Torredembarra Lighthouse in Tarragona has been selected for the European Route of Lighthouses for the second consecutive year, officials announced. This marks it as the sole Catalan lighthouse on the cultural itinerary, which features 131 lighthouses across twelve European countries.
The lighthouse, managed by the Tarragona Port Authority, has a collaboration agreement with Torredembarra Town Council since 2015. This partnership has enabled organised guided tours, attracting over 18,600 visitors in the last ten years, according to the council. It has become an iconic landmark for the municipality.
Guided Tours and Visitor Goals
Visits to the lighthouse include a trilingual explanation and a climb of 189 steps to an interior viewing platform, 30 metres high. From this point, visitors can enjoy views of the Costa Daurada. Tickets cost €3, with reduced rates available for certain groups, and tour groups are limited to a maximum of seven people.
The Department of Tourism and Commerce aims to reach 20,000 visitors by the end of 2026. Last year, 1,321 people visited the lighthouse, and over a hundred have already visited this year, officials said.
Spain's Modern and Tallest Lighthouse
The European Route of Lighthouses highlights European maritime heritage and introduces the public to the world of lighthouses. Portugal, France, and Ireland have the most lighthouses on the list. Spain ranks fifth with 14 lighthouses, with two-thirds located in Cantabria and Andalusia, which have five and four respectively. Galicia has two, while the Balearic Islands, Murcia, and Catalonia each have one.
Inaugurated on 1 January 2000, Torredembarra Lighthouse is the most modern in Spain and the tallest in Catalonia. Its tower stands 38 metres high, reaching 58 metres above sea level. Architect Josep Llinàs designed the lighthouse to illuminate a 60-kilometre stretch of coastline that previously lacked light signals between the lighthouses of Salou and Vilanova i la Geltrú.
