Punta de Estaca de Bares
43°47′24″N 7°41′17″W / 43.789933°N 7.688112°W
Punta de Estaca de Bares is the northernmost point of mainland Spain. It is located in Galicia.
There is a lighthouse there that was constructed in 1850 and still functions to this day, under the administration of the Captain of the Port of Ferrol, Spain. During World War II a German submarine was sunk off the coast there. One of the German officers who survived the sinking returned every year thereafter to mark the anniversary. After his death he had his ashes scattered over Estaca de Bares. There are also two abandoned military sites there. One was operated by the US Coast Guard since the early 1960's as a LORAN (Long Range Aid to Navigation) Station, an electronic navigation system that was developed during World War II. The station at Estaca de Bares operated jointly with stations operated by the British Government in East Blockhouse, Wales and, until 1973, the French Government in Pospoder, France.
In 1978, after the Coast Guard ended the LORAN operations, the US Air Force assumed control of the base. The Air Force operated a communications site until 1991, and it now sits in ruins. While the site was open, many Americans met and married local citizens. This site can be viewed along with many other links at estaca.net [1]. The other site used to be an old signaling station used by the Spanish Navy. It has been converted into a hotel/restaurant.
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