Farol do Cabo Espichel

GPS 38.416249013997984, -9.216335415344163

For many centuries, the Portuguese coast was known by foreign ships, especially the British, as the “black coast”, as there was no lighting system to aid navigation. At the end of the 18th century, the Marquis of Pombal had a network of lighthouses built to make it safer, including the one at Cabo Espichel, one of the oldest in Portugal, built in 1790.

More than two hundred years later, the Lighthouse maintains its function and, in addition, is an authentic symbol of Cape Espichel. Its opening to the public, once a week, at the initiative of the Portuguese Navy, is a way of telling the story of the place and affirming our relationship with the sea.

Admiring the landscape from the top of the 32-metre tower is, in itself, a unique experience worth the 135 stone and 15 iron steps that you have to climb to get there, but along the route there is much more to discover.

At an altitude of 168 meters above sea level, the Cabo Espichel Lighthouse has a luminous range of 26 miles, approximately 48 kilometers, and produces a white light that emits three flashes every 12 seconds. The optical device, smaller than the original, is also made up of aero-maritime panels, which produce light, not only for the horizon, but also for the sky.

In the tower you can still see the machines that ran on oil steam, which in 1883 replaced the Argand lamps, powered by oil, and the old clockwork system, which in case of engine failure is ready to go into action.

At the end of the 19th century, it received the first sound signal, a mechanically activated bell that, later, with the arrival of electrification, was replaced by a compressed air siren, which can still be seen in the place, despite being deactivated. In 1989, the equipment became fully autonomous.

Despite all the existing electronic aids for navigation, the Lighthouse's light is still precious for those who walk in the sea. The fishermen of Sesimbra are guided not only by the light but also by the building itself. With the visual and sound technological evolution that occurred over the decades, the routine of lighthouse keepers also underwent changes. However, like the Lighthouse light, its presence is indispensable, not only in case of breakdown but also in relation to the maintenance of the space.

Since 2011, along with 29 other buildings owned by the Navy, the Cabo Espichel lighthouse has been open to the public, once a week, for guided tours, which make known the mission of the lighthouses and the functions of the lighthouse keepers, disclosing a estate with great cultural and historical value.