Faro de Camarinal, Maritime lighthouse in Tarifa, Spain.
The Faro de Camarinal is a lighthouse on a rocky promontory in Tarifa that guides ships through the Strait of Gibraltar. The structure sits elevated on the cliff, and its light beam can be seen far across the sea.
The structure began as a 16th-century coastal watchtower, Torre Vieja or Torre de Cabo de Gracia, ordered by Philip II to guard the Cádiz coast against Berber pirate raids. It was restored and converted into a lighthouse in 1990, when a lantern was added to the stone tower. It is listed as a monument within Spain's cultural heritage protection for castles.
The tower is also known as Torre Vieja, Torre de Cabo de Gracia and Torre del Cabo de Enmedio, names that recall the cape where it stands. As Torre de Cabo de Gracia it falls under Spain's general protection of castles, and it is listed as a monument of cultural interest. The lighthouse is managed by the port authority of the Bay of Gibraltar.
Access is by an asphalt road starting from the Atlanterra urbanisation; the nearest town is Zahara de los Atunes. The tower stands on Cabo de Gracia, between the beaches of Los Alemanes and El Cañuelo, inside the Parque Natural del Estrecho. The entrance is a door-window reached by a spiral staircase attached to the outside of the wall.
Despite its name, the lighthouse does not stand on Punta Camarinal: that point lies east of the tower, beside the beach of Bolonia. The tower rises on Cabo de Gracia, between the beaches of Los Alemanes and El Cañuelo, and the nearest town is Zahara de los Atunes.
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