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Sardina del Norte · Gáldar, Gran Canaria

Faro de Punta Sardina

Everything you need to know before you go: Getting there, parking, prices, best time.

Last checked: September 2026

Common questions, answered

Does it cost anything?No, €0The platform is free. Nobody offers tours of the tower.
How do I get there?~15 min from GáldarGC-202 towards Sardina, then the Carretera del Faro.Where do I park?At the towerAbout 10 spaces right next to the lighthouse, and that's it.When is it best?At sunsetThe sun sets over the sea, around 19:50 in late September.
Punta Sardina lighthouse above the Atlantic (2016, before the viewing platform was built)
Photo: Wolfgang Sauber, License: CC BY-SA 4.0

The red-and-white tower stands on a rock shelf at the island's northwest tip. In 2021 the town added a viewing platform with concrete tiers next to it. You look out over the Atlantic and along the coast to Tamadaba, and on clear days as far as Teide.

Straight talk

What to know before you go.

  • You only see the tower from outside. It is a working light run by the Port Authority, with no visitor centre or tours. What there is to learn is on the town's panel.
  • The rocks can kill. In June 2025 a woman died here after falling from the rocks into the sea. In January 2026 tourists climbed the fence to the cliffs, more than 20 m high, and a wave broke over them. Stay behind the railing.
  • Rock pools only when the sea is calm. The pools sit right at the surf line. When waves wash over the rocks, swimming there is a bad idea, even if the water in the pool looks still.
  • Diving happens in the bay. Sardina's well-known dive site is at the harbour, with the entry from the promenade. There is no entry point at the lighthouse.
  • At weekends a car is easier. On Saturday and Sunday only four buses pass the lighthouse. Otherwise it's 2.4 km on foot from the harbour.

Getting there

The lighthouse sits at the end of the Carretera del Faro, which branches off the GC-202 above Sardina del Norte, the harbour village of Gáldar.

By car

From Gáldar
~15 min
From Agaete
~30 min
From Las Palmas
~45 min
  1. 01Take the GC-2 to Gáldar and exit towards Sardina.
  2. 02Follow the GC-202 through Gáldar and Barrial down towards Sardina del Norte.
  3. 03Above the village, turn onto the Carretera del Faro at the roundabout and follow it for just over 2 km.
  4. 04After the Faro Sardina roundabout the road leads to the small car park next to the tower.

Wooden bollards mark how far cars may go. The rock shelf beyond them is not a car park.

Route to the car park

Public transport

  • Weekdays on the 402

    Monday to Friday the 402 leaves Gáldar bus station (bay 7) hourly from 08:00 to 19:00, except 17:00. From the loop at Duplex Carretera del Faro it runs back to Gáldar at :25 past the stop Urb. Playa Canaria, 12.

  • Weekends on the 401

    The 401 runs roughly hourly every day, but only to Playa de Sardina at the harbour. On Saturday and Sunday only the 09:55, 13:55, 16:55 and 21:55 departures from the loop pass the lighthouse stop.

  • From Las Palmas

    Take the 105 (hourly) or the 100 (direct) to Gáldar bus station and change there to the 401 or 402.

  • On foot from the harbour

    From the Playa de Sardina stop it is about 2.4 km to the lighthouse, roughly 30 minutes.

Parking & arriving

Car park at the lighthouse
~10 spaces
The town laid out space for about ten cars in 2021. No source mentions a fee.
Areas along the access road
OpenStreetMap shows two more parking areas 170–230 m east along the access road, with no details on access or fees.
Not in the holiday complex
Two parking areas in the complex south of the tower are marked private. Don't park there.

On site

Next to the tower is a platform of concrete tiers with benches, a railing and the town's panel on the lighthouse's history. You look out over the Atlantic and the cliffs around it. To the south, below the holiday complex, there are natural rock pools, reached by public paths and steps.

Time there
~20–45 min
Walk from car park
~20 m from the car park; ~370 m from the Urb. Playa Canaria, 12 stop
Toilets
None at the lighthouse; OpenStreetMap lists no public ones in Sardina either
Food & drink
Nothing at the tower; bars and a restaurant in Sardina, 1.5–2 km away
Wheelchair
Concrete paths from the car park to the platform, wheelchair accessible according to OpenStreetMap

When is it worth it?

The platform has no opening hours. Pick a time of day.

00–11Morning

The sun is in the east behind you while you look out over the sea to the west.

11–18Midday and afternoon

Without a car: the last 402 leaves the loop at 19:25 on weekdays, before sunset.

18–21Evening and sunset★ Recommended

The sun goes down over open sea, far to the northwest in June and to the southwest in December.

21–24Night

The light flashes white four times every 20 seconds. The last bus past the lighthouse stop, the 401, leaves at 21:55.

Sunset times are our own calculation, buses according to Global, as of September 2026.

Jun

Sunset around 21:00, in the northwest over the sea.

Sep

Sunset around 19:50, almost due west.

Dec

Sunset around 18:10, in the southwest over the sea.

Forecast

    Open full forecast ↗

    Facts

    Entry
    Source: Town of Gáldar · 09/2026
    Viewing platform free
    First lit
    Source: Town of Gáldar · 09/2026
    15 Feb 1891; current tower from 1986
    Height
    Source: Port Authority · 09/2026
    Tower 23 m, light 48 m above the sea
    Light
    Source: Wikipedia · 09/2026
    4 white flashes every 20 seconds, range 20 nm
    Operator
    Source: Port Authority · 09/2026
    Autoridad Portuaria de Las Palmas
    Last repairs
    Source: Port Authority · 09/2026
    Autumn 2024, €48,000
    Viewing platform
    Source: Town of Gáldar · 09/2026
    Opened 2021
    Protected area
    Source: Town of Gáldar · 09/2026
    ZEC Costa de Sardina del Norte
    Bus Mon–Fri
    Source: Global · 09/2026
    402 from Gáldar hourly 08:00–19:00 (not 17:00)
    Bus Sat–Sun
    Source: Global · 09/2026
    401 past the lighthouse: 09:55, 13:55, 16:55, 21:55
    Bus stop
    Source: OSM · 09/2026
    Urb. Playa Canaria, 12 (262202)
    Global
    Source: Global · 09/2026
    +34 928 25 26 30

    Nearby