Cabo Ortegal

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Cape Ortegal with lighthouse from the access road

The Cape Ortegal ( Spanish and galicisch Cabo Ortegal ) is a chapter on the north coast of Galicia . It is located about 12 kilometers southwest of Estaca de Bares , the northernmost point of mainland Spain. It belongs to the municipality of Cariño in the province of A Coruña .

lighthouse

The lighthouse

From October 1982 to March 1984 the 12.7 m high lighthouse was completed on the ledge at a height of 124 meters above sea level . It was operated electrically. If the power line failed, a gas generator ensured the energy supply.

In 1993 the Port Authority of Ferrol took over the operation of the facility and converted it. The gas generators and the outbuilding in which they were housed disappeared. Only the two drums with the reflectors were retained from the lighting system. The main lamp was replaced by a halogen lamp with a power consumption of 1,000 watts . A 150 watt halogen lamp, powered by batteries, served as the emergency system.

In 2010 the power line to the lighthouse was dismantled. On the one hand, it was often interrupted by storms and fallen trees, on the other hand, it disrupted the landscape. Since then, the light has been supplied by an LED headlamp whose power consumption is so low that its batteries can be charged using sunlight. The lights have a range of 18  nautical miles (33 km) and are remotely monitored by the Port Authority of Ferrol .

In 2013, a parking lot for visitors was built a little away from the terrace on which the tower is located so that their vehicles no longer disturb the appearance.

The three aguillóns

The three aguillóns

In the extension of the headland there are three rocky peaks, the Aguillóns . Ptolemy called them Trileuco , the three whites, in the first century . The name could come from the white spray that foams these rocks. Another explanation is that the rocks were colored white by the guano of the birds nesting there.

fauna

Rocks southwest below the terrace, populated by birds

From the lighthouse you can watch birds nesting on the cliff immediately to the southwest below. Mediterranean seagulls are represented in large numbers . In smaller numbers you can see cormorants , Alpine crows , petrels and blueberries . The large colony of guillemots that nested on the Aguillóns became extinct in the 1970s.

Percebes grow on the rocks in the surf area .

landscape

Cape Ortegal is considered to be the point where the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean meet. It is the northernmost point of the Serra da Capelada , the mountain range with the highest cliff in southwestern Europe. A few kilometers to the southwest, at the Garita de Herbeira , the cliff drops more than 600 m to the shore surrounded by the surf.

Individual evidence

  1. The presentation in this section follows the Faro de Cabo Ortegal website ( Memento of the original from January 31, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. of the Port Authority of Ferrol, accessed October 1, 2014 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.farosferrol.com
  2. a b c d Notice board on site
  3. Tobias Büscher: Galicia and Jacobsweg. Dumont Reise-Taschenbuch, p. 209. ISBN 978-3-7701-7397-6

Web links

Commons : Cabo Ortegal  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 43 ° 46 ′ 20 "  N , 7 ° 52 ′ 5"  W.