Farol de Leça

By the late 19th century, the need for a lighthouse in Leça or Leixões was recognized, but plans only advanced in 1919. Led by engineer José Joaquim Peres, the 40-meter tower was completed and began operating on December 15, 1926, replacing the Boa Nova beacon and Nossa Senhora da Luz lighthouse. It was equipped with a large third-order Fresnel lens (500 mm focal length) and an electric incandescent lamp powered by a petroleum generator. Rotation was initially clockwork, replaced by electric motors in 1950, when an elevator was also installed. In 1964, it was connected to the public grid and fitted with a 3000 W lamp. In 1979, it began remotely controlling the Leixões port beacons and Felgueiras beacon at the Douro River entrance—the first remote-control network in Portugal. That same year, the lamp’s power was reduced to 1000 W.