palma 01.jpg, Memorial "A los Jesuitas"
A los Jesuitas - Fuencaliente - La Palma 02.jpg, Plaque on the west side
A los Jesuitas - Fuencaliente - La Palma 03.jpg, Plaque on the east side