"As its name indicates, this fifth-order maritime signal is located in the vicinity of the Castillo de la Palma, about 100 meters northeast of said castle.
The Ria de Ferrol has a sharp narrowing at its entrance . This characteristic made it impregnable in other times. Two castles are located on the two banks of this strait: Castillo de San Felipe on the north bank and Castillo de La Palma on the south bank.
Formerly an iron chain stretched between both castles that prevented the access of enemy ships in times of war.
The seabed of the southern margin of the Ría de Ferrol in the area of ??the Castillo de La Palma are dangerous for navigation .
For this reason, it was necessary to mark it and the location of a lighthouse that would allow the safe entry of ships into the Ría and the port of Ferrol.Photos of the Mugardos Lighthouse and the Ferrol Estuary
Location of the Mugardos Lighthouse
This marine signaling beacon is located in the strait at the entrance to the Ría de Ferrol, on its southern bank. It belongs to the municipality of Mugardos.
GPS coordinates of the lighthouse:
The lighthouse is located at latitude 43º27.8 N and longitude 8º 16.4 W.Characteristics of the Mugardos Lighthouse
This lighthouse is located on the shore of the Ría de Ferrol, at a height above sea level of about five meters to its base and about ten to its lantern.
Lantern and lighthouse base
The base of the lighthouse is made of masonry from the nearby San Felipe and Chanteiro quarries . This base is rectangular in shape, the face facing the sea being 12 meters long by 10 meters deep.
The lantern of the lighthouse is a cylindrical shaped tower that is located in the center of the base of the lighthouse. The tower is accessed from inside the lighthouse, but only for maintenance tasks, since the interior cannot be visited. The tower is surrounded by a balcony closed by a cast metal balustrade, a material from which the cover of the lantern has also been constructed.
The projection and construction of the lighthouse began in 1860, by the civil engineer Celedonio de Uribe, a native of Guipúzcoa, but who spent his working life in Galicia.The lighthouse began to function on July 15, 1862 with a range of 7 nautical miles."
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