Faro de Orchilla

Located at a historical point of reference by the old cartography, at the tip of the same name, you will find the Faro de Orchilla, in El Hierro, in the town from El Pinar. This place has old references because since the time of Claudio Ptolemy that placed on this site the Meridian 0. Later also the French placed the zero meridian in this point on 1634. Until 1492 it was thought that in this point began the end of the world and these were the last lands that the expedition commanded by Christopher Columbus spotted before entering the unknown ocean.

The Faro de Orchilla, began to be built in 1924 with stones brought from the municipality of Areucas in Gran Canarias, formed by three constructions: the cistern, the house of the keeper and lantern. The work of the lighthouse was started by Antonio Montesdeoca and aided by the engineer Eloy Campiña and was completed and delivered in 1930. Although it was completed years before, it was not until 1933 when it was turned on For the first time, the navigators began to see the flashes of white light and a steady red light that could be seen from 75 nautical miles.

The Faro de Orchilla is the most important civil construction in El Hierro, surrounded by an extensive volcanic landscape, it is completely built with stone quarry; adjoining the construction you can see a giant tabaiba.

From the lighthouse you can enjoy stunning sunsets, tranquility and peace is what you breathe at this point of the island. Also ideal to see the immensity of the universe in the clear nights, being able to distinguish all the constellations of the cosmos.It is possible to receive a certificate of visit to the Faro de Orchilla in the office of the El Hierro Tourist Board.

Currently the Faro de Orchilla are in disuse and several projects are being studied to revitalize the area.