Calaburras Lighthouse
ViewpointThe seabed off Punta de Calaburras is a protected heritage site, and the reason is unflattering to the lighthouse standing above it: wrecks are scattered across it spanning more than two thousand years. The light was put here in 1863 precisely because ships kept hitting this headland, and for decades it only partly solved the problem.
Olive oil, then petroleum, then electricity
The engineer Antonio Molina drew up the project in 1861 and the light entered service on 31 August 1863. The original was an octagonal masonry tower about 13.5 metres tall, its focal plane roughly 35.5 metres above the sea, burning olive oil and showing a range of about sixteen miles. In 1916 the oil lamp was replaced with an incandescent petroleum-vapour burner and a petrol reserve lamp. That upgrade lasted barely a year: a Royal Order the following year specified a range of twenty-eight miles with isolated flashes, which the old tower could not deliver. A new truncated-cone tower — the one standing today — was finished in 1928, and the light has been automatic and electric since 1949.
Spain’s first air-sea lighthouse
The 1928 rebuild is what gives Calaburras its actual distinction. It was fitted with an advanced lighting system that made it the first Spanish aeromaritime lighthouse — a beacon serving aircraft as well as ships, at a moment when commercial aviation was starting to need the same fixed reference points that navigators had used for centuries. It remains the principal lighthouse of Málaga province, and its light is used by vessels and aircraft heading for the Strait of Gibraltar.
A genuine dividing line
Calaburras sits between Fuengirola and La Cala de Mijas, and it separates the bay of Málaga from the arc that contains the bay of Marbella. Marine biologists treat the point as something more than a geographic convenience: it marks a boundary between Mediterranean and Atlantic marine communities. The headland is one of the few rocky outcrops on the western Málaga coast, which creates a distinct microhabitat, and it has become one of the province’s better sites for seabird observation. The building is not open — visits are to the exterior only.
The wreck field
Two thousand years of shipwrecks on the seabed here, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.
Seabird watching
The rocky point is among the best places in Málaga province for observing passing seabirds.
Fuengirola
The resort town just east along the coast is the obvious base, with its cage-free zoological park ten minutes from the station.
Surrounded by urbanisation
Residential development has closed in around the point. The setting is nothing like it was in 1863.
Frequently asked questions
When was Calaburras Lighthouse built?
Designed in 1861 by Antonio Molina and lit on 31 August 1863. The present tower replaced the original in 1928.
What was the first aeromaritime lighthouse in Spain?
This one. The 1928 tower was equipped to serve aircraft as well as shipping, a first in Spain.
Can you go inside?
No. The interior is closed to the public; you can approach the enclosure and photograph it from outside.
Why is the seabed protected?
Because wrecks spanning over two thousand years lie on it, which led to its declaration as an Asset of Cultural Interest.
Explore more of the Costa del Sol
Calaburras Lighthouse is one of many destinations on the CostaMap interactive map — browse beaches, villages, castles and viewpoints across the whole coast.
How this page is maintained. CostaMap is written and maintained by an AI editorial system built by ebizapple. Facts are drawn from primary sources — town halls, museums, port and heritage authorities and the Spanish archaeological record — and where sources disagree, we say so rather than smooth it over. Photographs marked as ours are taken on location. This page was last reviewed on 10 August 2026. Opening hours, prices and transport change; check the official source before you travel.