Los Morrillos Light, also known as Faro Los Morrillos de Cabo Rojo, is a historic lighthouse located in the municipality of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
~~History~~
Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Puerto Rico, this lighthouse was constructed in 1882 in order to guide passing ships through the southeast entrance from the Caribbean Sea through the treacherous Mona Passage into the Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse is located over a white lime cliff which is surrounded by salt water lagoons and marshes. The cliffs surrounding the lighthouse drop over 200 feet into the ocean.
A dear blogger friend showed me what this means: mchelsmusings.
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“IOTD is image of the day, a concept I came up with. I teach visual meditative therapy – or in easy terms – a mini mental holiday. For some people it is very difficult for them to get their image right. I post an image a day for people to use in their mini mental vacay. Some are serious, some are silly, and some are just beautiful!”
So far a lot of people l have enjoyed this when I’ve done it on
This was one of the favorites places to go while I was in college. Needless to say, at the time, it wasn’t developed but the beauty was the same. You could see the lighthouse, after driving through the salt flats on the main road. The view was impacting, the beach isolated and serene. You’d climb the rugged, stone walkway and see the abandoned lighthouse. The breeze would be blowing on through your hair and the sun would be shinning on your face.
So many memories.
Los Morrillos Light, also known as Faro Los Morrillos de Cabo Rojo, is a historic lighthouse located in the municipality of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.
~~History~~
Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Puerto Rico, this lighthouse was constructed in 1882 in order to guide passing ships through the southeast entrance from the Caribbean Sea through the treacherous Mona Passage into the Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse is located over a white lime cliff which is surrounded by salt water lagoons and marshes. The cliffs surrounding the lighthouse drop over 200 feet into the ocean.
The lighthouse’s architecture is distinguished by its simplicity, with minimal decoration and an un-elaborated cornice repeated through the structure. The illuminating apparatus is housed in a cast-iron, copper and glass lantern. The lenticular lens was manufactured by the French firm Sautter, Lemonnier and Company.
Originally, the lighthouse was manned by two keepers and an engineer, who lived on the grounds with their families. In 1967 the lighthouse was renovated and its operation is currently completely automated. The structure itself has been abandoned for decades, although recent the local government as well as local civic groups, such as Caborrojeños Pro Salud y Ambiente, are pushing towards turning the old lighthouse keeper’s house into a museum. The project was taken over by the municipality, an action that lost U.S.
Federal government funds that had been assigned for it. The municipality took over the renovations, which, according to critics, has irrevocably damaged the historical significance of the internal structure.
Los Morrillos Lighthouse
Year first lit 1882 Automated 1967 Foundation Stone Construction Stone Tower shape Hexagonal Original lens Third Order, Fresnel 1882 ARLHS number PUR-002 Faro de los Morrillos de Cabo Rojo U.S. National Register of Historic Places Architectural style Neoclassic Governing body US Coast Guard MPS Lighthouse System of Puerto Rico TR
“Located on top of 200-foot limestone cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse marks the south-west tip of Puerto Rico. Built in 1881 by the Spanish government, the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse (Faro Los Morrillos de Cabo Rojo and know locally as El Faro) uses the same building design as the Fajardo and Arecibo lighthouses.
~~MORE THAN A LIGHTHOUSE~~
Though the lighthouse is interesting, the big attractions here are the incredible views from the limestone cliffs this lighthouse is built upon. We walked outside the fence of the lighthouse and there I was amazed at the beauty! Just be careful not to walk too close to the edge, since there is no guard rail and you can see where pieces of the cliff have broken off over time. We spent a lot of time here, just taking a million pictures from all the angles as we walked along the bluff. It is breathtakingly beautiful.
The other great thing about visiting this lighthouse is that you can see (and easily get to) a beautiful coved beach called La Playuela. A few hours on that beach was like a dream – the water there was warm, calm and it is just beautiful.
~Playa Sucia~
Getting to this lighthouse is part of the fun. You have to drive past the salt flats on Route 301, at which point the road changes from asphalt to packed dirt. It is about 7/10 of a mile of potholes and (at times) mud.
We parked at the first “parking-lot-looking” area and walked up the cement driveway to the lighthouse. There are other paths that eventually lead up to the lighthouse, if you are in the mood to do some walking/hiking on rock in the full sun. The parking is a considerable distance from the lighthouse — maybe ¼ mile. So wear a hat, bring water and mosquito repellent.”
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