Beacon of hope for operational Marbella lighthouse

A project to revamp Marbella’s lighthouse and create a space around it for the town’s residents has been given the go ahead by Malaga’s port and provincial authorities. "It is a project in which we were very interested but, at the same time, [it is] complicated because we are not the owners, it belonged to Puertos," said Marbella’s mayor, Ángeles Muñoz while visiting the site on Monday 12 February.

The project is being financed by Malaga’s provincial authority, the Diputación de Málaga, to the tune of almost one million euros and will incorporate the 2,300 square metres of land around the lighthouse to connect it with the promenade and Avenida Antonio Belón.

The project also includes municipal offices, a visitors’ centre and exhibition space and extensive gardens which can also be used by groups and associations as well as the general public. According to Muñoz, the work will be finished by the end of this year and will make the space "a more accessible and enjoyable place for the public".

Muñoz indicated that the lighthouse "is operational and will continue to be so" and added that there will be “almost 1,700 square metres of gardens, with shrubs and large trees to become another attraction in the town”.

Muñoz added that the plants are being specially selected to ensure they are species that do not need a lot of watering in view of the current drought crisis affecting the Costa del Sol.