Pombeiro or Pomberiño Lighthouse

About this heritage

Faro Pombeiro is a white and green truncated cone tower located at the westernmost end of the O Grove peninsula, in San Vicente do Grove. This lighthouse consists of a green lantern with an 8-miles range. It was built in 1853 to mark the way between the island of Sálvora and the peninsula of O Grove, thereby indicating the entrance to the estuary of Arousa. It is one of the maritime signs to help navigation in the estuary of Arousa, essential to ensure the safety of sailors due to the rugged coastline where it is located. Its role, together with the other maritime signals found in the Arousa estuary, is of vital importance due to the large number of seafarers in this area, since one of the main activities in the O Grove peninsula is fishing.

This Lighthouse is found in the Route of the Sea of Arousa and Ulla, a singular maritime and fluvial itinerary that crosses the estuary of Arousa from south to north, which each year commemorates the arrival of the body of the apostle Santiago to the Galician Coast.

Another of the routes within which this lighthouse is found is the Route of the lighthouses of Galicia, a land route that runs along the entire coast of Galicia in order to visit its lighthouses.

To learn more

Faro Pombeiro is a white and green tower located on the coast of San Vicente do Grove towards the westernmost tip of the O Grove peninsula. Its flareis green and can be seen from up to 8 miles from its position. Since 1853 it signals the entrance to the Arousa estuary between the island of Sálvora and the peninsula of O Grove. Due to its location within the estuary, it can only be reached by boat. The Arousa estuary has the peculiarity of being the largest estuary in Galicia, where the rivers Ulla and Umia flow thereinto. Thanks to these characteristics, you can find some of the best seafood in Europe in the waters of this estuary, such as the famous Carril clams. This estuary bathes the coast of San Vicente, where this lighthouse is located.

On a route along the coast of San Vicente starting at Punta Moreiras, the lighthouse can be seen from the closest area to Porto Meloxo. Following the route along the coast in O Carreiro you will find the ruins of Adro Vello and you can also see the island of Sálvora from a very close perspective. Continuing the route along the coast of San Vicente you will find the village called San Vicente do mar, well known for the tourist attraction of its beaches and its long coastal promenade called "Pedras Negras".

To know it better

Lighthouses have always been very important for all those who live off the sea. These constructions are related to navigation, since they were used since ancient times to indicate where the land was.

A lighthouse has a tower with a luminous element that is switched on and off to guide the seafarers along the coast. The term lighthouse comes from ancient Greek and refers to the signal tower.

The Pombeiro lighthouse, also known as the Pomberiño lighthouse, is located at the westernmost end of the O Grove peninsula, in the province of Pontevedra, and its perfect location means that it marks the route between this municipality and the Illa de Sálvora. The lighthouse was built in 1853 (i.e. in the 19th century) and has a lamp which, thanks to its green light reflection, manages to alert ships of the proximity of the coast.