Cabo Vilán Lighthouse
Location & Light Range
About Cabo Vilán Lighthouse
Also known as: Cabo Vilán (Villano)
The original Cabo Vilán lighthouse, constructed in 1854, featured a cylindrical stone tower rising from an octagonal pyramidal stone base. Standing 7 meters tall with a focal height of 74 meters, it offered a geographic range of 21.9 nautical miles. This structure marked a coastal point for navigation near Camariñas, Galicia. However, its effectiveness was compromised by an obscured light for ships approaching from the north. Consequently, this lighthouse was deactivated in 1896, replaced by a more suitable installation.
Why it matters: The initial failure of this lighthouse due to an obscured light for northern approaches provided a critical lesson for future lighthouse design and placement, directly influencing successor installations to improve maritime safety in the area.
Light & Optic
- Focal Height
- 74m
- Geographic Range
- 21.9NM
Construction & History
- Year Built
- 1854
Significant events: Inactive since 1896, replaced due to light being obscured for ships approaching from the north
Visiting
- Open to public
- Site open, tower closed
Nearby Vessels
Tower & Structure
- Tower Height
- 7m
- Tower Shape
- cylindrical
- Material
- stone
Structure: round cylindrical stone tower atop an octagonal pyramidal stone base
Location
- City
- Camariñas
- Country
- 🇪🇸Spain
- Region
- Galicia
- Sea Region
- Cabo Vilán, Spain, on a hilltop above the modern light, marking a coastal point for navigation
- Latitude
- 43.1586°
- Longitude
- -9.2107°
References & Identifiers
- Nearest Port
- Camarinas(2.3 km)
- ARLHS No.
- SPA-329
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