Situated at the entrance to beautiful bays and natural harbors, lighthouses have prevented ships from running aground for centuries.

Sadly, however, many of these have become redundant and have been replaced by more effective airborne navigation systems.

Most of the remaining lighthouses are automated, with more powerful lights and lenses than those used in the past because they are designed to be visible.

lighthouses often become very distinctive landmarks, their shapes and colours distinct from the surrounding landscape.

As a result, they provide excellent opportunities for photography. A lighthouse is a tower-shaped illuminated beacon built near a key part of the waterway. A lighthouse is a fixed navigational beacon used to guide ships or to indicate danger zones. Modern large lighthouse structures have good living and communication facilities within them and can be occupied by managers, but there are also important lighthouses that are left unattended.

Let's now take a look at some of the most famous lighthouses.

1. Portland Lighthouse

Since 1791, the Portland City beacon light has been guiding sailors back to safety. This historic lighthouse sits on top of a rugged cliff in Cape Elizabeth, just south of the busy Portland Harbour. At nearly 25 meters high, its white conical tower stands out against the desolate and rugged coastline. Although it is now automated, visitors can stop at the adjoining Maritime Museum to learn about its fascinating past and hear the tragic stories of the many ships that have been wrecked along the Maine coastline.

2. Fumento Lighthouse

One of Mallorca's most famous landmarks, the Fumento Lighthouse is located at the northernmost tip of the Balearic Islands. The lighthouse rises some 210 meters above the sea and sits on top of a towering cliff with a steep waterfall below. Since 1863, its dazzling lighthouse has warned sailors of the dangers of Majorca's coastline. Thanks to the outstanding natural beauty of its surroundings and the wonderful views of the Mediterranean Sea, the Formento Lighthouse is not to be missed.

3. Chania Lighthouse

Located at the entrance to the historic port of Chania in Crete, this fascinating lighthouse is one of the oldest in the world. It was originally built by the Venetians in the late 16th century. It was subsequently restored and reconceived by the Egyptians, the Ottomans, and later the Greeks. As a result, the lighthouse has a brilliant and interesting history, as its unique design attests, and its fascinating architecture and splendid backdrop with the city make the Chania Lighthouse such a popular attraction.

Rabindranath Tagore said, "Love is a lighthouse that has been shining for ages; it looks fixedly at the storm but does not move; love is life filled, like a glass full of wine." A lighthouse guides a lost ship on its voyage, taking on a great responsibility. For those who sail, there is hope in a lighthouse. Lighthouses are lonely, silently watching over the ships that come and go, silently escorting them, silently and without expecting anything in return.

The years are unbroken and the years are changing. In the long river of years, one needs a lighthouse to guide you forward so that you do not wander in the same place.