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
Location	Touros Rio Grande do Norte Brazil
Coordinates	5°9′40.06″S 35°29′11.34″W
Tower
Constructed	1912 (first) 1937 (second)[1]
Foundation	concrete bas
Construction	concrete tower (current) cast iron tower (first and second)
Height	62 metres (203 ft) (current) 50 metres (160 ft) (first) 52 metres (171 ft) (second)
Shape	tapered cylindrical tower strengthened by four vertical ribs and lantern
Markings	tower with black and white horizontal bands
Light
First lit	1943 (current)
Focal height	74 metres (243 ft)
Range	38 nautical miles (70 km; 44 mi) [2]
Characteristic	Fl W 10s.

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

• List of tallest lighthouses in the world
• List of lighthouses in Brazil

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.