Name and Location

The Faro de la Mesa Roldán is an active coastal lighthouse located near Carboneras in the province of Almería, Andalusia, Spain. Its address is W3RV+M8 La Mesa Roldán, Vía Sin Nombre, 04149 Carboneras, Almería, Andalusia, Spain.

2. Construction and History

The Faro de la Mesa Roldán was erected in 1863 as part of Spain's mid-19th-century network of coastal lights to improve maritime safety along the Levante Almeriense. It was converted to automatic operation in the late 20th century, and the former keeper's quarters are now unoccupied.

3. Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse is a masonry tower set on a natural rocky plateau, painted white. The exact height of the tower is not documented, but it stands atop the flat-topped Mesa Roldán plateau overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

4. Light and Navigation

The lighthouse's light characteristic is four white flashes every 20 seconds (Fl (4) W 20 s). The nominal range is 23 nautical miles. It uses mains electricity with a backup generator as its power source, but there is no public record of radar or AIS transceiver at the site.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse tower itself is closed to visitors, but exterior viewpoints on Mesa Roldán are freely accessible. Visitors can reach the lighthouse by taking the unpaved "Vía Sin Nombre" road up to the plateau and then a short footpath leads to the base of the tower. There are no on-site visitor center or museum facilities; nearest services are in Carboneras (5 km to the south).

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse offers panoramic views over the Mediterranean Sea and the nearby Cabo de Gata–Níjar Natural Park, which is popular at sunset.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

• Local fishermen have long spoken of unusual "will-o'-the-wisp" lights seen on stormy nights around Mesa Roldán – possibly phosphorescence or distant ship lights refracted off low clouds.
• No major shipwrecks are officially recorded immediately offshore, but the headland's height and sheer cliffs made it a navigational hazard before the lighthouse existed.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is listed in the national inventory of Spanish lighthouse installations maintained by the Ministerio de Fomento – Dirección General de la Marina Mercante. It is recognized for its historic value in regional maritime heritage, but there is no formal "Bien de Interés Cultural" designation.

9. Further Information

Further information can be found on Wikidata (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30278259), Wikimedia Commons (File:Faro_de_la_Mesa_Roldán.jpg), and the Port Authority of Almería – Lighthouse Directory (Spanish) (http://www.apalmeria.com/farosluz).