The most spectacular lighthouses of our planet
The name of lighthouse could come from several theories: - From the Greek word φαρος which means "light" or "brightness". - From the disclosure of the name by the island of “Pharos” in Alexandria, where the most representative lighthouse of all time was erected. - Or from the Hellenic word "Pharah" Egyptian name of the Sun. Lighthouses are monuments to our long-standing relationship with the oceans. This technology is still in use and new lighthouses are built with modern, functional and unattractive towers compared to the structures built in past centuries.
Little Red Lighthouse (United States)
Under the George Washington Bridge
Whitby Harbor Lighthouse (Canada)
This structure sits firmly on a pier northeast of Toronto and sheds its light across Lake Ontario.
Kauhola Point Lighthouse (United States)
St Johns Point Lighthouse (Northern Ireland)
Wittenbergen Lighthouse (Germany)
Built in 1900, it is one of the oldest examples of steel construction when it comes to headlights. It remains active on the north bank of the Elbe River in Wittenbergen, north of Germany.
Lighthouse in Keflavik (Iceland)
Cape Florida Lighthouse (United States)
This lighthouse in Key Biscayne, was established in 1825 in order to guide ships out of the Florida reef.
Cape Byron Lighthouse (Australia)
It is the easternmost lighthouse in Australia with the support of the Cape Byron Reserve Trust that acquired and has maintained the buildings since 1998. The facility is being used as a base for whale watching.
Umpqua River Lighthouse (United States)
This lighthouse is located on the Oregon coast has the classic red with white light distribution. It now runs through Douglas County instead of the Coastal National Guard, which is still in use as a private navigation aid.
Kullens Lighthouse (Sweden)
One of the most emblematic and powerful places in Scandinavia. It is located on the southwest coast of Sweden, in the province of Scania.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (United States)
The history of the lighthouse begins in 1789, when at Cape Hatteras, the US found the ideal place to locate a signal towers; the construction entrusted to Henry Dearbon, was completed in 1803. The tower was 27 meters high, the lantern approximately 3 meters and was illuminated by 18 lamps powered by whale oil: a light too weak to be seen at a distance that gave security to ships, so in 1815 an Argand lamp system patented by Winslow Lewis was installed, but this update was also considered insufficient, although only in 1852 the necessary funds were allocated to carry out a radical improvement. It is currently one of the best known in the United States, and with 60 meters is the lighthouse built with tallest bricks in this country.
Nora Head Lighthouse (Australia)
New south wales
Frankfort North Lighthouse (United States)
White Shoal Light (United States)
Walton Harbor Lighthouse (Canada)
This lighthouse in Nova Scotia was deactivated in 1986 and is now used as an interpretation center.
Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse (Denmark)
The Rubjerg Knude lighthouse in Denmark was inaugurated in 1900 at the foot of a cliff. And it could operate over 68 years, until the sand dunes and erosion ended up "devouring it." Today it stands out on the sand, although a large part of the lighthouse complex, with its houses around it, remained under the sand.
Beachy Head Lighthouse (England)
The Bechy Head lighthouse became operational in 1902 under the direction of Sir Thomas Matthews, Chief Engineer of the Trinity House. It is located about 165 meters offshore from the base of the cliffs. It took two years to complete the construction and for this a cable car was used from the top of the cliffs to transport material to the base of the lighthouse. In addition, 3,660 tons of Cornish granite were used. The Beachy Head lighthouse was automated in June 1983. It is monitored 24 hours a day from the Trinity House Operations Control Center in Harwich, Essex.
Point Betsie Lighthouse (United States)
Overlooking Lake Michigan, this is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the US. There is a group of volunteers who raise money, clean the site, and hire professionals to restore the buildings.
Holland Harbor Lighthouse (United States)
The first lighthouse at this place in Ottawa County, was a small, square wooden structure built in 1872. The current building, known as "Big Red", was built in 1907, and citizens had to file a petition in order to rescue from demolition in the 1970s. It is now being preserved and restored by the Netherlands Commission.
South Lighthouse (Oman)
Akranes Lighthouse (Iceland)
This old lighthouse is located in the volcanic landscape of Iceland near Akranes, the ninth most populous city in the country. It must be said that almost all the inhabitants of Iceland live on the coast, due to the lava desert and glacial mountainous terrain inside.
Schiermonnikoog Lighthouse (Holland)
This lighthouse, built 150 years ago, is located on an island in northern Holland, which is home to a small village and a national park. More than 300,000 tourists visit this lighthouse every year.
Split Rock Lighthouse (United States)
This lighthouse was built in Minnesota in 1910 after a series of shipwrecks near Lake Superior. It was decommissioned in the 1960s and now serves as a historical site.
Enoshima Lighthouse (Japan)
But if we talk about sights and landscapes we have to name the Enoshima lighthouse in Japan. Its spiral staircase allows you to climb to the top of the lighthouse and contemplate the beauty of the landscape. In addition, this staircase is only covered by a railing that lights in different colors according to the night. After World War II the lighthouse became a religious symbol for the Orientals. A beacon of the most original that you should not forget if you travel to Japan.
Kiz Kulesi Lighthouse (Turkey)
The Kiz Kilesi in Turkey is a historic lighthouse that was built over 2,500 years ago. This lighthouse is currently located on a small islet near Istanbul. It has undergone several renovations but its original charm has not been lost. In addition, the lighthouse has had several uses: it served as a prison, a retirement home for naval officers, including a Turkish navy inspection headquarters. Now inside it has a restaurant and a small museum where its history is explained.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse (United States)
It is located near the bay of San Francisco, but the lighthouse was closed to tourists in 2001 as it was in poor condition.
Jeddah Lighthouse (Saudi Arabia)
It is the largest lighthouse so far built. It was performed in 1990 at the end of the Jeddah pier, Saudi Arabia. Its height is 133 meters, it performs three white flashes every 20 seconds and reaches almost 50 km. It is constructed of concrete and steel in a cylindrical shape and carrying a spherical building.
Kovalam Lighthouse (India)
Wind Point Lighthouse (United States)
Bright in the port of Racine, Wisconsin, this lighthouse is home to a conference center, meeting room, and part-time police department.
Arisaig Lighthouse (Canada)
It is located in the County of Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
San Agustin Lighthouse (United States)
Amédée Lighthouse (New Caledonia)
The Amédée lighthouse is located in a paradise a few kilometers from Noumea, surrounded by beaches with clear waters and reefs. And his journey to get there was long, as much as a few thousand kilometers. Its metal parts come from Paris, where it was manufactured and then transported until it was assembled at its final destination.
Porthcawl Point (United Kingdom)
This was the last lighthouse of coal and gasoline in the United Kingdom. It was built in 1860 and is still in use as a navigational aid on the south coast of Wales.
Faro Lorain (United States)
Strombolicchio Island (Italy)
It is an islet of volcanic origin very close to Stromboli Island, one of the Aeolian Islands. Two kilometers offshore just have to do to find this "great rock" emerging from the sea from the top of which a lighthouse looks at us.
Pointe a la Renomee Lighthouse (Canada)
Punta Lighthouse (Canada)
Located in Peggy's Cove, this is one of the most tourist attractions in Nova Scotia and one of the most recognizable lighthouses in the world. At this time there are decisions that are made about the protection of the lighthouse under the Lighthouse Heritage Protection Act.
Portland Head Lighthouse (United States)
The original lighthouse was built in 1790. It is a tourist attraction with a museum, gift shop, and acres of parks and surrounding trails.
Lindau Lighthouse (Germany)
The most unusual of the lighthouse of Lindau, the southernmost in the country, is that its function is not to monitor maritime traffic, but the lake. This tower is located in the port of this town, on Lake Constance, and regulates the large number of ships that navigate these waters, shared by Switzerland, Germany and Austria and the Rhine, which crosses it. The 33 meters of this tower, from the 19th century, is one of the most photographed attractions in the city. Do not miss the clock on its facade - another rarity in the world of lighthouses - and its eternal companion: the Lion of Bavaria. Above, you will find information on local flora and fauna and boat trips. And the best: some bucolic views of the Swiss Alps and the lake.
Thridranga Island Lighthouse (South Iceland)
Tourlitis Lighthouse (Greece)
Lighthouse of la Vieille (France)
It is a lighthouse in the western end of Brittany, in the department of Finisterre, in France. Together with the Tourelle de la Plate beacon, it indicates to the ships the passage of the Raz de Sein between the island of Sein and the tip of Raz. It was built between 1882 and 1887 on the islet called Ar Gorle Bella (the furthest rock, in Breton). The lighthouse of La Vieille is very famous in France due to its isolated location in a particularly dangerous maritime environment, the Iroise Sea, and a history rich in events. Between the first feasibility studies and its ignition, its construction took about 10 years.
Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse (Argentina)
Les Éclaireurs ("The Illuminators", in French) is a lighthouse located on the NE islet of the Les Éclaireurs group of islets on the Beagle Channel, off the coast of Ushuaia Bay, in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
Punta Torrecilla Lighthouse (Dominican Republic)
Lighthouse of Punta del Torco de Afuera (Spain)
In Cantabría, better known as the lighthouse of Suances, it is from the mid-19th century. The kings Alfonso XII and Mª Cristina liked to walk from the town to the place where the lighthouse is located, and on several occasions they chatted with the lighthouse keeper to make aesthetic recommendations about the lighthouse, such as painting the balcony railing green.
Fuencaliente Lighthouse (Spain)
The Fuencaliente Lighthouse is located on the southern tip of the island of La Palma, in the municipality of Fuencaliente. It is located in the Natural Park of Cumbre Vieja and around it are the Salinas de Fuencaliente, the beaches of the Lighthouse of Fuencaliente, that of Echentive and the old Holy Fountain. It actually consists of two lighthouses, one of the early twentieth century that suffered a lot of damage during the eruption of the Teneguía volcano, so they built another next door. In 2006 the old lighthouse was rebuilt to host the Interpretation Center of the Marine Reserve of the island of La Palma, and in the future it will host visits to the tower.
Punta de Arinaga Lighthouse (Spain)
East Coast of the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). Located south of it, it is nestled at the foot of the Arinaga mountain on a tower with white and red stripes of standardized design. Next to it, we find the old lighthouse, classified as a fourth order at the time of its commissioning in 1897, which served to cover an extensive strip of unmarked coastline that covered from the Lighthouse of La Isleta to that of Maspalomas and that, In addition, the two most dangerous geographical accidents on this stretch of coast came to mark: the tip of Tenefé and the lower Gando.
Marina Lighthouse (Peru)
Higuer Lighthouse (Spain)
This neoclassical style lighthouse was built in the 19th century, specifically in 1878, by Antobio Lafarga, although formerly there was another lighthouse in the same place that was destroyed in 1874 by the Carlist troops. This is the last, or first as you look, Lighthouse of the Peninsula. It is located 65 meters high, with a stone tower of 21 meters, and is surrounded by bars, restaurants and even a campsite. It opened in 1881 and its current range is 23 miles. Its position indicates the entrance to the mouth of the Bidasoa and warns of the presence of the dangerous rocks of the Cape of Higer and the Island of Amuitz.
Lighthouse of the castle of Santa Ana (Spain)
The uniqueness of this lighthouse is that it is not isolated on a rugged promontory. The lighthouse is within the complex formed by the church of Santa María, one of the best Gothic temples in Cantabria and the old castle. On this remains, this unique lantern was anchored in 1853. The view of the set is the icon of Castro Urdiales and one of the most beautiful prints of the Cantabrian coast
Aviles Lighthouse (Spain)
The Faro de Avilés, also called Faro de San Juan, is located on the eastern margin of the entrance of the Avilés estuary, specifically in the parish of Laviana, 1 belonging to the Asturian council of Gozón, in the so-called Punta del Castillo. Its construction began in 1861. At the beginning, its location had been projected at the Punta de la Horcada, so that the ships could use it as a coast light linking with that of Peñas and had enough time to prepare their entrance to the port. However, this place was considered excessively exposed to storms, and Punta del Castillo was preferred for its final location.
Punta de Rasca Lighthouse (Spain)
The lighthouse of Punta de Rasca, in the town of Arona, in the Canary Islands, is the classic white cylindrical tower lighthouse with red stripes. Despite its simplicity, the greatness of the sea and the original landscape that surrounds it give it a very special charm.
Maspalomas Lighthouse (Spain)
The Maspalomas Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) that is responsible for marking the coastal shores of the south of the island, in the coastal strip that covers from the area covered by the Lighthouse of Punta de Arinaga, to the northeast, and the lighthouse of Punta del Castillete, located to the northwest.
Lighthouse of Cabo Santa María (Uruguay)
In Uruguay, this lighthouse was built in 1881 to reduce the large number of shipwrecks in the area. There are 150 steps to the top, and the building is open to tourists.
Lighthouse of Formentor (Spain)
Wild, wild, isolated. Cape Formentor enters the Mediterranean like a stone bulwark that defended the north end of the Mallorcan island. Almost 170 meters of vertical wall that remove the hiccups. To signal such a marked accident and take advantage of such an advantageous natural watchtower, the Formentor lighthouse was inaugurated in 1863, a square-based construction topped by a 24-meter-high cylindrical tower from which the entire Pollença coast can be seen and on clear days , to the island of Menorca. The road that runs along the cape and the views from the lighthouse are one of the best visual experiences that the traveler can take from the island of Mallorca.
Tower of Hercules (Spain)
Located in La Coruña. It has the privilege of being the only Roman lighthouse and the oldest in operation around the world, being built in the 1st century. There are several legends related to its construction. One of them tells that Hercules arrived by boat to the coasts that currently surround the Tower, and that it was precisely there where he buried the head of the giant Gerion, after beating him in combat.