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Lighthouses on Terceira Island An aid for navigation and pilotage at sea, a lighthouse is a tower building or framework sending out light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire. Lighthouses also provide coordinate location for small aircraft traveling at night. More primitive navigational aids were once used such as a fire on top of a hill or cliff. Because of modern navigational aids, the number of operational lighthouses has declined to less than 1,500 worldwide. Lighthouses are used to mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals away from the coast, and safe entries to harbors. Perhaps the most famous lighthouse in history is the Lighthouse of Alexandria, built on the island of Pharos in ancient Egypt. The name of the island is still used as the noun for "lighthouse" in some languages, for example: French (phare), Italian and Spanish (faro), Portuguese (farol), Romanian (far), Bulgarian. The word "pharology" (study of the lighthouses), is also derived from the island's name. Farol de Serreta The lighthouse of Serreta sits out on the north/west coast of Terceira, out on Ponto do Queimado which takes its name fron the local word for the falcon that gave the Azores its name. As you walk down a small winding road to the light house you find your cares being replaced by great joy and tranquility. When you spot the lighhouse just ahead you have entered an enchanted land. Its no wonder that the azorian falcons perfer that spot.
The Ponto das Contendas lighhouse sits on the south/east coast of Terceira near the village of Sao Sebastiao.
Ponta da Barka Below is a nice photo of the lighthouse "Ponta da Barka" on the island of Graciosa which is just off to the north west of Terceira island. Its ligh can be seen on a clear night from our home on Terceira.
Graciosa island with its lighthouse in the center of the photo Here is a close up view of the same lighthouse:
Ponta da Barka lighthouse - Graciosa Island |
