The Faro Mazatlán is a
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
located on top of
Crestón Island
Crestón Island or ''Crestón Hill'' is located in the southern part of the Mexican city of Mazatlán. It is 643 meters long and 321 meters wide. It is the highest point in the entire city.
Geography
The tropical dry forest predominates on the i ...
in
Mazatlán
Mazatlán () is a city in the Mexican list of states of Mexico, state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding , known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast across from th ...
.
It is one of the most iconic sites in the city and is very visited.
History
In 1879, a gas lamp was placed on top of the hill as a sign of proximity to the port of
Mazatlán
Mazatlán () is a city in the Mexican list of states of Mexico, state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding , known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast across from th ...
, This lamp replaced a series of torches. Later the lighthouse used oil and kerosene lamps, which increased its luminosity. In 1892, the engineer José Natividad González built a small quadrangular building that accompanied the lighthouse. A rotating lamp was installed in 1905. In the late 1920s, it operated with a constant level lamp with a three-wick burner. In 1933, an electric lamp replaced the hydrogen one and remained in operation until August 2021, when it was replaced by modern lighting equipment.
Characteristics
The lighthouse measures seven meters high and is considered the highest natural lighthouse in the world, due to its location at the top of the Crestón hill, which reaches 157 meters above sea level. It has marine traffic radars and a thousand-watt lamp that achieves a range of 30 nautical miles or 55 kilometers.
Its status as the highest natural lighthouse in the world has been disputed, since historian Antonio Lerma Garay says that in the Atlantic Ocean there are at least four lighthouses on natural elevations at a higher height than the Mazatlán Lighthouse; The Lovers' Leap in Jamaica with 487 meters, the
Chacachacare Lighthouse in
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
with 251 meters, The Lighthouse of San Vicente Island with 222 meters and El Brigand Hill in Trinidad and Tobago with 221 meters.
Gallery
El Faro Mazatlán.jpg, The lighthouse in 2021
Mazatlan El Faro lighthouse.jpg, The lighthouse in 2005
Faro Mazatlán, Siglo XX.jpg, The lighthouse in the 20th century
References
External links
*{{commonscatinline, Faro Mazatlán
Buildings and structures in Mazatlán
Lighthouses in Mexico