The Cabo da Roca Lighthouse (Portuguese: Farol de Cabo da
Roca) is a beacon/lighthouse located 165 metres (541 ft) above the Atlantic
Ocean, on Portugal's (and continental Europe's) most westerly extent (Cabo da
Roca). It is located on a promontory that juts out into the ocean, made up of
granite boulders and interspersed limestone. It is a third-order lighthouse,
which originally began operating in 1772. It was the first new purpose-built
lighthouse to be constructed in the country: the older lighthouses in existence
at that time, were constructed on existing platforms or from pre-existing
beacons.
The
lighthouse stands 22 metres at its base (its light commands a 165 metre beam
from sea level). In addition to the main tower, the complex is composed of nine
buildings, since prior to electrification, it was necessary to marshall a team
to maintain the lamp, store valuable equipment and produce the Acetylene
necessary to run the torch. Currently, the lighthouse supports a team of three
lighthouse keepers, in order to monitor the lamp and signal/communicate between
Cabo da Roca and Ericeira.
Personal
Note:
We
were at Cabo da Roca in September 2013 on our Portugal / Spain tour.
This
postcard came from Margarita (14 November 2014) Postcrossing.
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