Name and Location

Faro de Lariño (also known locally as Faro de Punta Insua) is an active coastal lighthouse located in Carnota, A Coruña province, Galicia, Spain. Its official address is s/n, Lariño, 15292 Carnota, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain.

Construction and History

The exact date of construction or the original architect is unknown. Like many Spanish Atlantic lighthouses, it was likely erected in the early 20th century to improve safe passage along Galicia's rugged coast.

Architecture and Materials

The tower rises from a rocky promontory at the western end of Lariño Beach, with a cylindrical masonry structure and gallery. The attached building is a two-storey keeper's house, now converted into a hotel. The construction materials are presumed to be local stone and concrete render, but details are unconfirmed.

Light and Navigation

The light type is a major coastal light, automated. Its characteristic is group-flashing—Fl(3) every 9 s, with red and white sectors. The range is White 15 nautical miles; Red 14 nm. The sector bearings (true) are: Red 20°–45°, 70°–90°, 125°–152°; White 45°–70°, 90��–125°, 152°–20��.

Accessibility and Visiting

The former keeper's house has been adapted into Hotel Faro de Lariño (https://hotelfarolariño.com). Public access is available through the hotel grounds and facilities. The lantern room itself is not generally open to the public. Visitors can reach the site by car or on foot via a marked footpath from Lariño Beach parking area.

Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding landscape features dunes, pine woods of Lariño Beach extending eastward, and treacherous reefs and shoals typical of the Costa da Morte (“Coast of Death”), a stretch famed for shipwrecks. Nearby attractions include Lariño Beach (Playa de Lariño), Carnota estuary and beach, Ghost Coast (Costa da Morte) trails, Cabo Fisterra, and Cabo Vilán.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Local tradition holds that the rocky shoals off Punta Insua have claimed many fishing boats over the centuries. Some fishermen still speak of lights seen offshore on stormy nights—attributed in legend to a phantom keeper. (Anecdotal and unverified.)

Technical and Operational Details

The light is now fully automated, with power and control managed by Spain's Directorate General of the Merchant Marine under Puertos del Estado. No AIS or radar installation is reported on site.

Further Information

• For more information, please visit: U.S. NGA, List of Lights, Pub. 113 (2011): D 1782;
• Hotel Faro de Lariño: https://hotelfarolariño.com;
• OpenStreetMap: way/152253772 (man_made=lighthouse);
• Wikipedia (Galician): gl:Faro de Punta Insua.