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
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the continent being 100 kilometres (62 mi ...
of
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 ...
. It is located north of the small town of Sardina, in the municipality of
Gáldar
Gáldar is a town and a Spanish municipality in the north of the island of Gran Canaria in the Province of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Its population is (2013), The Punta Sardina light marks the north-western extremity of the island, and lies between the Punta del Castillete lighthouse near
Puerto de Mogán
Puerto de Mogán is a picturesque fishing village and popular marina in the municipality of Mogán, Las Palmas, Mogán, set at the mouth of a steep-sided valley on the south-west coast of the island of Gran Canaria.
Canals linking the marina to ...
Las Palmas
Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean.
It is the capital city of the Canary Islands (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife) and the m ...
to the east.
History
The lighthouse is the second to be constructed on the rocky headland of Punta Sardina (Sardine Point), which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. The first was completed in 1891, as part of the first maritime lighting plan for the Canaries. It remained in service until it was demolished in the 1980s to make way for the new modern tower.
The new light first entered service in 1985, and consists of a high cylinder-shaped tower, which is white with four red bands. It supports twin galleries and a lantern with a grey cupola. With a focal height of above sea level, the light can be seen for 20
nautical miles
A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude at the eq ...
. Its
light characteristic
A light characteristic is all of the properties that make a particular somewhat navigational light identifiable. Graphical and textual descriptions of navigational light sequences and colours are displayed on nautical charts and in Light Lists ...
is made up of four flashes of white light every twenty seconds.
The lighthouse is maintained by the
Port authority
A port authority (less commonly a port district) is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body (or bodies) to operate ports and other transportation infrastructure. ...
of the
Province of Las Palmas
The Province of Las Palmas (, ; ) is a province (Spain), province of Spain, consisting of the eastern part of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Canary Islands. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, capital city of this p ...
. It is registered under the international Admiralty number D2816 and has the NGA identifier of 113-23928.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Spain
This is a list of lighthouses in Spain.
Lighthouses
By autonomous communities
* List of lighthouses in the Balearic Islands
* List of lighthouses in the Canary Islands
See also
* Lists of lighthouses and lightvessels
This article c ...
*
List of lighthouses in the Canary Islands
This is a list of lighthouses in the Canary Islands. The Spain, Spanish archipelago lies to the west of Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean.
Lighthouses
Map
See also
* List of lighthouses in Spain
* List of lighthouses in the Balearic Island ...