Strategically located on the Costa da Morte, 5 km from Camariñas, this lighthouse sits on Cape Vilán. Its use is of great importance for navigation along this dangerous coast.
The previous lighthouse, of which the remains can still be seen today, was lit for the first time in 1854. It was a fourth-order lighthouse, fueled by oil and with a range of 10 miles, but it was not able to overcome the highest rock on the cape, which produced a dangerous area of darkness where the rocky shoals are located. The stone was dynamited and the height of the tower was increased, but the problem of the blind spot could not be solved. The tragedy of the Serpent in 1890 and that of other shipwrecks made the Spanish authorities aware of the poor lighting of the lighthouse and so, in 1896, the new lighthouse was inaugurated, the first in Spain to operate with electricity.
The museum, located in the Vilán Lighthouse, disseminates information on the history of the shipwrecks and lighthouses of A Costa da Morte through video projections, real pieces, photographs and panels with viewers, to end with a simulation of a tour inside the lighthouse tower.
