Officially known as the Borinquen Point Lighthouse (Faro de Punta Borinquen), this structure was designed by Enrique Gadea and built by Pedro Tolosa in 1889. Made of brick, it had a tower with the light and a living area for the light-keeper. Like many of the lighthouses of its time, it was pretty elaborate in architectural details. However, in October of 1918, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Puerto Rico and triggered a tsunami that inundated the nearby coastline to a depth of nearly twenty feet. 116 people killed in the earthquake and the lighthouse was severely damaged beyond repair. It was declared unsafe and left abandoned. A new concrete lighthouse was built in 1922 by the US Coast Guard in a different location – a little more to the north-east in Aguadilla.
Two walls and a foundation are the only thing left of the original Aguadilla Lighthouse but you can still see traces of beauty that was once this mighty structure and the views of the ocean are breathtaking.
I drove up Route 107 to Aguadilla with the family from Rincón this past weekend {Why was I in Puerto Rico? Read HERE} to get a closer look at the ruins. I brought along my Panasonic Lumix GH2, Olympus M Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8, and a 8mm Lumix G fisheye lens. Enjoy the pics…
Check out my video of the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse with its stunning views of the Caribbean Sea from atop 200-foot limestone cliffs…
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