Name and Location

The Farol do Albarnaz, also known as Ponta Albarnaz Lighthouse, is an active coastal lighthouse located at the westernmost tip of Flores Island in the Azores archipelago of Portugal. The exact address is Estrada do Farol, Farol de Albarnaz, 9970-000 Santa Cruz das Flores, Azores, Portugal. The coordinates are 39°31′11.7″ N, 31°14′08.5″ W (decimal: 39.5199049, -31.2356912).

Construction and History

The Farol do Albarnaz was erected in the mid-20th century, with no exact date documented. It was built by the Portuguese Navy's Direção de Faróis (Lighthouse Authority). Although it has been classified as a national monument, it remains in active service under maritime authority.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse features a cylindrical masonry tower with a gallery and lantern, standing 15 meters tall above its base. The tower is white-painted, with an attached single-storey keeper's house (now unoccupied) and a lantern room with a red dome. The construction materials used are local stone and concrete rendering.

Light and Navigation

The focal height of the lighthouse is approximately 50 meters above mean sea level, situated on a 35-meter cliff. Although the light characteristic is not publicly available, it guides vessels navigating the channel between Flores and Corvo Islands, warning them of nearby reefs and cliffs. The nominal range is typically 12-18 nautical miles for Azores coastal lights.

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse is reachable by a rough tarmac/dirt road (Estrada do Farol) branching off the main coastal road. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended. Visitors may walk to an external viewing point, but the lighthouse enclosure is fenced and not open to the public.

Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding landscape features rugged basalt cliffs, windswept shrubland, and seabird colonies (including Cory's shearwater). The nearby attractions include Poço Interior (natural inland pool), Ponta da Fajã, village of Fajã Grande and its restaurants, and Miradouro Maria Fernandes viewpoint.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Local lore tells the story of a phantom light in the Albarnaz area before the official tower existed, attributed to a ghost ship. Former keepers once maintained vegetable gardens in the shelter of basalt rock walls, with letters from one keeper's daughter speaking of children flying kites off the cliff edge.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is fully automated and operates continuously under Direção de Faróis management. Periodic maintenance visits are conducted by naval helicopter or vessel since the 1960s.

Further Information

• Official sources:

• Portuguese Navy: https://www.amn.pt/DF/Paginas/FaroldoAlbarnaz.aspx

• Wikimedia Commons: search "Farol do Albarnaz" for user-compiled gallery

• Wikipedia (pt): "Farol do Albarnaz"

• Chart reference: Instituto Hidrográfico, Chart Q-28 Flores e Ilhéu de Monchique