Name and Location

The Faro de Buenavista (Punta de Buenavista Lighthouse) is a modern navigational light located on the rugged north-western coast of Tenerife, in the municipality of Buenavista del Norte (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain).

2. Construction and History

Commissioned in 1979, the lighthouse was built to replace older fixed lights along the Teno coast and provide a more powerful, automated aid to navigation for vessels approaching from the west.

3. Architecture and Materials

The tower is cylindrical, tapering concrete, painted white, rising from a one-storey equipment base. The height of the tower above ground level is 41 meters, while its focal height above mean sea level is 76 meters. The materials used in its construction are reinforced concrete, typical of late-20th-century Spanish lighthouses.

4. Light and Navigation

The light characteristic is a group of four white flashes every 11 seconds (Fl (4) W 11 s). The nominal range is 20 nautical miles, but the intensity of the light is not publicly specified. The reference is NGA D 2831.8 (US NGA Pub. 113, 2011-10-20).

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse compound lies on private-access land; the tower itself is not open to the public. Visitors can reach the site by car via TF-445 from Buenavista del Norte, followed by a short walk along a private access road ("Acceso Bermúdez"). Parking is limited, and visitors should respect private property.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse perches atop volcanic cliffs overlooking the Atlantic, offering a sweeping vista of the ocean with neighboring island La Gomera visible on clear days. The setting is characterized by deep ravines, laurel forests inland, and black-sand beaches below. Sunrise and sunset lighting accentuate the volcanic geology.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

There are no well-documented legends about this lighthouse, but the cliffs were historically a lookout for fishing boats and occasional smuggling crafts.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is fully automated since commissioning and managed by Autoridad Portuaria de Santa Cruz de Tenerife. There is no public record of on-site AIS or radar installations. The radio call sign is not publicly specified.

9. Further Information

For further information, refer to Spanish Wikipedia (es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faro_de_Buenavista), NGA List of Lights, Pub. 113 (Entry D 2831.8), Autoridad Portuaria de Santa Cruz de Tenerife website (lighthouse section), and OpenStreetMap (https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/194707397).