LA FAROLA DE MÁLAGA

La Farola de Málaga was built between 1813 and 1817. The work is attributed to Joaquín María Pery y Guzmán, the name associated with the construction of the lighthouse of the Port of Málaga that today marks the entrance to the port area.

That detail places the building in the 19th century, at a moment when the port needed a visible reference for navigation and maritime traffic. Since then, La Farola has been a settled part of the port area and a recognisable signal on the coast of Málaga.

In Málaga, the name most people use is La Farola de Málaga, not el faro (the lighthouse). It is a popular nickname that ended up becoming the usual way of referring to the lighthouse of the Port of Málaga, to the point of giving its name to the Paseo de la Farola, on the seafront.

The explanation rests on how the building looks when you see it in the port: a lighthouse that is lower than others and with a wider lower body. That base has traditionally been likened to the shape of a skirt, and hence the feminine form farola used in the city. In this context people also tend to cite the Farola del Mar in Santa Cruz de Tenerife as another well-known case of a lighthouse referred to in the feminine in Spain.

One of the clearest blows to its operation comes with the 1884 earthquake. After that episode, the light mechanism was left out of action and had to be repaired the following year so it could go back to playing its role as a maritime reference in the Port of Málaga.

The other turning point comes during the Spanish Civil War. On 28 August 1936, by order of the Naval Command (still under the Republic), La Farola was switched off and ordered to be painted an earth colour with dark and light blocks to camouflage its outline against the naval artillery and the aircraft of the rebel army.

Even with that camouflage, the lighthouse was hit by shells during the taking of Málaga and was eventually rebuilt in 1939, settling into the image recognised today on this final stretch of the port area.

La Farola sits within an area of the Port of Málaga that can be walked continuously along the seafront. From its surroundings the promenade links up towards Muelle Uno and towards La Malagueta, and the cruise terminal is also close by, which makes it a regular stretch when walking around the port area.

In practical terms, the most direct support point is the public car park located right underneath. As it connects with Muelle Uno, you have toilets, restaurants, shops and rest areas within reach, facilities that tend to be used as reference points when moving around this part of the port.

La Farola de Málaga does not allow access to the inside of the lighthouse, but its lower building is being fitted out to house the future Port of Málaga Museum. That preparation is taking place within the port area itself, in the immediate surroundings of Muelle Uno, with the usual flow of people heading towards La Malagueta and the cruise terminal.

An example of a guided walk around the area would be this one:

The visit starts with a stroll around the Port of Málaga, where goods used to be unloaded and where luxury yachts and giant cruise ships dock today.

From there we walk towards Muelle Uno, a modern, lively area full of terraces, shops and palm trees, always with the sea alongside, stopping on details such as the fact that this quay completely changed Málaga's relationship with the sea, since the whole area was reclaimed from the water during the 19th century.

We carry on to La Farola, one of the few lighthouses in Spain with a feminine name, perfect for photos with the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro in the background. From here you can also mention the Malagueta Bullring, built in the 19th century and one of the oldest in Spain.

And to round it off, we cross over to La Malagueta beach, where the talk turns to espetos, beach bars and the luxury of enjoying more than 330 days of sunshine a year.