Punta Sardina Lighthouse

Atlantic swell breaks on the dark rock below the lighthouse, and the headland takes the full force of the wind. Out on the north-western tip of Gran Canaria there is nothing between the tower and the ocean.

The tower is the second on the point. Its predecessor dated from 1891 and came down in the 1980s. The current one, lit in 1985, is a 24-metre cylinder, white with four red bands and about as tall as an eight-storey block, topped by twin galleries and a grey-domed lantern. After dark it sends out four white flashes every twenty seconds, visible for 20 nautical miles.

The headland faces west and north-west, so the sun goes down over open water. On a clear day the peak of Teide on Tenerife rises across the sea to the west.

• No facilities. There are no toilets and no drinking water at the lighthouse or nearby — bring water and food with you.
• Wind. The point is exposed and windy; bring a jacket even on a sunny day.
• No shade. The headland is bare rock, with nothing to shelter under at midday.

The lighthouse stands at the seaward edge of the Playa Canaria housing estate, north of Sardina. A car park sits right beside the tower, with a second parking area about 165 m away, so there is next to no walking once you have parked.

By bus, the nearest stop is about 230 m from the lighthouse in a straight line, and the next one along is about 400 m away.

Best: late afternoon through to sunset.

Avoid: the middle of the day in high summer.

The headland faces west and north-west over open sea, so the sun sets over the water in front of you, while at midday the bare rock offers no shade at all.