The 20 most spectacular lighthouses in Europe

Lighthouses have always protected sailors, illuminating the sea between the rocks. Located in unique and fascinating structures, they overlook the water in spectacular places, swept by the wind and the waves. Today many are historical monuments, some have been converted into accommodations and others are small museums. Their charm and beauty are undeniable and continue to amaze. Here are the 20 most beautiful lighthouses in the Old Continent according to Jetcost.it, the flight and hotel search engine.

Capo Spartivento , in Sardinia, is the oldest in the region: built in 1856 overlooking the sea, where the undergrowth smells of myrtle and juniper, it has been transformed into a luxury hotel, preserving the vaulted ceilings of the ancient crimson red structure, in which the 700 square meters of panoramic terraces overlooking the bays of Malfatano and Capo Teulada have been expanded.

3 km from Anacapri, on the island of Capri, the Punta Carena Lighthouse has been active since 1867 and is the second brightest lighthouse in Italy, after the one in Genoa. It is worth a visit at sunset, before it goes into operation, to enjoy the incredible view of the rocky coast, the coves and the rich Mediterranean flora.

Built in 1543 on an old structure from 1128, the Lighthouse of Genoa , the famous Lanterna, is a square tower; symbol of the city, it dominates the port from its height of 117 meters and offers a magnificent view of its historic center. Today it is a little distant from the sea and surrounded by buildings and streets, but it is still suggestive.

Maiden's Tower stands on an islet at the southern entrance to the Bosphorus Strait, 200 meters off the coast of Üsküdar, Istanbul. It is the subject of a sad legend: an oracle prophesied that the emperor's daughter would be poisoned on her 18th birthday; the emperor therefore built a tower in the middle of the Bosphorus to protect his daughter, but on her birthday the emperor gave her a basket of exotic fruits, inside which was hidden an asp that bit the young girl.

The Tower of Hercules , in Galicia, northern Spain, is the only Roman lighthouse still active. It was built in the second half of the 1st century AD or at the beginning of the 2nd century AD at the finis terrae of the world known to date, to accompany ships to the edge of the continent; today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse in Hjoerring, in northern Denmark, is visited by 250,000 people every year; it stands in the middle of the dunes of a coast threatened by erosion and has not been in operation since 1968. A few years ago the government decided to save it, moving it 70 meters.

In Cascais, the Santa Marta Lighthouse has stood since 1846 at the entrance to a small estuary; the old lighthouse keeper's house has been converted into a museum. The Cabo de Formentor Lighthouse, on the island of Mallorca, dominates the peninsula of the same name at 210 metres above sea level. It is one of the oldest, inaugurated in 1863, and among the most visited, accessible by taking a winding road by bicycle or on foot.

Fastnet Rock , in Ireland, is a small islet of quartz-veined clay slate, used as a passage point for one of the classic world yacht races, the Fastnet Race, a round-trip itinerary of 1,126 km. The promontory of Saint-Mathieu, in Brittany, is home to the ruins of an abbey and the Saint-Mathieu Lighthouse : we are in Plougonvelin, in a corner of France rich in history.

In the heart of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park in Andalusia, the Cabo de Gata Lighthouse was built to protect the many ships that were wrecked on the Laja de Cabo reef, where monk seals lived in ancient times, which sailors mistook for mythological creatures. The Cabo de São Vicente Lighthouse in the Algarve is in a spectacular location, on 200-metre cliffs and in a fortress built in the 16th century. The lighthouse, which dates back to 1904, was built to protect the coast from frequent pirate attacks.

L' Ile Vierge is a six-hectare islet located 1.5 km from the north-west coast of Brittany: here is the tallest stone lighthouse in Europe, an imposing building accessible only by boat. You have to climb almost 400 steps to reach the top, from where you can enjoy a magnificent view.

The old Lindau Lighthouse , 37 meters high, was built in Bavaria in the 13th century: it is a structure that adds to the charm of this island city on the shores of Lake Constance. The Chipiona Lighthouse, in Cadiz, is the tallest in Spain, rising 69 meters from the base. Interestingly, it projects a horizontal and a vertical light, serving as a guide for both boats and planes. Climbing 244 steps, you reach the skylight.

200 meters off the coast of the Cycladic island of Andros, Tourlitis Lighthouse stands on a rock at the entrance to the port of Chora. Built in 1897 and then destroyed during World War II, the current lighthouse is actually a replica of the original, rebuilt in 1990.

The Ponta do Arnel Lighthouse was the first built in the Azores and was used as an approach lighthouse for ships coming from Portugal. It is located on the eastern end of the island of Sao Miguel and is accessed via a challenging road. On the Hook Head peninsula in Ireland, there is the lighthouse of the same name, the oldest in the country and one of the oldest and most active in Europe. Built almost 800 years ago by the Normans, it is one of the tourist attractions of the southeast of the Green Island. You can visit its interior and enjoy a breathtaking view of the sea and the coast.

In Estonia, the Kõpu Lighthouse is one of the oldest in the world, located since 1531 on the island of Hiiumaa. At 36 meters high, the prism-shaped structure sits atop a 68-meter hill, making it the tallest coastal lighthouse in the entire Baltic Sea, still used today as a navigation guide for small boats.

The Maspalomas Lighthouse, on the island of Gran Canaria, was built in 1861 between the dunes and the palm grove; its light guided ships that traveled the routes between Europe and America.