Arinaga Lighthouse

Below the headland the Atlantic breaks against the rocky shore and a scatter of small rock islets. From the top the view runs down to Arinaga, inland to the mountains and out over open sea.

Two lighthouses share the point. The 1897 original is a low whitewashed house with its masonry picked out in dark volcanic stone and a stubby six-metre tower facing the water. The council restored it and reopened it in 2011; since 2016 it has held a restaurant serving Canarian-Mediterranean food, with 120 seats inside and 80 on the terrace.

The working light is the 14-metre tower close by, white with three red bands, in service since 1984 and running off six solar panels with no grid connection. Stay past dark and you can read its signature: three flashes every ten seconds, white or red depending on where you stand.

• Footwear: on foot from Arinaga the path crosses rocky ground and is steep in places, so wear proper shoes.
• No facilities: there are no public toilets or drinking water nearby; bring water, especially if you walk up from town.
• The restaurant in the 1897 keeper's house closes one day a week; check its hours before planning a meal there.
• Wind and sun: the headland is bare rock open to the sea, so bring a layer and sun protection.

By car you can pull up right beside the lighthouse: a free car park sits about 30 m from it, with a second one close by, and the view opens out as soon as you step out.

On foot from Arinaga, follow the seafront promenade, then a path that climbs over rocky dune ground past the natural bathing pools to the headland. The climb is steep in places.

The nearest bus stop, Arinaga (Polideportivo), is about 860 m from the lighthouse in a straight line; Arinaga (Alcalá Galiano) is about 1,065 m away.

Best: early morning, late afternoon, or after dark.

Avoid: the middle of a hot day if you are walking up from town.

The point faces the Atlantic on the island's east coast, so the sun comes up over the sea, late-afternoon light falls from inland onto the white-and-red tower, after dark the lantern is flashing, and the rocky path from Arinaga has no shade at midday.