FAROL DOS ROSAIS. THE ABANDONED LIGHTHOUSE.

This stunning lighthouse is easily accessible by car and worth visiting if you want to indulge yourself in a series of unfortunate natural events which resulted in abandoning this place.

Rosais Lighthouse, a 27-meter tower, is localed on a spectacular cliff over 250 metres above the sea level. The light was lit for the first time in 1958 and that time was the most technologically advanced lighthouse in Portugal. Unfortunately, just 6 year later it was abandoned for the first time.

In February 1964 the seismic crisis forced the lighthouse keeper and his family to leave it. Among damages caused, the rotation mechanism got broken which ceased the lighthouse from operation for almost a month. 

Another tragedy took place at the beginning of the new year in 1980 due to the earthquake, when nearby cliffs collapsed. The lighthouse was evacuated again and almost all the systems got broken. The light was generated by a gas back-up system.

At the end of the same year a storm damaged part of the roof and further landslides put the lighthouse in danger of collapse. Only in 1987 the gas system was replaced by a lantern powered by solar energy.

It began to function automatically after that date, ceasing to emit its lightning bolts by direct human intervention on 5 July 1982. A small solar-powered lighthouse was installed on top of the tower to replace the powerful lighthouse.

  

When visiting São Jorge island, don't miss this very western point of the island. Check also the whale-watching tower at "Cabeça da Pontinha" viewpoint which is next to the lighthouse!

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