[Originally posted 11 years ago (16 Jul 2015 @ 20:33)]
After standing lonely and closed for 10-years, the Faro de Moncloa Madrid Observation Tower has re-opened to the public. I was thrilled to return last week to experience the changes and enjoy the wonderful Madrid skyline views once again.
It was built in 1992 and is officially known as “La Torre de Iluminación y Comunicaciones del Ayuntamiento de Madrid” – or, in English, “The Light and Communications Tower of Madrid’s City Hall” whereas “El Faro de Moncloa”, it’s more common name, simply means “The Moncloa Lighthouse.” It measures 92 meters to the half-disk observation desk and 110 meters to the top of its antenna. The best views look towards the south and west, but also out over the Casa de Campo and towards the Guadarrama Mountains to the north.
Here’s The Basics:
TICKETS: 3 Euros for adults 15 years old and older. 1.50 Euros for children 7-14 years old, the unemployed, and senior citizens 65 years old. Free for children 6 years old and younger. Tickets show your scheduled time of entry on them because a limited number of persons can be in the “Mirador” at one time.
HOURS: Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30am to 8:30pm (last pass at 7:30pm). Closed Mondays. Non-obligatory guided tours (price included with ticket) start every half-hour from 9:30am to 1:30pm (last pass at 1:00pm), first in Spanish and then English. Guided tours last about 20-minutes, but the total time of visit is limited to 45-minutes – but no one checks, really.
SEE IT: Imagine looking down on El Faro de Moncloa from above with the pilar being at 12 o’clock. Got it? Okay. Starting at 1 o’clock to 11 o’clock you can see the following notable buildings and landmarks from the observation desk: Four Towers – Madrid’s tallest skyscrapers, Torres Kio/Puerta de Europa, Torre Picasso, Torreespaña/”El Pirulí”, Torres de Colón, Retiro Park, Palacio de Cibeles (Madrid’s City Hall), Círculo de Bellas Artes, Telefónica building, Arco de la Victoria (just below the Faro de Moncloa), Edificio de España, Torre de Madrid, Ministerio del Aire (also below), Teatro Real, Royal Palace, Almudena Cathedral, “El Cerro de los Ángeles” (on the horizon, Spain’s true Kilometer 0), San Francisco El Grande Church, Madrid River Manzanares, Casa de Campo Park and Madrid Amusement Park,
My much-anticipated visit to the U.F.O.-like half-disk, observation tower in the Moncloa/University City area of Madrid did not disappoint – but it didn’t surprise me much, either. It has been cleaned up, moderized, and made safer and more comfortable for visitors in many respects. I’m glad I went.
While the oberservation area is exactly as it was, they’ve added another elevator so two in total now, widened & secured the emergency stairs in the tower’s pilar, added modern bathrooms, and included a refreshment & snack stand selling beer, wine, mixed drinks, and snacks of all kinds. The “snack bar” is a surprising addition to me, but they most likely make more money from this than the price of admission – although I didn’t see anyone buying anything during my one-hour visit at 11am that morning.
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