10/07/2026
The Port Authority's Board of Directors Visits the Ons Lighthouse on its Centenary
The President of the Port Authority and of the Board of Directors, Jose Benito Suárez Costa, led a visit yesterday by the Port of Marín's board members to the Ons Island lighthouse, commemorating its centenary. The board members were welcomed at the lighthouse by Gerardo Alonso, the Port Authority's last active lighthouse keeper.
The board members were able to see firsthand the lighthouse facilities, the workings of the lantern, and the exhibit of artifacts on display. This is in addition to the fact that the board will soon be addressing the future of the lighthouse and its potential for becoming a museum, following discussions initiated by Suárez Costa with the relevant authorities.
The light of the current Ons lighthouse celebrated its centenary on July 4th of this year, a particularly significant event for the Port Authority and, by extension, for the history of the maritime signals managed by the entity. To mark this occasion, several tributes have already been paid to the last lighthouse keepers of Ons, and a book on the history of maritime signals in the Pontevedra estuary, titled “Red to Port,” has been published. The work is an exhaustive historical investigation of each of the navigational aids in the Pontevedra estuary and has been distributed to libraries, archives, educational centers, and museums in the area to make it available to the general public.
The operational reality of the Ons lighthouse—as well as the other lighthouses, beacon towers, and buoys—has evolved substantially in recent years, transitioning from manual operation to a fully automated and monitored system. “Consequently, and without prejudice to the technical and safety requirements that must always be preserved,” stated the president, “there are parts of the building that are not essential for the operation and routine maintenance of the navigational aid service and that could be repurposed.”
In line with the Port Authority's commitment to corporate social responsibility and maritime cultural heritage, discussions are underway with other relevant administrations regarding the possibility of repurposing the portion of the Ons Lighthouse not strictly necessary for its operation as a museum or exhibition space.
The President of the Port Authority highlighted the invaluable work carried out by successive lighthouse keepers on the island, not only in fulfilling their primary duties but also in recovering and preserving historical artifacts related to the lighthouse and maritime signals: items that speak of technology, maritime safety, the craft, daily life, and collective memory. Last year, the Port Authority published a physical catalog describing these items to facilitate the preservation and dissemination of their legacy, entitled "Ons, the Memory of the Lighthouse." In addition, a permanent exhibition is already on display at the lighthouse, which has been visited by cultural groups and institutions.
The Port Authority believes that an opportunity now exists to organize and consolidate this content under a museum format, always compatible with the service and without interfering with the present and future needs of the navigation aid system, which is fundamental for safety in the estuary, matters that will be debated and agreed upon by the Board of Directors.