Restoring Granada’s coastal ‘Guardians’: Three iconic lighthouses undergo €300,000 heritage makeover

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Artisans use 19th-century techniques to repair the Sacratif, Punta de la Mona, and Castell de Ferro lighthouses along the Costa Tropical

MJ Arrebola

Granada

Monday, 2 February 2026, 17:16

Three lighthouses along Granada's Costa Tropical are currently undergoing important restoration work.

Scaffolding surrounds three of the most iconic maritime symbols of the coast of Granada: the Sacratif, Punta de la Mona (La Herradura) and Castell de Ferro lighthouses.

Motril port authority is responsible for carrying out the work and explains that "the dome of the Sacratif lighthouse has never been completely refurbished". The work began at the end of October and is now in its final stages.

The jewel in the crown is the restoration of the upper dome of the Sacratif lighthouse: "As well as being used for maritime signalling, it was designed for aerial signalling," say the technicians. Although it was never used for aerial use, it has a large glass dome that surrounds the beacon.

This dome is made up of more than eighty pieces of glass, fitted into a metal structure that has spent decades in the open air and exposed to the elements. With the passage of time, the pieces have corroded, there was broken glass and the general deterioration meant that action had to be taken as soon as possible.

Complex process

The restoration process is complex and requires experts with skilled hands. First, all the glass has been removed. The metal structure has been sandblasted, treated against corrosion and protected with several coats of special paint, designed to withstand adverse weather conditions. Then comes the "most delicate" phase: the replacement of the glass.

The port authority explain that they are not "normal" glass panels; some are cylindrical and others have a double curvature, because they are part of the spherical dome. Individual moulds have to be created, one by one, a skill that is gradually disappearing.

For this reason, the company awarded the contract has commissioned specialised workshops in Pontevedra, one of the few places where this type of artisan work is still carried out. The manufacture of these pieces has taken between one and two months.

The railings have been badly affected by corrosion and are gradually being restored and work has been carried out on the former lighthouse keeper's house, which is next to the tower. In this space, which is now used for technical rooms, the problems of leaks on the terrace have been solved, the skylight has been renovated and the building has been improved.

The Punta de la Mona lighthouse in La Herradura and the one in Castell de Ferro have been "simpler" projects. Work has been carried out on paving, cladding and conservation. "They are minor projects compared to Sacratif, but just as necessary," the port authority points out, adding that it periodically carries out maintenance work to guarantee their operation.

The project has a budget of around 300,000 euros. The work is being carried out by a joint venture formed by Dávila Restauración de Monumentos, a company specialising in historical heritage and Urbano, which won the public tender.

Three centuries of history

According to the president of Motril port authority, José García Fuentes, the Sacratif lighthouse located on the Cerro del Chucho, in Torrenueva Costa, is the southernmost point of the province.

It was built in 1863 on the remains of a sixteenth century watchtower destroyed by an earthquake in 1803. It overlooks a stretch of the coast from Cabo de Gata to Punta de la Mona. Its 17-metre circular tower sits 80.5 metres above sea level and is still active with a unique system of light signals.

For García Fuentes, the restoration of the lighthouses has a value that transcends their technical function.

"They are assets of cultural interest and part of the living history of the port of Motril", he points out. The Punta de la Mona lighthouse is located 126 metres above sea level, on an 18th-century watchtower declared an asset of cultural interest (BIIC) and forms part of the historic Andalusian coastal defence system. From its stone walls, pierced with arrow slits, it watched over the arrival of enemy ships for centuries.

The Castell de Ferro lighthouse is located in the Atalaya de la Estancia, 226 metres above the sea. It is one of the best preserved fortresses of the defensive coastal system of Granada and was declared a BIC in 1985.

Although today's ships rely on GPS systems and digital technology, the lighthouses still light up the coast of Granada every night and have a great symbolic, patrimonial and sentimental value.

"They used to be the great reference point between the sea and the land. Today they continue to be symbols of our coast and deserve all the attention and care possible," concludes García Fuentes.