The Pechiguera or Punta Pechiguera Lighthouse () is an active

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 ...

on the Canary island of

Lanzarote Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands, off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the islands in the archipelago. With 163,230 inhabi ...

. It is the second lighthouse to be built at Punta Pechiguera, which is at the south-western end of the island.

History

The original lighthouse which was designed by the engineer Juan de León y Castillo opened in 1866, and consists of a tower at the front of a single storey keeper's house. It was deactivated in 1988, following the construction of the new lighthouse, and in 2002 was registered as a

Bien de Interés Cultural (, , , ) is a category of the heritage register in Spain. The term is also used in Colombia and other Spanish-speaking countries. The term literally means a "good of cultural interest" ("goods" in the economic sense). It includes not only mater ...

in the listing for Las Palmas. The new lighthouse built from white stone, is one of the tallest lighthouses in the Canaries at in height, being superseded only by Maspalomas Lighthouse on

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, a Spain, Spanish archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa. the island had a population of that constitut ...

at , and the Morro Jable Lighthouse on

Fuerteventura Fuerteventura () is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, geographically part of Macaronesia, and politically part of Spain. It is located away from the coast of North Africa. The island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO i ...

. With a focal height of above the sea, its light can be seen for 17 nautical miles and consists of three flashes of white light every thirty seconds. In conjunction with the lights at Tostón and Punta Martiño, it marks the narrow La Bocayna strait that separates the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Punta Pechiguera is a barren promontory of volcanic rocks; originally quite isolated it is now being encroached upon by coastal developments from the

Playa Blanca Playa Blanca (Spanish language, Spanish for "White Beach") is the southernmost town of the Spain, Spanish island of Lanzarote. It is the newest resort on the island, and is part of the municipality of Yaiza (municipality), Yaiza. Approximately ...

resort. A coastal walkway links the lighthouse with the centre of the resort, the majority of which consists of a paved promenade or

esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...

() along the seafront. In 2008, Pechiguera in conjunction with five other lighthouses was depicted in a set of six commemorative stamps by the Spanish postal service

Correos Sociedad Estatal de Correos y Telégrafos, S.A., S.M.E. (), trading under the name Correos (, "packages"), is a state-owned postal service and courier for Spain and Andorra, the latter bilateral with French-equivalent La Poste. Based in Madrid ...

References

External links

*
Comisión de faros

Autoridad Portuaria de Santa Cruz de Tenerife
{{Authority control Lighthouses in the Canary Islands Lighthouses completed in 1988 Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Las Palmas Buildings and structures in Lanzarote

History

See also

References

External links