The lighthouse of Punta de Jandía, at the southernmost tip of the island, and only one kilometer from the village of Puertito de La Cruz.
The name derives from its location on the Punta de Jandía (Point of Jandía), at the end of the much larger Jandía peninsula, which forms the south west part of the island.
This lighthouse was built in the middle of the 19th century, it began to operate on December 1st, 1864, with the mission of guiding the ships that from Europe were heading to the ports of Spanish and French West Africa, as well as the ships that made the route from the port of Las Palmas to Gran Tarajal and Puerto de Cabras.
The Punta de Jandía lighthouse was also used to beacon a dangerous drop 800 meters southwest of the lighthouse. For what it emitted a very singular signal: a flash every four seconds.
Like other lighthouses in the Canary Islands that were built in the last third of the 19th century, its location was necessary for its function, but being a deserted and uninhabited place, with only a few fishermen’s huts a few meters away that were only inhabited a couple of months a year, made the life of the lighthouse keepers who lived and worked there almost hermit-like.
The interior of the keeper’s house has been converted into an interpretation centre for the Jandía nature reserve. There are five different coloured rooms, each one displaying information about a particular aspect of the reserve, such as its volcanic geology, vegetation, animals and maritime life, which also includes information about the lighthouse.
Península de Jandía, Fuerteventura, Islas Canarias
Photo Taken: April 14, 2023
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