Faro Punta A Atalaia

Faro Punta A Atalaia is a lighthouse standing on a rocky headland at San Cibrao (San Ciprián), in the municipality of Cervo, province of Lugo, Galicia. The site has long served as a landmark for sailors travelling along Spain's northern coast, and its most distinctive feature is a pair of light towers from two different eras standing side by side.

Where exactly is the lighthouse located?

The lighthouse stands on Punta Atalaia, also known as Punta de San Cibrao, in the parish of Santa María de Lieiro. The site was originally an island, but today it is connected to the mainland by a narrow sandy strip roughly 150 metres long and just over 100 metres wide, forming a small peninsula. The highest point of this headland reaches 34 metres above sea level, giving wide views over the ocean and the surrounding coastline.

Why was a lighthouse needed here?

The construction of a navigational light at the Atalaya de San Cibrao was formally approved in 1860, when a sixth-order lighthouse was authorised for the site. The push behind the project came from the 19th-century boom of the Sargadelos factory in Cervo, a small industrial complex that included a foundry, a blast furnace, worker housing, and even a chapel. The increased ship traffic carrying goods to and from the factory required reliable marking of this rocky and hazardous stretch of coast.

How many towers stand here, and how do they differ?

Two lighthouses stand on Punta Atalaia. The first, built in 1864, is square in shape and forms part of an attached building. The second tower, considerably more recent, dates from 1979 and is a free-standing cylindrical structure painted with white and black stripes. This newer tower entered service in 1983, taking over as the main navigational light — its white beam is visible from 20 nautical miles, making it far more effective than its historic predecessor.

What is worth knowing when visiting this spot?

The name "Atalaia" (rendered "Atalaya" in Castilian Spanish) means watchtower or lookout point, a fitting description for a site that has served as a natural vantage point over the ocean for centuries. The presence of two towers from different centuries makes Punta Atalaia an interesting stop for anyone curious about the history of lighthouses in Galicia, while also offering sweeping views over the Rías Altas coastline and the fishing town of San Cibrao below.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Faro Punta A Atalaia located? In San Cibrao (San Ciprián), municipality of Cervo, province of Lugo, Galicia, on the Punta Atalaia headland, which is connected to the mainland by a sandy strip.

When was the first lighthouse here built? Construction was approved in 1860, and the square tower attached to a building was completed in 1864.

Is there only one tower at Punta Atalaia? No, there are two — the historic 1864 tower and a newer cylindrical, white-and-black-striped tower built in 1979 and put into service in 1983.

How far can the new tower's light be seen? The new lighthouse's white light reaches 20 nautical miles.

Why was a lighthouse built at this location? Because of growing ship traffic linked to the 19th-century growth of the Sargadelos factory in Cervo and the need to mark a dangerous rocky coastline.