Faro Punta Carnero

En Algeciras, the Lighthouse of Punta Carnero is located on at the point with the same name, to the far south of the Bay of Algeciras. Designed by Jaime Font in 1864, it was officially opened in 1874. It is a cylindrical yellow tower made out of sandstone, with a shaft which is a smaller-scale replica of that found in Chipiona Lighthouse.

Visitors will see the Getares cove, the old whaling factory, the streams which flow into the Bay, and, lastly, the lighthouse, from which coast of Africa can be observed. To the west, the Atlantic Ocean, cold and dangerous, route to the New World. To the east, the warm Mediterranean, home of the Greeks and Romans… This is the place the guitarist Paco de Lucía had in mind when he composed Entre dos aguas, in 1973. This is an improvised work which was a number one hit in Spain, made him a mainstream success and launched him on the international stage. In fact, in 1975 the Royal Theatre of Madrid opened its doors to flamenco, and Paco de Lucía played a concert which would go down in history and also be used for his first live album.

The lighthouse and the promontory form part of the Paco de Lucía Route which has been created by the local council of Algeciras, his place of birth.

Today the lighthouse still helps vessels navigate the Straits of Gibraltar.