Formentera Council revives regulated access at es Cap lighthouse

regulacio-acces-far-es-cap-21The Formentera Council's mobility department announces the Monday June 25 reactivation of a plan to limit car and motorcycle access to es Cap de Barbaria lighthouse.

Tracing current plans to revive the apparatus to the success of last year's effort, secretary Rafael González said the setup was aimed at keeping crowds at the monument to a minimum and preserving a tranquil, natural setting.

Restricted access to the monument, which starts Monday June 25 and continues until September 30, lasts 20 days longer than last year. Last summer the provisions debúted July 1 and were phased out September 15.

Ins and outs of regulated access
Under the system of restricted entry, a roadblock sits at kilometre marker 6.5 of the highway that descends to Formentera's southern-most tip, es Cap (“the Cape”) de  Barbaria. With parking for 60 cars and 100 motor scooters at an adjacent plot, motorists can get out and walk or cycle the remainder of the path to the lighthouse.

When crowds are at their highest—from 11.00am to 1.00pm and again from 6.00pm to 10.00pm—a patrol person will be stationed at the barrier to provide information about the initiative and facilitate vehicle access for individuals with reduced mobility.

Visits to the lighthouse
According to mobility office data, the lighthouse got an average of five hundred visitors per day. At its busiest, the monument typically supports 280, though crowds of up to four hundred visitors have been recorded. The most popular times to visit are sundown after a clear day, followed by cloudy mornings.

González framed the measure as a chance to brand the lighthouse and nearby es Garroveret defence tower as “unmissable excursions in tune with preserving nearby natural surroundings and tranquility”.