Lighthouse Description and History

(Text extracted from nomination form submitted by Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, Spain, 2025)

The Portopí Lighthouse, located in the port of Palma, is one of the oldest and most unique testimonies of maritime heritage in the Mediterranean and the world. Its earliest documentary references date back to the year 1300, in the codicil of the will of King Jaume II, when the lighthouse still stood in its original location, about 200 meters from its present site. In 1617 it was moved to the Signal Tower, where it remains to this day, becoming an essential element of Mallorca’s maritime identity.

Over the centuries, the tower has undergone successive reconstructions and extensions, spanning from the 13th century to 1927, when the last section, in Neo-Gothic style, was added. Since then, the lighthouse has been distinguished by its catoptric reverberation optic (not lenticular), the only one of its kind in Spain and possibly in the world, should any others currently in service with this feature exist.

Beyond its role as an aid to navigation, the Portopí Lighthouse played a key role in the port history of Palma: until 1971, the tower was used to signal the type and origin of ships entering the harbor, initially through the use of tarred balls and later with flags. This makes it not only a beacon of light but also a symbol of maritime communication.

Its architectural structure faithfully reflects the different historical periods:

• First medieval section, crenellated, from the 13th century.
• Second section, quadrangular base, added in the 15th century.
• Third octagonal section, built to house the optical lighting system.
• Fourth  section,  a  truncated  pyramid  with  parapets,  Neo-Gothic addition of 1927.

The Portopí Lighthouse is not only an architectural work of great value but also a living cultural legacy that bears witness to more than seven centuries of maritime history. Its uniqueness, state of conservation, and historical significance make it a landmark not only for Spain but also for the world heritage of lighthouses. It was designated a National Historic-Artistic Monument in August 1983.

For all these reasons, the candidacy of the Portopí Lighthouse is hereby presented for the “Heritage Lighthouse of the Year 2026” Award, as recognition of its historical, architectural, and cultural importance, as well as its contribution to the universal legacy of maritime signals.

Reason For Nomination

(Text extracted from nomination form submitted by Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, Spain, 2025)

Intrinsic Heritage Interest of the Lighthouse

The Portopí Lighthouse has not only illuminated maritime routes for centuries, but it has also established itself as an  international  cultural  landmark.  Inside,  it  houses  one  of  the  most  outstanding  permanent  lighthouse exhibitions in Europe, whose collection makes it a living symbol of industrial heritage preservation. Its rooms allow visitors to explore the technological evolution of maritime signaling in Spain, through exceptional pieces such as optics from the 2nd to the 6th order in perfect working condition, oil lighting equipment, and optical- rotating systems with their original mechanisms.

Alongside the exhibition, the lighthouse has safeguarded for decades the Historical Archive of Maritime Signals, a unique documentary collection that brings together thousands of records — from construction and renovation projects to lighthouse keepers’ correspondence, official books, plans, photographs, and audiovisual material — providing an invaluable testimony to the management and evolution of lighthouses in the Balearic islands.

In addition, the Portopí Lighthouse has become an authentic center for heritage restoration and recovery, promoting the conservation of 19th-century lanterns, equipment from the 19th and 20th centuries, and disused historical  materials  that  today  acquire  new  value.  Its  research  and  dissemination  work  is  reflected  in  the publication of specialized studies as well as educational and informative materials, bringing the richness of lighthouse heritage closer both to the scientific community and to new generations.

In this way, the Portopí Lighthouse transcends its role as an aid to navigation to consolidate itself as a cultural, historical, and scientific hub, projecting to the world the value of the maritime heritage of the Balearic Islands.

Conservation

The lighthouse is in perfect condition thanks to the continuous maintenance carried out in recent decades by the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB), the public body that manages it. The entire building is accessible, and the former keeper’s house is equipped with an elevator to allow people with reduced mobility to reach the first floor. The tower, the oldest structure of the architectural complex, has a singular beauty, harmoniously combining different architectural styles from its medieval origins to the latest modifications made in the early 20th century. Access to the lantern through its spiral staircase—perfectly preserved inside the tower—is a unique experience that allows exclusive visitors to contemplate the distinctive landscape of Palma and its port in the foreground.

In 2004, the APB transformed the former keeper’s house into the current Permanent Exhibition of Maritime Signals, showcasing objects collected, restored, and preserved from all the lighthouses of the Balearic Islands. Admission is free, and the exhibition brings together one of the finest collections of maritime lighting equipment currently existing in Europe.

In  summary,  the  true  heritage  of  the  Portopí  lighthouse  lies  in  experiencing  firsthand  the  high  level  of preservation of both the structure itself and the navigation aids kept inside. A genuine and unique tribute to lighthouses, their keepers, and the world that surrounds them.

Public Access and Education

The Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB) has devoted a great deal of material and human resources to preserving this emblematic location in the port of Palma and making it known to residents and visitors alike.

In 2004 it became the site of the Permanent Exhibition of Maritime Signals, a unique space where restored pieces and objects from the history of the lighthouses of the Balearic Islands are preserved and on display, conserved and restored thanks to the unceasing and committed work of the former director of the APB, Rafael Soler, and a whole team of lighthouse keepers who were well-aware of the heritage they had in their hands and who refused to let it be lost forever.

In 2014, the APB held an open day for the general public to explore this space, with fun and informative activities. On that occasion, tribute was paid to Rafael Soler as the driving force behind this space.

On 1 July 2019, the Portopí lighthouse was the venue chosen for the IALA’s institutional event to celebrate World Marine Aids to Navigation Day, hosted by the Spanish Ministry of Public Works, the State Ports Public Body and the APB. On this occasion, tribute was paid to the profession of lighthouse keeper with the unveiling of a plaque.

For more than 30 years, the APB has been offering free guided tours of the exhibition, in several languages, aimed at both residents and visitors. Nearly a thousand people, by prior appointment, visit the exhibition each year.

The Portopí lighthouse also serves as a regular venue for the organisation of institutional events hosted by the APB or as a media platform for radio and television stations to broadcast their programmes.

In addition to all this, the Portopí lighthouse makes for an essential stop on the visits the APB offers in the port of Palma, to raise awareness of its activity, history and heritage value.

Other Reasons Why the Nominated Lighthouse Would Promote World Lighthouse Heritage

The Portopí lighthouse is not only a tribute to the heritage of lighthouses themselves, but also to the hundreds of men and women who have worked, lived, and died in them  over the years. The permanent exhibition of maritime signals it houses pays special attention to these people who, in the face of any vicissitude, setback, or mishap, remained unwavering in their sole objective: to keep the lighthouse beam shining.

On July 1, 2019, within the framework of the celebration of the World Marine Aids to Navigation Day, organized by IALA and hosted by the Spanish Ministry of Public Works, the State Ports Public Body, and the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, a heartfelt tribute was paid to the memory of lighthouse keepers and their families, especially those who lived in conditions of harsh isolation.

Furthermore, the Portopí Lighthouse forms an intrinsic part of Palma’s maritime skyline. A city that looks out to sea with confidence, but also with ancestral suspicion. Victim of numerous attacks from the sea, the Portopí signal tower—the building where the lighthouse has been installed for centuries—was the place from which sentries warned the city of the presence of enemy sails on the horizon by means of an exclusive flag code. Today, the symbolism of its flags is still used on the most important festivities to keep the lighthouse involved in the tradition of its territory. Since the 18th century, the signaling code was driven purely by commercial reasons.

As a maritime signal, it was the first lighthouse to light its beam to guide sailors to the Balearic capital on the darkest nights, preventing shipwrecks and tragedies, and providing seafarers with the much-needed safety.

As mentioned, it is the third oldest working lighthouse in the world, and its mission has protected the lives of thousands of people throughout history, fully deserving the recognition it receives.

Photos and Diagrams