8 Fairytale Lighthouses
Mysterious … full of stories … witnesses to the movement of ships ready to cross seas and oceans … the only light of hope amid so much darkness … Undoubtedly, the aura of mystery that surrounds the lighthouses makes them call us so much attention and trap us, although let’s not be sailors. In the following article we get closer to 8 fairytale lighthouses … Don’t miss any of them!
Lighthouses of yesterday, lighthouses of today
Most of the lighthouses were built several centuries ago. Many of them have been abandoned and others continue to maintain their function. There are them completely automated, but there are others that still depend on the physical presence of man so that they can function . In any case, what we cannot deny is that they are magical. We are going to admire some of the most beautiful in the world.
1. Creach lighthouse, France
Located on the Isle of Ouessant, it is known by the name of the “guardian of the Finisterre sea”. What an honor! Its light is one of the most powerful on the planet and since 1863 it illuminates the archipelago of the Iles du Ponant and the Armorica Regional Natural Park. In 1988 a museum of lighthouses and beacons was inaugurated inside.
2. Deadalus Reef Lighthouse, Egypt
In 1831 this lighthouse was built on an artificial island in the middle of the Red Sea. A different image of the Egyptian lands, where not everything is sandy deserts and pyramids. This place is also ideal for diving enthusiasts.
3. Hercules Lighthouse, Spain
With that name it couldn’t be less than great. Built in A Coruña, it is the oldest working Roman lighthouse. From Spain? No… from all over the world!
It was built in the 1st century and there are many legends that speak of its construction. One of the most commented is the one that indicates that Hercules himself arrived by boat to the coast and there he buried Gerión’s head after defeating him in a fight.
4. Peggy’s Point Lighthouse, Canada
A strange name for a lighthouse, right? The truth is that it is on one of the more than 3,000 islands in the state of Nova Scotia. Although in many of them there are lighthouses, none are as beautiful as this one.
What makes it different? To begin with, its age: 100 years. Second, because it is at the top of a granite rock. And, thirdly, because it is the typical photograph of those who arrive at this site on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
5. Cabo da Roca Lighthouse, Portugal
In the town of Sintra there is a cliff that rises almost 150 meters above the Atlantic Ocean, at the westernmost end of all of Europe. The lighthouse is 40 kilometers from Lisbon and is part of the Sintra-Cascais National Park. It is surrounded by several fishing villages and beautiful forests.
6. Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse, Argentina
Located in the middle of the Beagle Channel, in front of the city of Ushuaia (the southernmost in the world), it is a typical postcard of those who arrive at this destination in Patagonia. It is said that Jules Verne was inspired by this lighthouse to create his book “The lighthouse at the end of the world” (although it was actually based on the San Juan de Salvamento lighthouse, located on the Isla de los Estados). It is 11 meters high and is painted with white and red stripes. Its luminous equipment is powered by solar panels.
7. La Corbiere Lighthouse, UK
In the extreme southwest of the island of Jersey, this imposing lighthouse sits atop a tiny islet. It was built on a rock that is connected by a path that, when there is high tide, is submerged in the water.
The sailors of yesteryear who passed by on their way to France knew that the lighthouse marked the end of the most difficult part of their journey. If the trip was reversed, they had to prepare for the worst.
8. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, United States
The construction took 14 years to complete (in 1803). In its beginnings it was 27 meters high and had a 3 meter lantern powered by whale oil, but the light was insufficient. For this reason, in 1815 a more “modern” lamp system was installed. In 1852 it was radically modified. Today it is 60 meters high (more than double the original), all made of bricks.
If you have the opportunity to be in front of one of these incredible lighthouses, you will surely imagine thousands of stories and adventures of pirates, conquerors and sailors.
