A lighthouse is called a tall tower with a powerful light at the top, which is installed in a coastal area so that, when the sun goes down, it works as a signal and the boats have a reference on the coast.
The etymological origin of the term lighthouse is found in Latin. Specifically, we can state that it derives from "pharus", which, in turn, emanates from the Greek "pharos".
Likewise, we can establish that its origin is found in Pháros , the name of an island that is located near the port of Alexandria . There, in the year 279 BC , Ptolemy I decided to build a tower as a landmark. Later, in the 1st century , the Romans began to light fires and use reflective mirrors in the highest area. From this practice the current meaning of lighthouse was derived.
A lighthouse, in short, is a luminous signaling tower that serves as a guide for navigators. The lighthouse lamp has Fresnel lenses that, every certain time interval, emit beams of light while rotating 360º. A ship at sea, by observing the lighthouse signal, can know how far from the coast it is. There are headlights that, in addition to lights, can make sounds when fog makes visibility difficult.
Today, lighthouses have lost importance as most vessels are governed by satellite navigation systems . At night, however, the headlights help confirm the position .
Throughout the world's geography there are lighthouses that are worth visiting both for the history behind them and for their unique features. Among those we can highlight some such as the following:
-The Tower of Hercules. This is located in La Coruña, which is the oldest operating lighthouse in the world and stands out for its Roman origin.
-The Rubjerg Knude Fyr lighthouse, in Denmark, which has the peculiarity that it is buried by dunes. It is estimated that in several decades it will have been "engulfed" by them.
A powerful lantern and the headlight of a car are also called a headlight. In a symbolic sense, on the other hand, a lighthouse is called something that brings light to a topic, guiding actions or facilitating understanding.
In the same way, we cannot ignore that Faro is also the name of one of the most important cities in Portugal. It is located in the Algarve region, it was ruled by Visigoths and Romans during its origins and today it has become one of the most important tourist centers in its country, which is why it even has an international airport.
If it receives thousands of visits every year it is because it has, among other things, a large number of monuments and buildings of interest such as its Cathedral dating from the 13th century, the Arco de la Villa, the Episcopal Palace, the Jewish cemetery colony. , the Church of Our Lady of the Conception or the Capuchin Convent.