It’s been a while since I last featured a lighthouse, and it has also been a while since there’s been a sight that was a superlative in some respect. So let’s now fix that by visiting the highest lighthouse in the Philippines, the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, also known as the Burgos Lighthouse after the town where it is located. This lighthouse lies at the northwesternmost corner of Luzon and guides ships passing through the Luzon Strait. The tower has a height of about 16 meters and is positioned on a hill about 70 meters above sea level, making the lighthouse’s lamp the highest in the country.
Photo by John Ryan Cordova. (CC)
Built in 1892, in the same era as the lighthouse at Capones Island, the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse is one of the most popular tourist attractions this side of Luzon and possibly the most visited lighthouse in the country. I think it rivals the nearby Bangui Windmills in terms of tourist arrivals. From the main highway, you just need to turn into an inlandward road (there’s a sign marking the entrance) and then drive up a spiraling road (quite visible in Google Maps) encircling the hill of the lighthouse. If I’m not mistaken, basic lodging and amenities are provided for tourists at the pavilion beside the tower.
Because of its stature as one of the best-preserved Spanish lighthouses in the Philippines, the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse was declared a National Cultural Treasure and a National Historical Landmark.
If you want to learn more, then this narrative at WaypointsDotPH contains tons of historical information about the lighthouse. Plus, it has lots more pictures.
The Heritage Conservation Society blog also has a long article about this lighthouse.



















