For a long time this cape was considered by Europeans as the southern border of a sea of darkness: Mare Tenebrarum. Moving out of sight of the coast seemed unthinkable. The ships were not designed for deep-sea navigation, coaster ships with round hulls and shallow draught, but they could easily enter the estuaries to explore the coasts. It was only in 1434 that the Portuguese navigator Gil Eannes voluntarily dared and succeeded in crossing this limit marked by Cape Bojador on board a caravel led by about fifteen men. He did so almost by surprise, as he set out to sea as he approached the cape. Retreating to the east after some time, he reached the coast of Africa beyond this hitherto impassable barrier. Gil Eannes returned to Portugal as a real hero, who was thus able to continue setting up trading posts on the African coast.
Commissioned in 1956
It was not until 1482, however, that John II of Portugal sent Diogo Cão to explore the African coasts even further south and set a new route to the Indies.
This lighthouse was put into service in 1956 and is now classified as a historical monument. The latest edition of lights and fog signals issued by the SHOM indicates it will be switched off in 2018.
It's true that the Vendée Globe competitors have been overtaking her for some time (even for those who are lagging behind like Charal), but the story of this cape seemed so important to us that we couldn't ignore it.
