Lighthouses of Morocco

Morocco occupies the northwestern corner of Africa, across the Strait of Gibralter from Spain. During most of the nineteenth century, France, Spain, and other European countries maneuvered to gain control of the country. In 1912 it was finally divided; France assumed a protectorate over most of the country but Spain controlled the northern coast and portions of the south. In 1923 Tanger (Tangier) was removed from the Spanish sector to become an international zone. Morocco resumed its independence in 1956, but Spain continues to control the northern cities of Ceuta and Melilla and several small islands off the northern coast.

For lighthouse fans, the implication of this history is that Morocco's lighthouse heritage is partly Spanish and partly French. The French zone of influence extends from Mehdia to Agadir, with Spanish influence to the north and south. However, the design of lighthouses in all parts of the country shows a strong native Moroccan style.

Morocco also administers the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara. Lighthouses of that territory appear on a separate page.

Lighthouses in Morocco are operated by the Ministère de l'Équipement and du Transport (MTP).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volumes D and E of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.

General Sources
Signalisation maritime
List of lights maintained by the Ministère de l'Équipement and du Transport (MTP).
Photos of Moroccan Lighthouses
A page of photos salvaged from an inactive folder of the MTP web site.
Faros del Norte de Africa
Data and photos posted by Agustín Solabre Suárez on his Libro de Faros web site.
Phares d'Afrique
Photos by various photographers posted by Alain Guyomard and Robert Carceller.
Afrikanische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.

Rabat Lighthouse
Rabat Light, December 2003
Creative Commons photo by Andy Wright

Mediterranean Coast Lighthouses (see also Ceuta and Melilla)
* Ras Kebdana East Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 7 m (23 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower, painted white. A photo is available, Abdeslam Lahna has a photo of the port showing both breakwater lights, and Google has a satellite view. Ras Kebdana is a modern fishing port at the tip of the Ras el Ma peninsula. Located at the end of the east breakwater. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-034; Admiralty E6757.25; NGA 22722.
* Ras Kebdana North Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); green light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 7 m (23 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower, painted white. A photo is available, Abdeslam Lahna has a photo of the port showing both breakwater lights, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the north breakwater. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-035; Admiralty E6757.2; NGA 22721.
Ras el Ma (Ras Kebdana, Cap de l'Eau) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 8 m (26 ft) light tower centered on an octagonal stone keeper's house. Next to the historic lighthouse is a square cylindrical concrete tower about 25 m (82 ft) tall carrying a large round control room. The top of the taller tower has communications gear and a radar antennas. Google has a good satellite view, and a corner of the lighthouse is at the far right in a photo of the control tower. Located on the cape near Ras Kebdana, just northwest of the harbor. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-018; Admiralty E6757; NGA 22720.
Los Farallónes
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white light occulting once every 4 s. 5 m (16 ft) round cylindrical masonry tower; lantern removed. Lighthouse painted with gray and white horizontal bands. A closeup and another photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located atop a small rocky island off the east side of Ras Tleda Madari (Cap des Trois Fourches), about 15 km (9 mi) north of Melilla. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS MOR-025; Admiralty E6776; NGA 22768.
Cap des Trois Fourches (Ras Tleta Madari, Cabo Tres Forcas)
1909. Active; focal plane 112 m (367 ft); four white flashes, in a 3+1 pattern, every 20 s. 18 m (59 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story stone keeper's house. A 1st order Fresnel lens is mounted in the lantern, although the light may have been moved to a post at the seaward end of the building. The house is dark stone with white trim; lantern painted red with a green dome. A photo is at right, another photo shows the west face of the lighthouse, , and Google has a satellite view. In all languages, this is the Cape of Three Forks. It lies at the end of a rocky peninsula projecting about 30 km (19 mi) into the Mediterranean, making this one of the most critically important lights on the Moroccan coast. Located on the cape, about 20 km (13 mi) north of Melilla. Accessible by road, although 4WD may be needed. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-002; Admiralty E6778; NGA 22772.
* Anse Tramontana (Ras Barakat, Cala Tramontana)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); white light occulting three times, in a 2+1 pattern, every 12 s. 4 m (13 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with a small lantern. Lighthouse is unpainted; lantern is green. A 2007 closeup is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a bluff on the west side of the Trois Fourches peninsula about 15 km (9 mi) northwest of Melilla. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-013; Admiralty E6780; NGA 22776.
Phare du Cap des Trois Fourches
Cap des Trois Fourches Light, July 2007
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by "Playar"
* Cap Quilates (Ras Tarf, Punta Barbazun)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 32 m (105 ft) octagonal 3-stage concrete tower with castellated gallery and a small lantern, attached to the seaward side of a 2-story concrete keeper's house. The building is unpainted gray concrete. A 2005 photo and a distant view are available, and Google has an excellent satellite view. Located on the cape about 40 km (25 mi) east of Al Hoceïma. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-004; Admiralty E6784; NGA 22784.
* Sidi Abed (Morro Nuevo, Punta de los Frailes) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 151 m (495 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse is white; lantern painted black. MTP has a photo (next to last row, first photo), and Google has a satellite view. 200 m (1/8 mi) southwest is a tall control tower with communications gear and a radar antenna. Located on a cape at the western entrance to the Bay of Al Hoceïma. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-008; Admiralty E6786; NGA 22788.
El Jebha (Jabha)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 4 m (13 ft) light mounted atop a 1-story square equipment room. Building painted white; the small lantern is red. MTP has a photo (third row, first photo). Located on a bluff at El Jebha, about 100 km (60 mi) west of Al Hoceïma and a similar distance southeast of Martíl. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-023; Admiralty E6789; NGA 22820.
Oued Laou
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 150 m (492 ft); white light occulting twice every 6 s. Described by NGA only as a "white round tower." A very distant view is available. Located atop a sharp promontory about 4 km (2.5 mi) north of Oued Laou. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-026; Admiralty E6789.5; NGA 22822.
* Oued Martíl
Date unknown. Inactive. 13 m (43 ft) "white tower on fort." A photo of the historic fort of Martíl is available, but no beacon can be seen. This light is not on the Ministère de l'Équipement and du Transport listing, and is recently disappeared from the NGA List as well. Light lists consistently spelled the name as Martín, but this is a mistake. Located in Martíl, an ancient port town about 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Tétouan, the former capital of Spanish Morocco. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MOR-027; Admiralty E6790; NGA 22824.
* Ras Tarf (Cabo Negro)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 135 m (443 ft); white light occulting once every 4 s. 13 m (43 ft) two-stage Arab-style octagonal concrete (?) tower with gallery and a small lantern. Lighthouse painted white. The lighthouse can be seen in a distant view of the cape (click on the photo for a better view). This lighthouse is in an area developed intensively for tourism; it is listed as an attraction and known for commanding a spectacular view of the Mediterranean Sea and the Rif Mountains. Located on a cape about 8 km (5 mi) north of Martíl. Site open, tower closed so far as is known. ARLHS MOR-017; Admiralty E6824; NGA 22832.

Strait of Gibraltar Lighthouses (see also Ceuta and Melilla for Punta Almina light)
* Punta Cires (Pointe Cirès)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); white light occulting three times every 12 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower. No lantern; the light is displayed from a short mast. MTP has a poor photo (first row, last photo), and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Punta Cires is at the narrowest point of the Strait of Gibraltar, and swimmers trying to swim the strait aim for this point from Tarifa, Spain. Located near Dalia about 50 km (30 mi) northeast of Tanger. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-051; Admiralty D2493; NGA 22864.
* Malabata (Pointe Malabata)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 76 m (249 ft); white flash every 5 s. 18 m (59 ft) square cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story keeper's house. Building painted white; lantern roof is weathered gray. A blogger has a photo, Guyomard and Carceller have a good photo by Jean Besnard, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland about 10 km (6 mi) northeast of Tanger, at the eastern entrance to the Baie de Tanger from the Strait of Gibraltar. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-032; Admiralty D2498; NGA 22872.
* Le Charf (Monte Direccíon)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 88 m (289 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting three times every 12 s. 7 m (23 ft); light mounted on the roof of a white building. A photo of the Colline (hill) du Charf shows a white, 2-story building, near the summit, that probably carries the light. Located on the east side of the city of Tanger (Tangier). Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-024; Admiralty D2500; NGA 22880.
Tanger Outer Breakwater (2?)
2007 (?) . Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 16 m (52 ft) square skeletal tower. A 2009 photo is available, and the light is at the extreme right in photo in Franco Lopez's 2008 photo. The skeletal tower replaced a concrete tower seen in a November 2006 photo. Google has an indistinct satellite view of the site. Located at the end of the Tanger breakwater. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-049; Admiralty D2502; NGA 22888.
*** Cap Spartel (Cabo Espartel)
1864. Active; focal plane 95 m (312 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 24 m (79 ft) square masonry tower with castellated gallery, lantern, and 1° Fresnel lens, attached to a 2-story keeper's house. Tower painted buff, the gallery is reddish, and the lantern is unpainted gray metal; the keeper's house is painted white. Alan Ingram's photo appears at right, Agustín Solabre Suárez also has a photo, another good photo is available, Guyomard and Carceller have a photo by Jean-Pierre Avenier, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. One of Africa's (and the world's) greatest lighthouses, marking the southeastern entrance to the Strait of Gibralter from the Atlantic, and thus the northwestern corner of Africa. In international law, the longitude of the Cape Spartel lighthouse (5°55'W) is recognized as the western boundary of the Mediterranean Sea. The lighthouse was built by Sultan Mohammed III and maintained during the colonial period by a consortium of western powers. Now one of Morocco's best-known tourist attractions, the light station is on the cape about 20 km (13 mi) west of Tanger. Site open, tower open by arrangement with the keepers. ARLHS MOR-003; Admiralty D2510; NGA 22896.
Cap Spartel Light
Cap Spartel Light
photo copyright C. Alan Ingram; used by permission

Larache Area Lighthouses
* Punta Nador (Larache)
1919. Active; focal plane 80 m (262 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 44 m (144 ft) two-stage octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and two galleries, rising from a keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white with blue trim; lantern is gray. The fisheries ministry with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has built a maritime academy adjacent to the light station. Guyomard and Carceller have a fine photo by Jean Besnard, a 2007 photo and a 2008 view are available, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a good satellite view. Located on the south side of the entrance to the harbor at Larache (El Araïch). Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-009; Admiralty D2532; NGA 22912.
Larache Inner Bar Range Rear
Date unknown (1930s?). Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); continuous red light. 19 m (62 ft) "church tower," more likely a minaret. No further information available. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-043; Admiralty D2526.1; NGA 22932.

Rabat and Casablanca Area Lighthouses
* Mehdia Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 74 m (243 ft); white light occulting three times every 12 s. 9 m (29 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. NGA describes the tower as being red, but MTP's photo (fifth row, second photo) shows it green with white trim and a white lantern. Google has a satellite view (the lighthouse is the small tower centered in the view). There is a signal station adjacent to the lighthouse. Located on the south side of the Oued (river) Sebu entrance in Mehdia, about 35 km (22 mi) north of Rabat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-044; Admiralty D2540.1; NGA 22944.
* Rabat (Fort de la Calette)
1920. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white light occulting twice every 6 s. 24 m (79 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery. NGA describes the tower as being yellow with a black lantern, but Andy Wright's 2003 photo (at the top of this page) and all other recent photos show it painted all white. Guyomard and Carceller have a good photo by Jean Besnard, Matt Ravier has a more distant view, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Located just behind the beach near Salé about 3 km (2 mi) north of the center of Rabat, Morocco's capital city. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-007; Admiralty D2554; NGA 23036.
Cap de Fédala (Cap Mohammedia)
Date unknown. Inactive. 27 m (89 ft) octagonal tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is described as yellow, lantern green. No photo available, but the lighthouse is centered in a Google satellite view. This light has been dropped from the MTP and NGA Lists. Located in an industrial area of the harbor of Mohammedia (called Fédala in colonial times), about 35 km (22 mi) northeast of Casablanca (Dar el-Beida). Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-001; Admiralty D2558; NGA 23052.
* Oukacha
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); two very quick flashes every 2 s; also a continuous red light at a focal plane of 24 m (79 ft) shown over a sector the west. 20 m (66 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern is dark red. MTP also has a photo (last row, third photo), a distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rocky promontory in the eastern part of Casablanca (Dar el-Beida). Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-030; Admiralty D2566; NGA 23096.
* Roches-Noires
1919. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, occulting once every 4 s. 19 m (62 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern is red. No current photo available, but Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Located to the east of Casablanca harbor, separated from the water by a rail yard. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-010; Admiralty D2567; NGA 23100.
* El Hank (Casablanca, Dar-el-Beida)
1919. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 49 m (161 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery. A 2° Fresnel lens is in use. Entire lighthouse painted white. Alexander Trabas has posted a photo by Douglas Cameron, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. A September 2005 photo by Dan McLean shows the lighthouse painted with elaborate designs, but the March 2006 photo at right shows it returned to all white. Morocco's tallest traditional lighthouse and the landfall light for Casablanca, located on a headland at the western edge of the city. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-006; Admiralty D2574; NGA 23132.
El Hank Light
El Hank Light, Casablanca, March 2006
anonymous Creative Commons photo

El Jadida Province Lighthouses
Sidi Boubker (Pointe d'Azemmour)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white or red depending on direction. 14 m (46 ft) white tower. No photo available. Located on a headland near Azemmour, about 30 km (19 mi) northeast of El Jadida. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-029; Admiralty D2582; NGA 23140.
Sidi Mesbah
1919. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); white or red light depending on direction, occulting twice every 6 s. 18 m (59 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern is green. MTP has a small photo (third row, third photo), and Google has a satellite view. Located about 6.5 km (4 mi) east of El Jadida. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-037; Admiralty D2584; NGA 23148.
* Sidi Bou Afi
1916. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); white flash every 5 s. 46 m (151 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern black; masonry gallery is unpainted dark stone. A 2007 photo is available, MTP has a photo (fourth row, fourth photo), Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Located just off the main highway (route 301) near the western edge of El Jadida. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-011; Admiralty D2588; NGA 23144.
* Sidi Daoui
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) concrete tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the beach on the northernmost point of land in El Jadida. Site status unknown, but probably open; tower closed. Admiralty D2587.5; NGA 23150.
Jorf Lasfar (Cap Blanc)
Date unknown (about 1980?). Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white or red light depending on direction, 4.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with a small lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white. Yamal HassiMilli has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Jorf Lasfar is a modern industrial port first developed about 1980; phosphate is exported and coal is imported for a huge power plant that produces 60% of the country's electricity. Located on a headland about 24 km (14 mi) southwest of El Jadida. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-020; Admiralty D2590; NGA 23160.
Sidi Bou Afi Light
Sidi Bou Afi Light, December 2008
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by "SambaSamba"

Safi Province Lighthouses
* Cap Beddouza (Cap Cantin)
1916. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 19 m (62 ft) square stone tower with lantern and gallery, located in the center of a large square fort. Fort and lighthouse painted white; the lighthouse and the other towers of the fort also have green horizontal bands. Jean-Marc Favre has a fine 2007 photo, Juan Garzon has a photo, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The area is accessible by road (highway 301). Located on a very prominent cape about 50 km (30 mi) north of Safi. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-014; Admiralty D2592; NGA 23176.
Safi (Pointe de la Tour)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 90 m (295 ft); white light occulting four times every 12 s. 12 m (39 ft) "yellow square tower" rising from one end of a keeper's house. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view and Huelse has a historic postcard view. Located atop a prominent headland about 6 km (4 mi) northwest of Safi. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-031; Admiralty D2595; NGA 23180.
Safi Môle des Phosphates
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); white light occulting twice every 6 s. 27 m (89 ft) square tower rising from a waterfront building. A photo of the port and a Google satellite view show the building. Located on a pier in Safi. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-046; Admiralty D2600; NGA 23208.
* Sidi Magdul (Sidi Megdoul, Essaouira)
1903. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting every 4 s. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white with gold trim; lantern painted black. Joe Katrencik has an excellent 2008 photo, another photo is available, MTP also has a photo (fourth row, first photo), Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Located beside highway 207 on the south end of the harbor at Essaouira. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-036; Admiralty D2602; NGA 23216.
Cap Sim
Early 1920s. Active; focal plane 103 m (338 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 20 m (66 ft) square stone tower with lantern and gallery, rising in the center of a fort. Lighthouse painted green with narrow white horizontal bands. No current photo available, but Google has a good satellite view. Located on a cape about 20 km (13 mi) south of Essaouira. Site open but reported difficult to reach, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-019; Admiralty D2604; NGA 23232.

Southern Atlantic Coast Lighthouses
* Cap Rhir (Cap Ghir)
1932. Active; focal plane 85 m (279 ft); white flash every 5 s. 41 m (135 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white; lantern roof is unpainted metallic. 1-story keeper's houses and other buildings within a walled enclosure. Pat and Cat Patterson's photo is at right, Cesar Entrena has a good photo, MTP has a photo (first row, third photo), and Google has a good satellite view. This lighthouse marks one of the most prominent capes of the Morocco's Atlantic coast. Located atop the cape, beside the main coastal highway (N1) about 40 km (25 mi) northwest of Agadir. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-005; Admiralty D2608; NGA 23236.
Cap Rhir Light
Cap Rhir Light
photo copyright 2003 Pat and Cat Patterson, Cycling Around the World;
used by permission
Agadir Grande Jetée (Jetée Ouest)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); red light occulting twice every 6 s. 7 m (23 ft) square tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands according to NGA. Fog horn (two 2 s blasts every 30 s). The tower appears to be all red in a distant view. Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse marks the entrance to the most important port of southern Morocco. This is undoubtedly a modern light; the city of Agadir was flattened by a great earthquake on February 29, 1960, and has been rebuilt entirely since then. Located at the end of the west breakwater. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-040; Admiralty D2611; NGA 23244.
* Sidi Ifni (2)
1949 (station established 1936?). Active; focal plane 57 m (187 ft); four white flashes, in a 1+3 pattern, every 30 s. 13 m (43 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story building. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is black. Viktor Kaposi's photo is at right, a 2009 photo and another photo are available, and MTP has an older photo (last row, first photo) showing the lighthouse as unpainted light brown stone with darker brown trim. The lighthouse is centered in a Google satellite view. Morocco ceded Ifni and the surrounding area to Spain in 1859, but there was little Spanish settlement there until 1934, when the town was established as the residence of the governor of Spanish Sahara (now called Western Sahara). After Morocco resumed independence in 1956, Ifni remained Spanish until 1969, when Spain agreed to return the territory. The town sits on a plateau above the sea and a small harbor. Located atop the plateau in the center of town, just off the former Plaza de España, now the Place Hassan II. Site open, tower closed as far as is known. ARLHS MOR-012; Admiralty D2616; NGA 23256.
Cap Drâa
About 2000. Active; focal plane 85 m (279 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) tower, described by NGA as a "metal pylon" with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available. The Cap Drâa area is the site of NATO training exercises, and the offshore area has been opened to oil exploration. Located about 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Tan-Tan-Plage. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-041; Admiralty D2616.6; NGA 23260.
Cabo Nachtigal (Tan-Tan-Plage)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 5 s. 7 m (23 ft) tower, painted red with a white band. No photo available. Tan-Tan-Plage is a small coastal settlement in the Tarfaya Strip, another region formerly administered by Spain but ceded to Morocco in 1958. This is probably a modern light built by Morocco after it assumed administration of the area. Site status unknown. ARLHS MOR-016; Admiralty D2617; NGA 23264.
Sidi Ifni Light
Sidi Ifni Light, August 2007
Creative Commons photo by Viktor Kaposi
* Tarfaya (Cabo Juby) (2)
Date unknown (around 1960?). Active; focal plane unknown; two white flashes every 10 s. 13 m (42 ft) round masonry tower; the light is displayed from a mast atop the tower. Tower unpainted. MTP has a photo (first row, first photo), and Google has a satellite view. This appears to be an old tower, possibly not built as a lighthouse, on which a modern light has been installed. There was an earlier light, listed in the 1940s as being at a corner of the Casa Mar. Cabo Juby is a prominent cape, the closest point of the mainland to the Canary Islands. Spain took control of this area, known more recently as the Tarfaya Strip, in the nineteenth century, and held it until 1958. Located on the cape in the town of Tarfaya. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MOR-038; Admiralty D2619; NGA 23270.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

  • Tanger (1883-?). ARLHS MOR-047.

Notable faux lighthouses:

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Posted August 18, 2005. Checked and revised August 31, 2009. Lighthouses: 41. Site copyright 2009 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.