Farol de Leça (Boa Nova lighthouse)

The Farol de Leça, often called the Boa Nova lighthouse after the rocky headland nearby, stands on the coast at Leça da Palmeira just north of the port of Leixões. It is a round tower of reinforced concrete, painted white with thin dark horizontal stripes, 46 metres tall. Its light sits 57 metres above sea level and, according to the Navy, reaches 28 nautical miles, about 52 kilometres out to sea.

It is still a working lighthouse run by the Portuguese Navy’s Direção de Faróis (lighthouse directorate). That is why you can only visit at set times: the tower’s first job is keeping ships safe.

For a long time sailors called this part of the coast dark and dangerous, and there were many shipwrecks. A small light was put up on the Boa Nova rocks behind the chapel in 1916. The plans for a proper lighthouse were drawn up in 1919 by the engineer José Joaquim Peres, and the new tower was switched on in December 1926, replacing both the little Boa Nova light and an older one, the Farol de Nossa Senhora da Luz, which had been the first lighthouse on the Portuguese coast.

At first the light was an electric bulb powered by a generator running on paraffin, and the lens was turned by clockwork, a bit like a giant wind-up watch. Electric motors took over the turning in 1950, and a lift was fitted in the tower in that decade. In 1964 the lighthouse was connected to the mains and given a 3,000-watt lamp. In 1979 it started controlling the smaller harbour lights at Leixões and at the mouth of the Douro from a distance, the first remote-control network of its kind in Portugal, and the lamp was cut to 1,000 watts.

For many years the lighthouse also housed a school that trained lighthouse keepers, until 1962. Local people remember a foghorn nicknamed “a ronca” (the snorer), which was switched off in the 1980s.

Visits take you up the tower to the top, where the lens and the light are. The Navy describes the lens as a large third-order optic. A lighthouse lens is made of rings of glass prisms that bend the light from one lamp into a strong beam, and turning it makes the flash that sailors see. Seeing it up close is the part lighthouse-mad children remember, so have a question or two ready about how it is looked after.

From the top you look out over the Atlantic, the beaches of Leça and the cranes and breakwaters of the port of Leixões. The local news site describes a spiral staircase of more than 200 steps and says visitors can use the lift; ask on the day which one your group will use.

The Navy opens its working lighthouses to the public free of charge every Wednesday afternoon, except on public holidays. In summer time the visits run between 14:00 and 17:00; in winter time between 13:30 and 16:30. You do not book: you register at the lighthouse on the day, and the number of people per visit depends on how many the tower can hold.

The Navy warns that visits can be cancelled or cut short without notice if the lighthouse is needed for operational reasons. When we checked on 27 September 2026, Leça was on the list of lighthouses open to visitors. Several others on the mainland were closed indefinitely, so it is worth checking the Navy’s page on the morning you go.

Organised groups such as schools can book at other times by emailing dfarois.rp@amn.pt. Adults then pay €4.90 for a guided visit, and students and under-18s go free. A home-education group could ask.

This is a climb inside a narrow tower, so it is not for buggies, and toddlers will need carrying if you take the stairs. Children who are frightened of heights or tight spaces may prefer to wait at the bottom. Numbers per climb are limited and there is no booking, so arriving near the start of the afternoon gives you the best chance of going up. No toilets, café or parking are listed on the official pages, so plan those around the seafront.

The fire brigade museum in Leça da Palmeira tells the story of the rescues along this dangerous coast and makes a natural pair with the lighthouse. The Leixões cruise terminal is a short hop south, with views over the port the lighthouse guides ships into. For energetic children, Jumpyard Matosinhos is a trampoline park, and families with a lighthouse enthusiast might plan a second Wednesday at the Farol da Barra, Portugal’s tallest lighthouse.

Can you go inside the Leça lighthouse?

Yes, on Wednesday afternoons (except public holidays) when the Navy opens it free of charge. Register on the spot when you arrive.

Do you need to book?

No, not for the Wednesday visits. Only organised groups visiting at other times need to book.

Is it suitable for young children?

Children who can manage a long climb, or who are happy to be carried, will enjoy it. It is not suitable for buggies.

Can visits be cancelled?

Yes. It is a working lighthouse, and the Navy says visits can be cancelled or shortened without notice for operational reasons.