At a glance
- Type
- Lighthouse and clifftop viewpoint
- How to see it
- From the outside, on foot along the clifftop or by car
- Cost
- Free from outside
- Time needed
- 30 minutes, or longer as part of the trail
Farol de Alfanzina is the lighthouse on the cliffs between Carvoeiro and Benagil: a square tower covered in white tiles, with a red lantern on top. It sits on the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, and the open headland of Ponta do Saragoça around it makes a good stop to look along the coast in both directions.
The lighthouse
- In service since 1 December 1920, with construction starting in 1919.
- A square tower 23 metres tall, covered in white azulejo tiles, with a red lantern.
- The light stands 63 metres above the sea and can be seen about 29 nautical miles away.
It is a working lighthouse run by the national maritime authority. Visits have been possible on certain summer days in past years, but we have not found a confirmed schedule for 2026, so check locally before you plan around it.
The viewpoint
The headland around the lighthouse is wide and open. From here you look east along the cliffs towards Benagil and Marinha, and west towards Carvoeiro. Keep well back from the cliff edge: it is undercut in places and there is no railing. See beach flags and cliff safety.
Getting there
The lighthouse is on the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, the clifftop path between Praia de Vale de Centeanes and Praia da Marinha, so you can include it in a walk along the coast. It is also reachable by road from Carvoeiro.
Nearby
Algar Seco and Praia do Paraíso are on the Carvoeiro side, and Praia da Marinha is further east along the trail.
Questions people ask
Can you visit the Alfanzina lighthouse?
In the past, the lighthouse opened to visitors on certain days in summer. We have not found a confirmed 2026 schedule, so check locally. You can always see it from outside.
When was the Alfanzina lighthouse built?
Work began in 1919 and the light came into service on 1 December 1920.