Name and Location

La Platako itsasargia (also known as Faro de la Plata or simply "Faro de Ulia" among hiking-trail guides) is a small coastal lighthouse located on the eastern cliffs of Monte Ulia, at the mouth of the Urumea River in Donostia-San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. Its address is Ulia Pasealekua, 403, 20013 Donostia-San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain.

2. Construction and History

The exact construction date of La Platako itsasargia is not recorded in available sources. It is believed to have been built during the mid-20th century, with a modest functional design characteristic of small service-building-type lighthouses on rocky headlands.

3. Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse has an integrated low square tower rising from a single-storey service building, made of masonry base and tower, painted white, with a metal lantern room (presumed red).

4. Light and Navigation

Unfortunately, technical specifications regarding the focal plane, light range, and characteristic are not available. It is presumed to be fully automated, with no records of resident keepers in recent decades.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The exterior platform and immediate surroundings are accessible by the Ulia hiking trail. Visitors can reach the lighthouse on foot via the well-waymarked GR-121 Monte Ulia trail, starting near Gros neighborhood in San Sebastián, or by bicycle or car to the Ulia Pasealekua parking area, then 200 m on foot. The interior is not open to visitors.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse is perched on limestone cliffs above Playa de la Antena and the Bay of Biscay, offering panoramic vistas over San Sebastián's crescent-shaped Bay, Santa Clara Island, Monte Urgull, and Igeldo headland. The surrounding landscape is rugged coastal heath with gorse and maritime pines, making it a popular birdwatching spot.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Locals sometimes refer to the lighthouse as "the little red eye" of Ulia, alluding to the lantern's glow seen from town. According to local legend, the cliff path was long used by smugglers in centuries past.

8. Technical and Operational Details

Unfortunately, no further technical or operational details are available.

9. Further Information

For more information, refer to OpenStreetMap feature "way/152604448", Google Maps satellite and street-view imagery, Spanish Port Authority (Puertos del Estado) website for official light lists, GR-121 Monte Ulia trail guides (print and online), and Wikimedia Commons: search "Faro de la Plata" for user-contributed photographs.