Wave crashing on Farolim de Felgueiras, a lighthouse in Porto, Portugal

© Stephan Zirwes/Offset by Shutterstoc

Above the spray

The Farolim de Felgueiras (Lighthouse of Felgueiras) you see here has been battered by relentless waves for around 135 years. It helped protect ships approaching Porto, Portugal's second-largest city, from 1886 until it was finally deactivated in 2009. It's no longer operational but remains a local landmark, overlooking the mouth of the Douro river where it flows into the Atlantic.

The nearby city of Porto was originally established in around 136 BCE by the Romans as an outpost called Portus Cale, which is believed to be the origin of the name Portugal. The city is also responsible for the name of one of the country's most famous exports, port, the (usually) sweet red fortified wine that was first exported across Europe in the 17th century. These days, the city and its surrounding area are home to around 1.7 million people but Porto retains its historic charm. One of its oldest riverside neighbourhoods, the Ribeira, was honoured as a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1996 and was also designated a National Monument of Portugal.