Fuencaliente Lighthouse
The Fuencaliente Lighthouse is an active lighthouse at the southern end of the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. The original lighthouse was built in 1903 and while it still exists it was replaced by the current lighthouse in 1985. It is one of a number of lighthouses in the Canary Islands.
Location
The lighthouses are located at the southern end of La Palma, around south of Los Canarios. It is accessible by road, and whilst the tower is closed the site is open with parking spaces. It is adjacent to the and the village of El Faro.1903 lighthouse
The construction of the original lighthouse started in 1882. It was built with stone imported from Arucas, Las Palmas, with construction ending around 1898, before it entered service in 1903. It consists of a cylindrical tower at the front of a single level keeper's house, both made of stone. The original light flashed three times in a sequence, lit by an oil lamp. It was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1939 and had to be substantially rebuilt, with the tower demolished and rebuilt with concrete. The light was temporarily replaced with an acetylene light, which subsequently became permanent, and emitted a single flash every 6 seconds, with a range. The keep's house was abandoned and subsequently fell into ruin, with its decay hastened by earthquakes from the. The lighthouse closed in 1985, and its lantern was removed at the time. It is Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society number CAI-083.It was replaced with a new lighthouse that was built next to it, but the building and tower were conserved. Restoration started in May 2001 and finished in 2004, with a new lantern installed. An interpretation centre for the marine reserve on the island is now located in the keeper's house, which opened in 2006. The main room has been recreated as a volcanic cave with on a raised glass floor. A full scale bronze sculpture of a dolphin is displayed, caught in a fishing net suspended from the ceiling.