Name and Location

The Favàritx Lighthouse (Far de Favàritx) stands at the north-eastern tip of Menorca, one of Spain's Balearic Islands. Its official address is Carretera de Favàritx (PM-715), 07701 Mahón (Maó), Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. The coordinates are 39.9971601 N, 4.2666693 E.

Construction and History

The Favàritx Lighthouse was constructed in 1922 and its first lighting took place in November 1916 (provisional light). During the Spanish Civil War, the site suffered neglect, but the current optics were restored in the late 1940s. There are no well-documented shipwrecks directly attributed to this point.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse has a stripped-down modernist design with Art Deco echoes in the lantern gallery's steelwork. The tower is made of reinforced concrete, faced with alternating bands of white paint and natural volcanic rock aggregate. It stands 28 meters above its base and has a focal height of 47 meters above sea level.

Light and Navigation

The light characteristic is two white flashes every 10 seconds (Fl (2) W 10s). The nominal range is approximately 18 nautical miles (33 km). The lighthouse uses a rotating Fresnel lens, with original glass panels retained and the drive mechanism electrified. It was automated in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

Accessibility and Visiting

Visitors can access the site by car via the PM-715 road from Mahón toward Fornells, and then walk to the lighthouse along marked coastal trails. The tower is closed to the public, but visitors are free to explore the exterior and service building grounds at any time. The best visiting hours for photography are early morning or late afternoon when the light is soft.

Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding landscape is a stark, lunar-like environment of black shale, pitted sandstone, and hardy scrub. The Cala Presili and Cala Tortuga beaches lie to the south, accessible only on foot. Nearby lighthouses include Cavalleria Lighthouse at Menorca's northernmost point (10 km away).

Anecdotes and Folklore

Mariners' tales tell of ghost lights seen off the headland on stormy nights – likely luminescence from bioluminescent plankton along submerged rocks. Oral history recalls a small network of fishers' huts around the lighthouse, abandoned after the tower was automated.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is managed by Ports de les Illes Balears (formerly Comisión de Faros). It has been listed as a Cultural Asset of Local Interest by the Balearic Islands government. The auxiliary aids include an AIS beacon and meteorological sensors, installed and managed by Ports de les Illes Balears.

Further Information

For further reading, visit Wikipedia's Catalan page on Favàritx Lighthouse (https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_de_Favàritx) or the official Ports de les Illes Balears – Favàritx Lighthouse page (ES: https://www.puertosdebalears.es/favaritx).