The Lighthouses of Brazil

The St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks are a small cluster of rocky islets, actually an isolated summit of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, located in mid-Atlantic about 60 mi north of the Equator.

Photo courtesy SECIRM, Brazilian Federal Government [wikipedia]

The Atol das Rocas is a group of low, barren islands about 100 miles west of Fernando de Noronha. Invisible from more than two or three miles away, the islands are a notorious hazard to navigation.  Located about 150 mi northeast of Cabo de São Roque.  Two lights are shown.  The foreground is the ruins of the original, the current tower is in the background.

Photo John Vergri [wikipedia]

This striking and very modern lighthouse is the centerpiece of a large park, the Mangal das Garças, adjacent to downtown Belém and at the confluence of the Rio Guamá and Rio Acará.

Photo courtesy Breno Peck [Flickr]

The Alfândega (customs house) of Manaus is one of the city's best-known landmarks; it was prefabricated in Britain, shipped to the Amazon, and reassembled stone by stone. The building is now the Port Captain's office. Located on Av. Marquesa da Santa Cruz in downtown Manaus, the capital of Amazonas, about 750 mi by air west of Belém.

Photo courtesy lebates [webshots]

Located on an island at the east entrance to the Baia de São Marcos. ARLHS# BRA-050

One of the oldest buildings in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará.

Photo courtesy valegabriel [webshots]

This lighthouse appears to be a sibling of Camocim. Located atop well-known white bluffs about 80 km southeast of Fortaleza. ARLHS# BRA-260

Photo courtesy Cleiton da Silva Alves (panoramio)

Located on a headland about 80 km east of Areia Branca in western Rio Grande do Norte.

Photo courtesy Mrs. Dalloway [Flickr]

This lighthouse is in the water at high tide. Located on the beach about 25 km west of Caiçara.

Photo courtesy Fellipelee [Flickr]

This is Brazil's tallest traditional lighthouse and one of the tallest concrete lighthouses in the world. It marks a headland near the northern end of the great curve of the Cabo de São Roque, the northeastern shoulder of South America. Located on the beach of the Ponta de Calcanhar at Touros, 105 km north of Natal.

Photo courtesy acanto [webshots]

Mãe Luíza (Mother Louise) was a parteira (midwife) who ministered to the poor of Natal in the early 1900s. Her name was applied first to the neighborhood in which she lived, and then to the lighthouse in that neighborhood.  Located on a bluff in the city of Natal, capital of Rio Grande do Norte.

Photo courtesy luckyshots [Flickr]

Located off the Ponta de Mato at the mouth of the Rio Paraíba, marking the entrance to the port of Cabedelo, about 32 km north of João Passoa. Accessible only by boat but easily visible from the beach.

Photo courtesy Capt. Peter Mosselberger [liteslist]

This lighthouse is one of the best known landmarks of Olinda and one of the few Brazilian lighthouses open to tourists.   Located on a bluff north of the commercial center of Olinda, about 7 km north of Recife.

Photo courtesy Pedro Valadares [Flickr]

Located near the end of a natural breakwater on the north side of the city, close to a sculpture park; the reef is accessible from the city's waterfront by passenger ferry.

Photo courtesy TC2 [Flickr]

The lighthouse stands among the ruins of the Forte do Santo Inácio. Located at Tamandaré, about 50 km southwest of Cabo de Santo Agostinho.

Photo courtesy cyber girl [Flickr]

Ponta Vedra is a point of land in the city of Maceió; the lighthouse is located in the surf off the point. Accessible only by boat.

Photo courtesy Julio Cardos Opereira [webshots]

Located at the mouth of the Rio São Miguel about 8 km south of Barra da São Miguel.

Photo courtesy Sophia Silva [Flickr]

This lighthouse has gone to sea; it is leaning and about to fall, but it was still standing as of December 2004. Accessible only by boat.
ARLHS# BRA-255

Photo courtesy Alberto Gambardella [Flickr]

Located in Aracaju, the capital city of Sergipe.

Photo courtesy Henrique Vicente [Flickr]

A sea turtle refuge and conservation center called Projeto Tamar is located next to the lighthouse. Located on the beach at Praia do Forte, about 50 miles northeast of Salvador. ARLHS# BRA 037

Photo courtesy quartominguante [webshots]

This light is located at the surf line on the beach at Itapuã, about 20 km east northeast of the Farol de Barra (next entry).  Don't confuse this with the Itapuã on the south coast.

Anonymous photo courtesy webshots

Located near the historic Forte Monte Serrat on a promontory on the east side of the Bahia Todos os Santos, about 10 km north of the Farol da Barra. ARLHS# BRA-156

Photo courtesy Capt. Peter Mosselberger [liteslist]

The lighthouse is built uphill from the ruins of a fort built in 1630. Located on the Ilha de Tinharé, about 80 km southwest of Salvador; the island, a popular resort, is accessible by ferry from Valença or Salvador. 
ARLHS# BRA-157

Photo courtesy Viviane [Flickr]

Located on the Ilha de Comandatuba about 65 km south of Ilheus. The island, site of several resorts, is accessible by ferry from the mainland. ARLHS# BRA-026

Photo courtesy Júlio de Oliveira [Flickr]

The Arquipélago de Abrolhos is a group of five rocky islands about 65 km off the south coast of Bahia. Located at the highest point of Santa Bárbara, the largest island of the group.
ARLHS# BRA-001

Photo courtesy Luiz Castro [Flickr]

Built on one side of the concrete foundation pad of the original lighthouse, on the south side of the entrance to the Rio Doce in Regência. ARLHS# BRA-088

Photo courtesy Leandro Moreira [Flickr]

Located about 5 km south of Barra de Itabapoana in the extreme northeast corner of Rio de Janeiro state.

Photo courtesy Ricardo Lugão [Flickr]

Located on the beach about 7 km northeast of Cabo São Tomé. ARLHS BRA-249

Photo courtesy Norma Coelo [panoramio]

Located on a rocky headland about 13 km southeast of Maricá and 40 km east of the Baía de Guanabara entrance.

 ARLHS BRA-080

Photo courtesy Cleber Moraes [Flickr]

Located on an island about 11 km off the entrance to the Baía de Guanabara, the harbor of Rio de Janeiro.

Photo courtesy L. F. Castro [Flickr]

Located in Rio de Meio, a neighborhood on the southeast side of the Santos estuary.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

Originally the rear light of a range, but now converted to a leading (directional) light. Located near the east end of the beach in Santos, marking the north side of the entrance to the inner harbor.

Photo courtesy Viviane [Flickr]

Located on the southwestern tip of the Ilha de Peças, where it formerly guided ships around the north side of the Ilha do Mel into the Paranaguá estuary. To get here, first go to Paranaguá; at port ask for a boat to Ilha das Peças or Superagui.

Photo courtesy Hartmann [Flickr]

The beautiful Ilha do Mel, located in the mouth of the Baía de Paranaguá, is a major tourist attraction easily accessible by ferry from Paranaguá or Pontal do Sul. Most of the interior of the island is an ecological preserve.

Photo courtesy Roney [Flickr]

The lighthouse guards the entrance to the port of São Francisco do Sul. Located on an island several miles off the coast.

Photo courtesy Flavio Prestes [Flickr]

Located at the end of the north breakwater at the mouth of the Rio Itajaí. Accessible by driving on the breakwater.

Photo courtesy Rodrigo Osorio [Flickr]

Located at the tip of a narrow peninsula projecting northeastward about 8 km southeast of Itajaí.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

This light is no more than 15 m tall and is located on the Morro dos Conventos, a rocky headland at Araranguá, about 80 km southwest of Laguna.

Photo courtesy ekevu [Flickr]

Just behind the old light (partly visible above, both lights are visible on the right.)

Photo courtesy Gilberto Otávio Lima [Flickr]

Located on the beach about 45 km southwest of Torres.

Photo courtesy Aguinaldo Severino [Flickr]

Located in the resort city of Cidreira.  ARLHS BRA-025

Photo courtesy O. Marisco [webshots]

Located on the beach about 70 km northeast of Mostardas and 40 km southwest of Quintão. Accessible by 4WD.

Photo courtesy Rafael Podolano [Flickr]

Located on the beach about 11 km southwest of the Mostardas lighthouse. Accessible by 4WD.

Photo courtesy rdallagnol [panoramio]

Located on the beach about 40 km northeast of Rio Grande do Sul. Accessible by 4WD.

Postcard courtesy Klaus Huelse [leuchturm]

Located on a sandy point projecting into the Lagoa dos Patos about 25 km west of Mostardas. Accessible by 4WD.

Photo courtesy Rafael Podolano [Flickr]

Located on the Praia do Farol, a sandy peninsula on the north side of the Lagoa Mirim, about 25 km southeast of Arroio Grande. Apparently accessible by 4WD.

Photo courtesy Poti Campos [Flickr]

Lights are said to have been shown from this point as early as 1698. Located on the west side of the Rio Grande do Sul.

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

In recent years two long (about 2.5 miles) breakwaters or moles (moelhas) were built to protect the entrance to Rio Grande do Sul. These moles are tourist attractions; light sail-powered rail cars carry visitors over a narrow-gauge rail track to the lighthouse at end of the West Mole. ARLHS BRA-246

Photo courtesy Alex Trabas [liteslist]

Located on the beach about 110 km northeast of Barra do Chuí.

Photo courtesy Paulo Azambuja [Flickr]

Located at Barra do Chuí, at the mouth of the Arroio Chuí, which is the Uruguayan border. Accessible by road from BR 471 at Chuí.

Photo courtesy Luci Both [Flickr]