Calcanhar Lighthouse

Calcanhar Lighthouse (Portuguese: Farol do Calcanhar), also known as Touros Lighthouse and formerly named Olhos D'Agua,[3] is an active lighthouse in Touros, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. At a height of 203 feet (62 m) it is the nineteenth tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world, as well as the tallest in Brazil, and one of the tallest concrete lighthouses in the world.[4][5][6]

Calcanhar Lighthouse
Touros Lighthouse
Calcanhar Lighthouse, 2008
Brazil
LocationTouros
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil
Coordinates5°9′40.06″S 35°29′11.34″W
Year first constructed1912 (first)
1937 (second)[1]
Year first lit1943 (current)
Foundationconcrete bas
Constructionconcrete tower (current)
cast iron tower (first and second)
Tower shapetapered cylindrical tower strengthened by four vertical ribs and lantern
Markings / patterntower with black and white horizontal bands
Tower height62 metres (203 ft) (current)
50 metres (160 ft) (first)
52 metres (171 ft) (second)
Focal height74 metres (243 ft)
Range38 nautical miles (70 km; 44 mi) [2]
CharacteristicFl W 10s.
Admiralty numberG0164
NGA number110-17836
ARLHS numberBRA-035, BRA-258

Location

The lighthouse is strategically placed on the beach of the Ponta de Calcanhar, near Touros, where the Brazilian coast forms a right angle, known as “Esquina do Brasil” (corner of Brazil) or "Esquina do Continente" (corner of the continent), near the northern end of the great curve of the cape of São Roque, the northeastern shoulder of South America. It alerts ships to a coral reef located about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) offshore.[7] A spiral staircase of 277 steps leads to an observation platform; a 21-step ladder leads to the light.[7]

The site also includes several one-story lighthouse keeper's houses and the light station has a resident keeper. The site is open, and the tower is open to the public daily 9 am to 11 am.

See also

Further reading
  • Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Northeastern Brazil". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  • List of Lights, Pub. 110: Greenland, The East Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. Except the East Coast of Florida) and the West Indies (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2010. p. 236.

References
  1. According to The Lighthouse Directory. "Perobas - Touros" says 1908.
  2. According to List of Lights. "Perobas - Touros" says "22 nautical miles (about 37 km)" which is an incorrect unit translation.
  3. "Farol Calcanhar" [Calcanhar Lighthouse] (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  4. Rowlett, Russ. "The Tallest Lighthouses". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  5. Farol do Calcanhar em Touros (RN) - Destino Aventura
  6. Serviço de Sinalização Náutica do Nordeste
  7. "Perobas - Touros". natalonline.com (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2010.


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