The oldest lighthouse on La Palma, which dates back more than 150 years, is more than just a historic beacon that guided ships in days gone by.
After tumbling into ruin, the structure was discovered – and redeveloped – into a luxury hotel, the La Palma hideaway of Faro Punta Cumplida from hotel company Floatel.
Known locally as the ‘beautiful island’, La Palma has miles of volcanic coastline, mountains and forests.
Yet beyond the natural scenery, the island is home to this little-known gem, a working lighthouse that hides a luxury – yet secretive – retreat as one of its best-kept secrets.
The hotel features in the third episode of Channel 4’s World’s Most Secret Hotels, set to air this Saturday night.
The owner, Tim Wittenbecher, tells the Daily Mail: ‘La Palma is our first Spanish lighthouse that we turned into a hideaway.
‘It is my favourite thing, to explore new lighthouses. All over the world, governments are evaluating what to do with them – and I think we have a very attractive prospect here.’
He adds in the episode: ‘It’s very unusual that a lighthouse is also a hotel. It’s a secret. Everybody who sees the lighthouse would not imagine that there is a hotel behind it.’
Faro Punta Cumplida is a lighthouse on La Palma that houses luxury suites
Nestled among the volcanic, mountainous landscape, it’s a secret escape
Tim and Heike Wittenbecher run the lighthouse hotel in the Canary Islands
For the owner, this is a passion project – and not his first of this kind. In fact, he has seven similar establishments in total across Spain, Italy and Germany, all either lighthouses, water towers or harbour cranes.
Tim added: ‘Almost 18 years ago we built and converted the first lighthouse into a hideaway in Germany.
‘We took an old building that would be lost and gave it this use.’
He said: ‘When we found it, it was quite run down, it was in ruin. The patio was torn away by a typhoon. All the windows were closed with metal window shutters and all the beautiful details were fading away.’
Tim got the hotel on a long-term lease in 2016 with a 50-year contract, as the lighthouse belonged to the Spanish government. It had fallen into disrepair.
But after three years of renovations, the building was restored to its former glory, with Tim saying: ‘It needs a lot of fantasy to see how you can turn them into something beautiful.’
Just three exclusive suites can be found in the former lighthouse keeper’s house, previously used by those living on site to look after the oil and light.
However, nowadays that is no longer necessary – thanks to electricity.
Each suite has a kitchen and dining room, as well as one or two bedrooms.
A shared staircase leads all the way up to a private viewing deck atop the lighthouse, where you can get a magnificent 360-degree view of the ocean.
One of the biggest attractions of the upmarket property is its infinty pool
The suites are hosted in the former lighthouse keeper’s residence
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Tim told the Daily Mail: ‘The thing that guests like the most is to walk up the tower and be at the light. That is so unique.
‘To go up there at night and have it like a crown above you, seeing this light from the position where it comes from, is absolutely unique. Normally, you’re in a position on the shore and you see the light rotating, but here you are in the light, and I think that is the most unique thing the guests enjoy.
‘But above that is the feeling of being in a bubble, away from reality, in a magical place.’
The most unusual feature? It is, in fact, still a working lighthouse.
The redesign had to ensure it was possible for lighthouse keepers today to enter and exit as required, in order to keep tabs on the LED beacon at the top.
At night, the light turns on – casting its beam out to sea.
It’s perfect for stargazing, and the light casts rays out that create a sort of light show.
Tim and his team wanted to keep as much of the original building as possible.
He said: ‘From the architectural side, it was quite a challenge because our intention is to still show the historical function and let the guests feel like a lighthouse keeper.
‘We added some luxury items and tried to balance it with the historic beauty. The building is complex, but also a lot of fun.’
Modern amenities include en suite bathrooms and an infinity pool that spills into the Atlantic ocean.
Breakfast is made with local ingredients such as fig marmalade, and a private cook can come to prepare a candlelit dinner for guests.
Nightly stays at this unique hotel start from €290 (£250).
Tim’s wife Heike, the project’s architect, says: ‘The guests are in awe normally. They come here and they cannot really believe that they can stay here, in such a beautiful, special place.
Alongside original historic features are modern amenities and shiny furnishings
En suite bathrooms keep the historic hotel feeling up to date
‘Just to be in a place that is so close to the water, in such a beautiful building, is something that you don’t see often.’
Tim adds that lighthouse enthusiasts are especially enthused – but all guests are equally in awe of the property, many of them fulfilled in their search for something ‘unique, a surprise’.
It’s not all smooth sailing, though.
Volcanic eruptions on the island and sand clouds from the Sahara can disrupt the flow and peace of the hotel.
But overall, this is one of the world’s most unique hotels – with all the glamorous trimmings on top.
La Palma Lighthouse is just one of several rare and remote stays featured in the upcoming episode of World’s Most Secret Hotels.
Other properties include a breathtaking mountain retreat carved into the rock at the summit of Mount Pilatus in Switzerland, a striking Brutalist hotel in the Baja California peninsula in northwest Mexico and one of the UK’s oldest coaching inns.
Narrated by Julie Walters, the six-part series ventures across all six continents to shine a spotlight on some of the most unusual and breathtaking escapes, along with the teams that keep them running and the guests living their wildest dreams.
World’s Most Secret Hotels airs on Channel 4, Saturdays, 8pm.
