Lighthouses of Northern Portugal

Portugal has a distinguished maritime history: Portuguese sailors launched and led the European age of discovery, and Portuguese ships have been finding their way home from the far corners of the globe for about 600 years. It's not surprising that lighthouses have played an important role in Portuguese culture, and that they are treasured national monuments today.

This page has information on the lighthouses of the northern section of the Portuguese mainland (the districts north of the Lisbon area). The part of this region north of Porto is called the Costa Verde (Green Coast), and the part south of Porto is called the Costa de Prata (Coast of Silver). Lighthouses of the Lisbon area and southern coasts are on the Southern Portugal page. Lighthouses of the Azores and Madeira (islands discovered and settled by the early Portuguese explorers) are also on separate pages.

The Portuguese word for a lighthouse is farol, plural faróis. Lighthouses in Portugal are owned by the navy (Marinha de Portugal) and operated by the navy's lighthouse directorate (Direcção de Faróis).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. PT numbers are from the Portuguese Navy list, as recorded by Portuguese Wikipedia. Admiralty numbers are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.

General Sources
Online List of Lights: Portugal
A large collection of photos posted by Alexander Trabas.
Lighthouses in Portugal
Excellent aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Faróis de Portugal
Portuguese Wikipedia article on the country's lighthouses. Near the bottom of the page are links to pages for the individual lighthouses. The photos are also available in Wikimedia's Lighthouses in Portugal category.
Phares d'Europe
Photos posted by Alain Guyomard and Robert Carceller.
Leuchttürme Portugals auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images collected by Klaus Huelse.

Farol da Berlenga
Farol da Berlenga, August 2008
anonymous Wikimedia Creative Commons photo

Costa de Prata Lighthouses

Leiria District Lighthouses
* Ericeira
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); red light, 2 s on, 1 s off. 8 m (26 ft) concrete "sentry box" style lantern attached at an upper corner of a 2-story building. Trabas has a photo. Located near the waterfront in Ericeira. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-088; Admiralty D2106; NGA 3372.
* Peniche East Mole
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red flash every 3 s. 10 m (30 ft) round tower, painted with green and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a closeup photo, a 2008 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the east mole at Peniche. Accessible by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-076; Admiralty D2096; NGA 3352.
* Peniche West Mole
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 3 s. 8 m (26 ft) round conical tower with a flared top, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has an excellent photo, Antonio Vega has a closeup, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located at the end of the west mole at Peniche. Accessible by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-077; Admiralty D2094; NGA 3356.
* Peniche de Cima Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red light, 2 s on, 5 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round lantern mounted atop a 2-story building. Trabas has a photo. Located across the street from the waterfront in Peniche de Cima. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D2092.1; NGA 3348.
* Cabo Carvoeiro (2)
1886 (station established 1790). Active; focal plane 57 m (187 ft); three red flashes every 15 s. 27 m (89 ft) robust square cylindrical stone stone tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the base of a U-shaped 1-story keeper's complex. Buildings painted white with unpainted stone trim; lantern painted red. Fog horn (one 10 s blast every 35 s). A photo is at right, Trabas has a good photo, Carlos Olmo Bosco has another excellent closeup photo, Wikimedia has a fine photo by Júlio Reis, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Cabo Carvoeiro is one of the most prominent capes of the Portuguese coast. Lights are said to have been displayed here for centuries on the tower of the chapel of Nossa Senhora de Vitória, now demolished. The original lighthouse, 21 m (69 ft) tall, was identified as inadequate by an 1881 commission. In modern times the lighthouse is no longer considered a major coastal light; the red light displayed guides ships on their approach to the nearby fishing port of Peniche. Located at the end of a promontory about 3 km (1.8 mi) west of the Peniche waterfront. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-006; PT-143; Admiralty D2088; NGA 3340.
Farol do Cabo Carvoeiro
Farol da Cabo Carvoeiro, August 2007
anonymous Flickr Creative Commons photo
Berlenga
1842. Active; focal plane 121 m (397 ft); white flash every 10 s. 29 m (95 ft) square stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's complex. Tower painted white with unpainted stone trim; lantern painted red. Fog horn (one 6 s blast every 28 s). A photo is at the top of this page, Carlos Eduardo Souza Lopes has an excellent photo, Trabas has a distant view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Berlenga is the largest of three small islands about 9 km (5.5 mi) west northwest of Cabo Carvoeiro. There is an anchorage on the southeast side of the island, and transportation is available from Peniche. Because the islands lie directly on the coastal shipping lanes, the lighthouse has always been considered one of the most important in Portugal. In 1897 a hyperradiant Fresnel lens (larger than first order) was installed: one of only a few dozen such lenses ever built. The great lens was removed in 1985, when the light was electrified and a modern 400 mm (16 in) lens installed. The lens is now on display at the Lighthouse Directorate's museum in Paço de Arcos. The light was solarized in 2000 without reducing its 43 km (27 mi) range. Located at the highest point of the western side of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-004; PT-136; Admiralty D2086; NGA 3336.
** Nazaré (Forte de São Miguel)
1903. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); white light, 2 s on, 1 s off. 8 m (26 ft) round cast iron (?) lantern mounted on the wall of the fort. Lantern painted bright red. Fog siren (one 10 s blast every 35 s). Trabas has a good photo, Carlos Olmo Bosco has a closeup of the lantern, a view from the sea is available, and Google has a satellite view. This light is built on the stone walls of the Forte de São Miguel, which dates from 1577. Located on a very sharp headland at the west end of the town of Nazaré, a village now popular as a beach resort. Site open, fort open. ARLHS POR-032; PT-132; Admiralty D2074; NGA 3316.
* São Martinho do Porto Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red light occulting once every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) post light mounted atop a square 2-story concrete equipment shelter; there is a gallery atop the building. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The front light is a similar post with no equipment shelter. Located about 150 m (500 ft) southeast of the waterfront of São Martinho do Porto. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-097; Admiralty D2078.1; NGA 3328.
* Penedo da Saudade
1912. Active; focal plane 55 m (180 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 32 m (105 ft) square masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-story brick keeper's complex. 3rd order Fresnel lens. Olga Pavlovsky's photo is at right, Trabas has an excellent photo, Noemia Costa Dias has a nice closeup, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse does not mark a prominent cape; it was located at a convenient point halfway between the lights of Cabo Mondego and Ilha Berlenga. The original 3rd order lens was transferred to Cabo Mondego in 1921, but it was replaced by another 3rd order lens of a different type. The lighthouse and keeper's house were both renovated and restored in 1997-98. Located directly on the coastal road about 800 m (1/2 mi) north of São Pedro de Moel. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-034; PT-117; Admiralty D2072; NGA 3312.
Farol
Farol do Panedo da Saudade, December 2007
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Olga Pavlovsky

Coimbra District Lighthouses
* Figueira da Foz North Mole
Date unknown (1968?). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red light, 1.5 s on, 4.5 s off. 7 m (23 ft) round conical tower with a flared top, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a photo, Luis Loureiro has a 2009 closeup, and Google has a satellite view. The satellite view shows construction to extend the breakwater, which may lead to relocation or replacement of the light. Located at the end of the breakwater on the north side of the entrance to the Rio Mondego at Figueira da Foz. Accessible by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-071; Admiralty D2066; NGA 3296.
* Figueira da Foz (Forte de Santa Catarina)
1886. Inactive since 1968. Approx. 10m (33 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. Paulo Azevedo has a photo, a second photo showing the fort is available, Wikimedia has a closeup by João Campos, and Google has a satellite view. Another example of a French prefabricated tourelle. Probably still in service as a daybeacon, this lighthouse is located within the walls of the late 16th century Forte de Santa Catarina, on the north side of the entrance to the Rio Mondego at Figueira da Foz. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-073.
* Cabo Mondego (Boa Viagem) (1)
1865. Inactive since 1922. Ruined octagonal stone tower; the stump of the tower is about 4 m (13 ft) high. A photo is available (pdf file), and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was built in 1858 by the engineer Francisco Maria Pereira da Silva, but it was not activated until 1 August 1865. Located atop a steep bluff on the Rua Farol Velho, about 1.6 km (1 mi) south of the modern lighthouse. Site open, tower closed.
* Cabo Mondego (Boa Viagem) (2)
1922 (station established 1865). Active; focal plane 97 m (318 ft); white flash every 5 s. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to two 1-story keeper's houses. Building painted white with gray trim; lantern painted red. Fog horn (one blast every 30 s). Alexandre Albuquerque's photo is at right, Trabas has a good photo, J. Cornelius has another good photo, Antonio Alba has a nice distant view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a postcard view that shows the design of the building well, and Google has a satellite view. Boa viagem is the Portuguese equivalent of bon voyage; the heights of the ridge of that name, rising suddenly above the low shore to the north, were often the last land seen by departing sailors. Located on the western end of a forested ridge protected as the Parque Florestal da Serra da Boa Viagem, about 5 km (3 mi) northwest of Figueira da Foz. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-010; Admiralty D2060; NGA 3284.
Farol da Cabo Mondego
Farol da Cabo Mondego, Figueira da Foz, December 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Alexandre Albuquerque

Aveiro District Lighthouses
* Aveiro Range Rear (Forte da Barra)
Date unknown (1980s?). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); green flash every 3 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round tower with rounded top and gallery, painted white with narrow black horizontal bands. The light is displayed from a post mounted on the gallery. Trabas has a photo, Christian Ferraz has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This tower was built early in the 1800s as a signal tower. There is no evidence it was used as a lighthouse until the range light was installed, sometime between 1967 and 1987. The tower is built within the walls of the ancient Forte da Barra de Aveiro. The front light is on a short concrete tower painted green with a red horizontal band (Portugal's national colors). Located near the harbor in Gafanha da Nazaré. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-084; PT-096.45; Admiralty D2059.1.
* Aveiro
1893. Active; focal plane 66 m (217 ft); four white flashes every 13 s; in addition a green flash every 4 s is displayed at 54 m (177 ft). 62 m (203 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the center of a 2-story keeper's house. 3rd order Fresnel lens (1937). Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands; lantern painted red. A photo by Jorge Farinha is at right, Trabas has an excellent photo, Guyomard and Carceller have photos by José Alves, and Google has a satellite view. This is the tallest Portuguese lighthouse. Standing directly on a barrier beach, it is exposed to Atlantic storms. A great storm in 1935 swept away the fog signal building (seen in Huelse's historic postcard view), and sea walls have now been built to protect the lighthouse. The tower is unusual in having a elevator, installed in 1958, that rises through the middle of the spiral stairway. Located on the south side of the entrance to the Ria de Aveiro in Barra, the seaside neighborhood of Aveiro. Site open; tower seems to be open by arrangement. ARLHS POR-101; PT-095; Admiralty D2056; NGA 3272.
Aveiro South Mole
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); green flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) round, bluntly conical tower with a cylindrical extension and gallery but no lantern, painted with green and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a photo, a good closeup is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the mole, only a few feet from the lighthouse; Site and tower closed. ARLHS POR-085; PT-096; Admiralty D2058; NGA 3280.
Aveiro North Mole
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 3 s. 6 m (20 ft) round, bluntly conical tower with gallery but no lantern, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The north mole is the main breakwater for Aveiro. Located at the end of the mole. Site and tower closed. ARLHS POR-002; Admiralty D2057; NGA 3276.
Farol de Aveiro
Farol de Aveiro, February 2011
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Jorge Farinha

Costa Verde Lighthouses

Porto District Lighthouses
* [Sobreiras (Range Rear)]
1915. Inactive since 2009. 6 m (20 ft) post light with a gallery and a small lantern. Tower painted with horizontal red and white bands. The Cantareira and Sobreiras lights were discontinued when changes to the moles and entrance channel left them useless for navigation. Located 562 m (614 yd) northeast of the Cantareira front light. Site open, tower closed. Ex-PT-084; ex-Admiralty D2048.1; NGA 3260.
* [Cantareira (Range Front)]
1915. Inactive since 2009. 6 m (20 ft) post light with a gallery and a small lantern. Tower painted with horizontal red and white bands. Another photo shows the light standing next to the historic church of São Miguel o Anjo (see next entry), and Google has a satellite view. Located beside the Rua do Passeio Alegre on the old breakwater mole on the north side of the Douro (Rio do Ouro) entrance, just off the waterfront. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-069; ex-PT-083; ex-Admiralty D2048; NGA 3256.
** São Miguel o Anjo
1527. Inactive. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) square cylindrical stone tower attached to a 1-story stone chapel. Wikipedia's page has a good photo by José Moutinho, and Google has a satellite view. This ancient lighthouse was built on the order of Miguel da Silva, abbot of the Bendictine monastery of Santo Tirso, to improve navigation across the bar of the Douro and help develop Porto as a commercial rival to Lisbon in trade with the Orient and with northern Europe. The building, constructed by the Italian engineer Francesco de Cremona, is certainly Portugal's oldest lighthouse and one of the few lighthouses surviving from the early days of European expansion and discovery. Located beside the Rua do Passeio Alegre on the old breakwater mole on the north side of the Douro (Rio do Ouro) entrance, just off the waterfront. Site open, building status uncertain. ARLHS POR-078.
* Felgueiras (Rio Douro North Breakwater)
1886. Inactive since 2009. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal stone tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted; lantern painted red. Fog horn (two 5 s blasts every 30 s). Andre Luis Acosta has a photo, another photo shows a great storm wave breaking on the lighthouse, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater at the north side of the entrance to the Rio Douro and the traditional harbor of Porto. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-070; ex-PT-082; ex-Admiralty D2046; NGA 3252.
** Senhora da Luz (Porto, Oporto) (2)
1834 (?) (station established 1758). Inactive since 1926(?). 15 m (49 ft) square stone tower, the west tower of the chapel of Nossa Senhora de Luz (Our Lady of the Light); the lantern has been replaced by a pyramidal roof. Lighthouse painted white. A historic photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. A small hexagonal tower next to the building is often mistaken for the lighthouse. This light had a focal plane of 53 m (174 ft) and served for nearly a century as the landfall light for Porto. According to the Wikipedia article, the original lighthouse was replaced after being destroyed by lightning in 1814; Findlay's 1879 list gives 1834 as the date of establishment. A 4th order lens was installed in 1865. According to Navy records, the light was discontinued after the Leça lighthouse was placed in service in 1926, but there are local accounts that a light was displayed in the early 1940s. Located atop the hill known as Monte da Luz, about 1 km (0.6 mi) north of the Rio Douro entrance in Porto. Site open, tower status unknown.
Farol de Felgueiras
Farol de Felgueiras, July 2007
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Bernt Rostad
Porto de Leixões South Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); green flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal masonry tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is unpainted; the lantern is painted green. Trabas has a good photo, Ruslan Nekrasov has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater. Site and tower closed. ARLHS POR-095; Admiralty D2036; NGA 3244.
Porto de Leixões Quebra-Mar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); red flash every 5 s. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) round concrete tower with gallery but no lantern. The tower is unpainted. Trabas has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the old north breakwater of the Porto de Leixões, the harbor of the Leça oil terminal. Site and tower closed. ARLHS POR-094; Admiralty D2034; NGA 3240.
* Leça (Boa Nova)
1926. Active; focal plane 57 m (187 ft); three white flashes every 14 s. 46 m (151 ft) white round reinforced concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted red. The surrounding 2-story keeper's complex was used as the school for lighthouse keepers from 1926 to 1962. Trabas has a fine closeup photo, Nuno Filipe Coimbra has a good 2006 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a good satellite view. This lighthouse replaced a smaller lighthouse built in 1916 at Boa Nova, a short distance to the north. Located in Leça da Palmeira, on the north side of Matosinhos, adjacent to a huge petroleum tank farm. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-029; PT-070; Admiralty D2032; NGA 3236.
* Azurara Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; 27 m (89 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 6 m (20 ft) light mounted atop the gable of a 1-story masonry building, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a good photo. The front light is mounted on a post. The range guides ships into the harbor of Vila do Conde. Located somewhere near the Estrada Velha in Azurara, a neighborhood on the south side of Vila do Conde. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-086; Admiralty D2023.1; NGA 3200.
Regufe (Póvoa de Varzim Range Rear) (2)
1892. Inactive since 2002. 22 m (72 ft) tripod cast iron tower with lantern, gallery, and central cylinder, painted red. 1-story keeper's house (1917). A photo is at right, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view (look for the shadow). Originally the rear light of the Póvoa de Varzim Range, and later operated independently. The design of this lighthouse is unique, and the Navy is justified in calling it uma verdadeira relíquia da arte do ferro (a true relic of the art of iron). The only other cast iron tripod lighthouses surviving are the active Cabo San Antonio and Punta Médanos lighthouses in Argentina. The lighthouse was restored and recognized as a historic monument in 1995. It appears to be in good condition. Located next to a light rail line on the east side of the N13 highway about 600 m (3/8 mi) due east of the front light in Póvoa de Varzim. Site fenced, but the lighthouse is easily seen from close by. ARLHS POR-060; Admiralty D2020; NGA 3156.
* [Lapa (Póvoa de Varzim Range Front)]
1857. Inactive since at least the 1960s. The light was established at the church of Nossa Senhora de Lapa. Although the church has what appears to be a lantern at one end, as shown in a Wikipedia photo and a 2007 photo by Feliciano Guimarães, light lists indicate the light was shown atop a skeletal tower next to the church, as seen in a postcard view posted by Huelse. Google has a satellite view. In 1892 the light became the front light of the Póvoa de Varzim entrance range. The light was probably deactivated because new breakwaters made the old range line inappropriate. Located on the waterfront at the harbor of Póvoa de Varzim. Site open. ARLHS POR-075.
Farol de Refuge
Farol de Regufe, June 2008
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by PedroPVZ

Braga District Lighthouse
* Esposende (2)
1922 (station established 1866). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 5 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, standing on a round concrete base. Adjoining 2-story keeper's complex. Entire lighthouse painted red; keeper's house is yellow. Trabas has a good photo, another closeup and a view from the sea are available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. This is a typical prefabriacted French tourelle. The original light was described as an "iron column." The light station is built partly within the walls of the Forte São João Baptista. Located on the north side of the Rio Cavado entrance at Esposende. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-018; PT-031; Admiralty D2016; NGA 3128.

Viana do Castelo District Lighthouses
* Viana do Castelo Cabadelo Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; characteristics unknown. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery but no lantern, painted with green and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the south breakwater in Viana do Castelo. Accessible by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-100; Admiralty D2012.6.
* Forte Santiago da Barra (Castelo de Santiago, Viana do Castelo Range Front)
1888. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted red with narrow white vertical stripes; lantern and gallery painted white. Trabas has a good photo, Abel Queirós has a fine closeup, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The two Viana do Castelo range lights are typical French tourelles. Located within the walls of the Forte Santiago da Barra on the north side of the Rio Lima entrance in Viana do Castelo. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-017; PT-025; Admiralty D2012; NGA 3100.
* Nossa Senhora da Agonia (Viana do Castelo Range Rear)
1888. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); red light, 4 s on, 2 s off. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, mounted atop a large church building. Tower painted red with narrow white vertical stripes; lantern and gallery painted white. Trabas has a good photo, Abel Queirós has another photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located adjacent to the 18th century church of Nossa Senhora da Agonia in Viana do Castelo, about 500 m (0.3 mi) north of the front light. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-054; PT-026; Admiralty D2012.1; NGA 3104.
* Viana do Castelo Outer Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower with gallery but no lantern, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the long outer breakwater of Viana do Castelo. Apparently accessible by walking the breakwater (it's a long walk). ARLHS POR-040; Admiralty D2012.8; NGA 3099.
* Montedor
1908. Active; focal plane 103 m (338 ft); two white flashes every 9.7 s. 28 m (92 ft) square stone tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a large 1-story U-shaped stone keeper's complex. 3rd order Fresnel lens. The building is unpainted; lantern painted red. Fog horn (three 2 s blasts every 25 s). A Navy photo is at right, Trabas has an excellent photo, Carlos Olmo Bosco has a closeup, Huelse has a postcard view that shows the design of the building well, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. This northernmost major Portuguese lighthouse is located on a headland at Montedor, just off the coastal N13 highway about 8 km (5 mi) north of Viana do Castelo. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-031; PT-021; Admiralty D2008; NGA 3096.
Farol de Montedor
Farol de Montedor
Marinha de Portugal photo
Insúa
Date unknown (station established 1886). Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); flash every 4 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) 1-story square equipment room with a solar-powered post light on the roof. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is built within the mid 17th century Fortaleza de Insúa. Located on a tiny islet on the south side of the entrance to the Rio Minho, which is the border between Spain and Portugal, just off the coastal N13 highway about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southwest of Caminha. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS POR-028; PT-010; Admiralty D2002; NGA 3076.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Western Galicia | South: Southern Portugal

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Posted December 17, 2005. Checked and revised February 1, 2012. Lighthouses: 32. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.