Moncloa's Lighthouse, Lighthouse in Madrid, Spain
The Faro de Moncloa is a tower in northwestern Madrid, built to resemble a lighthouse and standing about 110 meters tall, which opened in 1992. It has a panoramic observation deck at the top and information panels inside that describe the city's layout and history.
The tower was originally used as a transmission tower before being converted into a public lookout in 1992, the year Madrid held the title of European Capital of Culture. Architect Salvador Pérez Arroyo gave it its distinctive lighthouse shape during that transformation.
The Faro de Moncloa sits in Madrid's university district, a neighborhood shaped by students and everyday city life. From the observation deck, you can see how the old city center sits alongside the newer business quarters, which gives a clear sense of how the city has changed over time.
A lift takes visitors directly to the observation deck, so there is no need to climb stairs to reach the top. The tower is a short walk from Moncloa metro station, which connects to several bus lines.
Although the tower looks like a lighthouse, it stands in the middle of a landlocked city and has never guided a single ship. On a clear day, the view from the deck reaches the peaks of the Sierra de Guadarrama, roughly 40 miles (about 60 kilometers) away.
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