The Malaga Lighthouse will be a new cultural space overlooking the port and the sea

Ignacio Lillo

Málaga

La Farola is one of the city's most beloved monuments, although its poor current state of conservation and the impossibility of visiting it do not match the affection many people from Málaga have for it. But that is about to change soon. The Port Authority plans to bring to its next board meeting, scheduled for April 29, the tender for the public competition to choose the construction company that will undertake the lighthouse's rehabilitation.

The project, valued at nearly one million euros, aims primarily to transform the old lighthouse keeper's house, which is part of the building's base, into a cultural and exhibition space, where displays related to the sea and navigation will be featured. "The idea is that the works will have a relatively short duration, about eight months: we start in the middle of this year and finish at the beginning of 2027," explains Carlos Rubio, the president of the Port Authority.

This is possible once at the end of March, the Ministry of Culture finally gave its approval, a process that has been delayed for a year, and is mandatory since La Farola has recently been protected as a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC).

Exactly two years ago, the Port hired the architectural firm from Granada, Fresneda and Zamora, in collaboration with the technical architect from Málaga, Pablo Pastor, to write the projects (basic and execution) for remodeling the base and rehabilitating the exterior part of the tower's shaft. They will also be responsible for directing the works.

According to the approved design, the base part, corresponding to the former lighthouse keeper's house, will be opened to the public as an exhibition and cultural space. Although the port president admits that the exhibition offer is not yet clear, the initial idea is to display maps, nautical models, and nautical tools that are part of the Port Authority's collection.

It has a square base with dimensions of 15 by 15 meters. It consists of a ground floor and first floor and is built with limestone ashlar blocks finished with projecting cornices. From its central part, the shaft of the lighthouse still emerges, which still houses the port's beacon signal, albeit with an expiration date.

The works also include replacing the closing elements of the tower's shaft, such as the metal carpentry of the windows, the railings, and the exterior paint of the entire complex, with the aim of enhancing its appearance and improving its state of conservation.

At one time, the possibility of allowing public access to the terrace located above the base was considered, offering privileged views of the dock and the city; although for now, this possibility has been discarded since universal accessibility cannot be guaranteed, as it is not possible to incorporate an elevator.

The truth is that La Farola will lose its meaning as a lighthouse, that is, as a guiding signal for ships. Already in March of last year, several antennas and cables that had become outdated began to be removed, with the dismantling of the DGPS (Differential GPS) equipment, as this network went out of service in this area in 2023.

Furthermore, the Port Authority maintains plans to construct a new lighthouse, which will be nothing more than a telecommunications and light signal tower at the southern end of Levante's breakwater, within a security area that is not open to the public. And this, considering that Levante's breakwater, the large cruise ships, and the Puerto Tower project, among others, will render the small tower of La Malagueta practically useless.

La Farola de Málaga, along with La Farola del Mar in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is the only lighthouse in Spain with a feminine name and is now on its way to reaching 209 years of existence (it was inaugurated on May 30, 1817, under the project of the Navy engineer Joaquín María Pery y Guzmán). An anniversary that will be celebrated with a clear path for it to be opened to the people of Málaga and visitors.

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• Puerto de Málaga
• La Farola
• Málaga