Lighthouses of Northern Argentina

Entre Ríos Province Lighthouse

Río Uruguay Lighthouse

* Stella Maris (2)

1949 (station established 1908). Active; focal plane about 14 m (46 ft); red light. 12 m (40 ft) monument: the light is displayed from a post behind a statue of Stella Maris, patron saint of sailors, post and statue being atop a square cylindrical masonry tower. A good photo is available, Matias Caceres has a 2008 photo, and Google has a satellite view. This light replaced a cast iron lighthouse. Located at the end of a detached breakwater at the northern entrance to the harbor of Concepción del Uruguay, a city about 280 km (175 mi) north of Buenos Aires. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS ARG-077.

Buenos Aires Province Lighthouses

Upper Río de la Plata Lighthouses

* Martín García (2) 1897 (station established 1884). Inactive since 1938. 13 m (42 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery attached to a 3-story keeper's quarters/military barracks. The lighthouse was replaced by a semaphore tower in 1938; the semaphore tower still stands nearby. Alejandro Tumanoff has a photo, a 2013 photo is available, ARLHS also has a photo, and Forand has a 1933 photo of the light while it was active. The lighthouse is in the trees in the center of a Wikimedia photo, and trees hide it in Google's satellite view. The original lighthouse was a wood tower. Isla Martín García is located in the mouth of the Uruguay River close to the Uruguayan shore. Argentine administration of the island was disputed for many years by Uruguay; the 1973 Treaty of the Río de la Plata confirmed it in Argentine sovereignty as a nature preserve. (Previously the island had been used as a prison for out-of-power politicians.) Located near the center of the island. Tours of the island are available from Buenos Aires. Site open, tower presumably closed. Owner: Provincia de Buenos Aires. Site manager: Departamento de Áreas Protegidas. ARLHS ARG-045. * Martín García (3) Date unknown (station established 1938). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two yellow flashes every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted yellow. Trabas has Capt. Theo Hinrich's photo, and the shadow of the light is seen in Google's satellite view. Located at the end of the island's pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G0791; NGA 19292. Piedra Diamante Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); two long white flashes every 6 s. 18 m (59 ft) round tapered concrete tower with lantern, painted yellow. A photo by Capt. Theo Hinrichs is at right, Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo, and Bing has a satellite view showing the lighthouse to be precisely on the international border. This light is close to the coast of Uruguay, but it is maintained by Argentina. (A note is needed here. Under the 1973 Treaty of the Río de la Plata, this lighthouse stands in "shared waters," where Argentina and Uruguay share jurisdiction. The treaty provides that both countries may build and maintain navigational aids in shared waters. Argentina maintains navigational aids in this area, very close to the coast of Uruguay, because the shipping channel leads to Argentine ports on the Río Uruguay and Río Paraná. Uruguay owns the economic rights to the seabed under the lighthouse, and if future sedimentation should bring the shoal to the surface the resulting island would be Uruguayan territory. Because of the ambiguous geographical context, the Directory lists this lighthouse both under Uruguay and under Northern Argentina.) Located on the Barra de San Pedro, a shoal in the Río de la Plata about 8 km (5 mi) north northwest of Isla de Farallón, Uruguay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G0789; NGA 19284.

Piedra Diamante Light, Río de la Plata, November 2009 photo copyright Capt. Theo Hinrichs; used by permission

Buenos Aires Lighthouses

* Río Luján (2?)

Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 14.5 m (47 ft); red flash every 5 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) square skeletal tower, painted red. Santiago Ojeda has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Raul Dario Martinez has a photo of a ruined concrete skeletal tower nearby that was probably an earlier light for this station. Located on the south side of the entrance to the Río Luján, which enters the Río de la Plata at San Isidro on the north edge of Buenos Aires. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Club Náutico San Isidro. Admiralty G0860.2; NGA 19402.8.

Torre Toma (Water Intake) #3

Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 8.5 m (28 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 6 m (20 ft) hexagonal concrete water intake tower, painted white. The building also carries a daymark, two black balls on a mast. Sebastián Lobalzo has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located in the Río de la Plata about 1.6 km (1 mi) offshore north of downtown Buenos Aires. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos S.A. Admiralty G0854; NGA 19402.6.

Club Pescadores (Fisherman's Club) Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane about 9 m (30 ft); three quick white flashes every 10 s. Light mounted on a pierhead building. The club has a closeup photo and a view from the estuary, and Google has a satellite view. Bruno Flavio has a photo of the pier and the ornate clubhouse, a well known landmark on the city's waterfront. Located at the end of the club's pier, on the north side of downtown Buenos Aires. Site status unknown. Owner/site manager: Club de Pescadores. Admiralty G0853; NGA 19402.65. #Buenos Aires Outer Breakwater South End (1) Date unknown. Replaced around 2011. This was a 13 m (43 ft) tapered square skeletal tower, painted red. Capt. Peter Mosselberger has a photo, and Google has a satellite view of the location. Sometime around 2011 the breakwater was rebuilt in this area and the skeletal tower was replaced by a post; Trabas has a photo of the new light (focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two red flashes every 8 s). Located at the southeastern end of the long outer breakwater that protects the modern harbor of Buenos Aires. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty G0828; NGA 19384. * Buenos Aires (Edificio Malecón) 1999. Active; focal plane 90 m (295 ft); white flash every 3 s. 60 m (197 ft) office building topped by a tall mast. A photo is at right, Laura Oviedo has a photo, another photo is available, Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo of the mast, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located in the Puerto Madero neighborhood on the southeast side of downtown Buenos Aires. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G0846. Toma Bernal Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 8.5 m (28 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 6 m (20 ft) hexagonal concrete water intake tower, painted white. The building also carries a daymark, two black balls on a mast. A closeup photo is available, and Bing has a satellite view. Located in the Río de la Plata about 3 km (2 mi) offshore of the Quilmes neighborhood on the south side of Buenos Aires. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos S.A. Admiralty G0861.6; NGA 19374. Toma Ducilo Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 8.5 m (28 ft); white flash every 4.3 s. 6 m (20 ft) hexagonal concrete water intake tower, painted white. The building also carries a daymark, two black balls on a mast. No photo available, but Bing has a distant satellite view. Located in the Río de la Plata about 2 km (1.25 mi) offshore of the Quilmes neighborhood on the south side of Buenos Aires. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos S.A. Admiralty G0864; NGA 19373.

Edificio Malecón Light, Buenos Aires, November 2009 Wikimedia public domain photo by Elsapucai

Lower Río de la Plata Lighthouses

La Toma Ensenada

Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane about 18 m (59 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) square unpainted concrete tower. Octavio Cordero has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a pier at Ensenada. Site and tower closed. Admiralty G0871; NGA 19368.

Atalaya (1)

1930. Inactive since 1980. 17 m (56 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with a black and white slatted daymark. Lantern removed. Trabas has Silvano's photo of the active light (focal plane 19.5 m (64 ft); white flash every 6 s), located nearby on a 31 m (102 ft) triangular Argentine Navy communications tower. Lightphotos.net has a photo, ARLHS has a photo, and the amateur radio club Grupo de San Miguel has a photo of themselves partway up the tower, but the tower has not been found in Bing's satellite view. The older light now stands on an estate owned by the Yacht Club Atalaya. Located at Atalaya, on the south bank of the Río de la Plata about 8 km (5 mi) north of Magdalena. Site status uncertain. Owner/site manager: Yacht Club Atalaya. ARLHS ARG-076; Admiralty G0896; NGA 19316.

* Punta Piedras (2)

1983 (station established 1917). Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); white flash every 9 s. 31 m (102 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. The tower also carries a slatted daymark painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Silvano's photo, SHN has a photo, a 2009 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse, similar to the present one but shorter, was destroyed by a storm in 1975. Located at Punta Piedras, the southern entrance to the Río de la Plata. Accessible off the coastal highway (route 11) at a ranch called "El Faro." Site status unknown, but the tower should be visible from the highway. ARLHS ARG-058; Admiralty G0900; NGA 19403.

Torre Oyarvide

Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 10 s. 11 m (36 ft) light on a mast mounted on a 1-story building on a platform supported by piles. Trabas also has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo, and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located about 100 km (60 mi) southwest of the DF-19 pilot ship (next entry). Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G0814.

Pontón (light and pilot ship) DF-19

2013. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); 2 white flashes every 12 s. Steel lightship and pilot ship; light displayed from the top of the foremast. Hull painted red with white lettering "Prefectura DF-19"; superstructure painted white, stack orange. The ship is anchored in the very broad entrance to the Río de la Plata, marking the beginning of the long Punta Indio Channel leading to Buenos Aires, about 140 km (85 miles) away. Ships arriving from overseas take on pilots here. The present vessel is a converted oil tanker formerly known as the Estrella Atlantica and earlier as the Humberto Beghin; it was built in 1982 and purchased in 2011. A photo (second photo on the page) of the ship being outfitted at Buenos Aires is available, and Trabas has a photo by Maxi Alonso. A history of the light station is available; it has photos of several earlier vessels. Accessible only by boat. Operator: Prefectura Naval Argentina. ARLHS ARG-070; Admiralty G0812; NGA 19308.

La Costa Partido (Mar del Tuyú Area) Lighthouses

* Cabo San Antonio 1892 (Barbier, Bernard & Turenne). Active; focal plane 63 m (207 ft); one long white flash (1.4 s) every 17 s. 58 m (190 ft) triangular pyramidal "tripod" tower with central cylinder, lantern and gallery . Lighthouse painted with horizontal black and white bands; lantern and watch room painted black. Silvano's photo is at the top of this page, Nicolás Lope de Barrios has a photo, a 2007 photo and a 2008 closeup are available, Forand has a 1965 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view in which the tower is painted red and white, and Google has a satellite view. The light station is staffed. This is a very rare example of a French lighthouse design. The lighthouse has had an exciting life. A tornado in 1917 broke one leg of the tower, and in 1986 a fire destroyed the keeper's quarters and damaged the lighthouse. It was repaired within six months. An elevator has been installed beside the central cylinder for easy access to the light. Located about 8 km (5 mi) north of San Clemente del Tuyú on the southern cape of the Bahía Samborombón. Accessible by road; parking provided. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ARG-011; Admiralty G0904; NGA 19420. * Mar del Tuyú 1987. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 25 m (82 ft); quick-flashing red light. 5 m (16 ft) post mounted on the roof of a 6-story building. ARLHS has a photo of the light tower, and Google satellite view probably shows the location. This light is said to be the first privately-installed light in the country. Located on the coastal road in the seaside resort of Mar del Tuyú, about halfway between Cabo San Antonio and Punta Médanos. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS ARG-073. ** Punta Médanos 1893 (Barbier, Bernard & Turenne). Active; focal plane 68 m (223 ft); five long (1.5 s) white flashes, separated by 3.5 s, every 40 s. 59 m (194 ft) triangular pyramidal "tripod" tower with central cylinder, lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. The light station is staffed. Ariel Fontana's photo is at right, Javier Suden has a view from the beach, Forand has a 1950 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. A 2003 photo (no longer online) showed the lighthouse black with rust, but a 2007 photo shows it freshly repainted in red and white. Like its sibling at Cabo San Antonio, this lighthouse was prefabricated in France and assembled onsite in 1892-93. The lighthouse marks the easternmost point of Argentina, a dangerous coast noted for its shipwrecks. Although the tower is not open for climbing, there are historical displays in the base. Located off route 11 halfway between Mar de Ajó and Pinamar. Site and tower base open, tower closed. ARLHS ARG-008; Admiralty G0908; NGA 19424.

Punta Médanos Light, Pinamar, August 2009 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Ariel Fontana

Villa Gesell Partido Lighthouse

** Querandí (2) 1922 (station established 1916). Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); five white flashes, separated by 3 s, every 26 s. 54 m (177 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and double gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands; lantern is black. The light station is staffed. The area around the lighthouse was set aside in 1996 as the Reserva Dunícola Faro Querandí. Trabas has Silvano's photo (also seen at right), Raul Antonio Alvarez has a 2007 closeup, there's a view from the beach, and the tower pokes through the trees in a Google satellite view. The lighthouse was built by the German company Dyckerhoff & Widmann. Located atop a forested dune complex about 15 km (10 mi) south of the Mar Azul beach resort; accessible by 4WD vehicles on the beach. Site open, tower open but no schedule is available. ARLHS ARG-007; Admiralty G0910; NGA 19428. Mar Chiquita Partido Lighthouse * Mar Chiquita (3) 2008 (?) (station established 1932). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 19 m (62 ft) triangular cylindrical skeletal tower. The tower also carries a slatted daymark. A 2012 photo and a closeup are available, ARLHS also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The original beacon at Mar Chiquita was unlit; it was 2.5 km (1.5 mi) northeast. It was replaced in 1932 by a light on a wood skeletal tower on the present location. The third light was a concrete skeletal tower deactivated and demolished in 2008. Maximiliano Urquiaga has a 2006 photo of the earlier light, and there is an August 2008 photo of the ruins of the demolished tower. Located just off the beach in the small seaside resort of Mar de Cobo, just south of Mar Chiquita and about 20 km (12.5 mi) north of Mar del Plata. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ARG-044; Admiralty G0912; NGA 19430.

Querandí Light, Vila Gesell photo copyright Carlos María Silvano; used by permission

Mar del Plata Lighthouses

* Mar del Plata North Breakwater (2?) 2009. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower mounted on a large masonry observation platform. A view from the sea and a second view are available, and Google has a satellite view. This breakwater is open to cars, and parking is available near the end. Located at the end of the north breakwater pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G0916; NGA 19436.5. * Mar del Plata South Breakwater (2) 2009. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower mounted on a large masonry observation platform. A view from the sea is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view and a closeup street view by Fernando Scelzo. The pier is best known for a statue of Christ the Redeemer near the end. This breakwater is open to cars, and parking is available near the end. Located at the end of the south breakwater pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G0917; NGA 19437. * Cabo Corrientes (Mar del Plata) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 75 m (246 ft); white flash every 10 s. 57.5 m (189 ft) high-rise building with the light mounted on a terrace near the top. Carlos Codesido has a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The city of Mar del Plata is a fishing port and naval base as well as Argentina's largest seaside resort. Located on a promontory on the north side of Mar del Plata. Site open. Admiralty G0915; NGA 19436. ** Punta Mogotes 1891 (Barbier, Bernard & Turenne). Active; focal plane 55 m (180 ft); white flash every 10 s. 35 m (116 ft) round strongly conical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a circular 1-story base and painted with red and white horizontal bands. The light station is staffed. A photo is at right, Trabas has Silvano's photo, Juan Cito has a 2008 photo, Hernan Eugenio has a 2009 photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Rodrigo Alejandro Sanz has posted a historic photo in which the lighthouse is painted in an unusual black and white pattern simulating stone blocks, and Huelse has a historic postcard view also showing this pattern. Forand has a second postcard view. The surrounding Parque del Faro includes the original fog signal building and a small maritime museum. Punta Mogotes is a prominent headland where (for southbound vessels) the trend of the coast shifts from southwest almost to west. Located about 8 km (5 mi) south of Cabo Corrientes in Mar del Plata. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ARG-0005; Admiralty G0913; NGA 19472.

Punta Mogotes Light, January 2009 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Isha

General Alvarado Partido (Miramar) Lighthouses

* Miramar 1988. Active; focal plane 78 m (256 ft); white flash every 5 s. 1.5 m (5 ft) round concrete tower atop the 21-story Playa Club building. Trabas has Silvano's photo, another photo is available, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located on the Avenida Costanera in the center of the beach resort city of Miramar. Site and tower closed. ARLHS ARG-047; Admiralty G0922; NGA 19475. #Punta Hermengo (2) Date unknown (station established 1929). Inactive since 1988. This was a 15 m (49 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, formerly with lantern and gallery. The lantern had been removed; only the steel framework of the tower survived in recent years. The original Fresnel lens is on display at the Museo Municipal Punta Hermengo. ARLHS has a photo, a 2003 photo is available, but Hector Martinez's street view shows that the tower has been demolished. Forand has a 1930 postcard view of the original tower and a 1945 view of the present tower. The lighthouse was replaced by the Miramar Light. Located on the point, at the entrance to the municipal nursery on the southwest side of Miramar, about 2 km (1.25 mi) south of the Miramar Light. Site apparently open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: City of Miramar (?). ARLHS ARG-075. Necochea Partido Lighthouse *** Quequén 1921 (Dyckerhoff y Widmann S.A.). Active; focal plane 63 m (207 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 34 m (112 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and double gallery, painted black with a broad white band in the center. The light station is staffed. Silvano's photo is at right, Esteban Maringolo has a good photo and a distant view, a 2008 photo is available, and Huelse has a historic postcard view, but clouds obscure Google's satellite view. Forand has an early postcard view showing the tower painted all white and a second view of the station. Located about 1.5 km (1 mi) north of the mouth of the Río Quequén, just outside Quequén, the seaport of the city of Necochea. Site open, tower open for tours daily. ARLHS ARG-004; Admiralty G0926; NGA 19480. Tres Arroyos Partido Lighthouse *** Claromecó 1922 (Dyckerhoff y Widmann S.A.). Active; focal plane 70 m (230 ft); three white flashes (in a 2+1 pattern) every 30 s. 54 m (177 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery painted with black and white horizontal bands. The light station is staffed. Trabas has Silvano's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Forand has a 1923 postcard view and also a 1945 view. The lighthouse is adjacent to a popular seaside spa, the Balneario Claromecó. The skeleton of a large whale that washed up nearby is displayed in the base of the tower. Located on the coast about halfway between Necochea and Bahía Blanca. Site open, tower usually open in the afternoons daily. ARLHS ARG-014; Admiralty G0942; NGA 19536.

Quequén Light, Necochea, August 2009 Flickr photo copyright Carlos María Silvano; used by permission

Bahía Blanca Area Lighthouses

**** Recalada a Bahía Blanca (Bahía Blanca Landfall, Monte Hermoso) 1906. Active; focal plane 75 m (246 ft); white flash every 9 s. 67 m (220 ft) octagonal pyramidal cast iron tower with central cylinder, lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Clamshell Fresnel lens in use. The light station is staffed. Sofia Larrea's photo is at right, Trabas has Silvano's photo, Wikimedia has several photos, Forand has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Prefabricated in France by the same company that built the Eiffel Tower, this soaring lighthouse is the tallest in the country, the tallest in the Southern Hemisphere, and among the tallest in the world. The Navy has a lighthouse museum at the station and tours of the lighthouse are available year round. Note: the word recalada means "landfall" in Spanish. Located on the coastal road about 7 km (4.5 mi) east of the resort of Monte Hermoso, marking the entrance to the Bahía Blanca in southern Buenos Aires province. Site open, tower open daily to guided tours. ARLHS ARG-009; Admiralty G0986; NGA 19540. #Monte Hermoso (2) 1927 (station stablished 1881). Inactive since 1970. This was a 23 m (75 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery. Eduardo Figueroa has a photo and a closeup photo of the ruins taken in 2006, but the ruins are not clear in Google's satellite view. The lighthouse was abandoned after it was deactivated in 1970. Severely deteriorated, it collapsed in a gale in 2002. The Navy has recently placed a small mounment with a plaque at the site and has fenced the ruins. Located on a hill about 32 km (20 mi) west of Monte Hermoso. Site open. ARLHS ARG-1881. Chica (Baliza Chica) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16.5 m (54 ft); white light, 2 s on, 8 s off. 15.5 m (51 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower; the light is shown from a short mast. Héctor Oscar Cousillas has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. This light guides vessels approaching Puerto Belgrano, the home port of the Argentine Navy. The photo caption suggests that the light is on the Argentine Marines training base. Located on the north bank of the Bahía Blanca estuary about 16 km (10 mi) southeast of Puerto Belgrano and 50 km (30 mi) southeast of Bahía Blanca. Site status unknown. ARLHS ARG-083; Admiralty G0993; NGA 19552. Punta Tejada Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower carrying two black and white circular daymarks. A view from the sea (halfway down the page) is available, but the tower is not seen in Google's satellite view of the area. Located on a headland on the north side of the entrance to the Bahía Blanca estuary. Site status unknown. ARLHS ARG-094; Admiralty G0991; NGA 19550.

Bahía Blanca Landfall Light, November 2007 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Sofia Larrea

El Rincón

1925 (Dyckerhoff y Widmann S.A.). Active; focal plane 64 m (210 ft); three white flashes (in a 2+1 pattern) every 40 s. 62 m (203 ft) round tapered concrete tower with lantern and double gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. Sergio Ruben Zerega has a photo, there's a photo of the lighthouse in action, and Google has a satellite view. The light station is staffed. One of the tallest concrete lighthouses in the world, this light serves as a southern landfall light for the seaports of Bahía Blanca. Located about 30 miles northeast of Pedro Luro on the Península Verde, a 40 km (25-mi) long peninsula about 50 km (30 mi) south of the entrance to the Bahía Blanca estuary. There does not appear to be any public access to this site, but the lighthouse can be viewed from a distance. Site and tower closed. ARLHS ARG-036; Admiralty G1020; NGA 19580.

Segunda Barranca

1914 (César Caccia and Pedro Sánchez Granel). Active; focal plane 38.5 m (126 ft); three white flashes every 22 s. 34 m (111 ft) hexagonal pyramidal skeletal tower with central cylinder, lantern and gallery painted with black and white horizontal bands. Bivalve Fresnel lens in use. The light station is staffed. Maria Belén has a view from the beach, and the shadow of the tower is seen in a Google satellite view. Sergio Monetti has a photo of amateur radio operators on the gallery of the lighthouse. Located on a sandy coast about 75 km (45 mi) east of Carmen de Patagones, the southernmost city of Buenos Aires province. There does not appear to be any public road access to this site. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ARG-067; Admiralty G1024; NGA 19584.

Río Negro Province Lighthouses

Adolfo Alsina Department (Viedma Area) Lighthouses

* Río Negro ("Faro de la Boca") 1887. Active; focal plane 43.5 m (143 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 16.5 m (54 ft) round cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery rising from the center of a hexagonal 1-story brick keeper's quarters. Entire lighthouse painted white. Trabas has Silvano's photo (also seen at right), Eliseo Carlos Martínez has a great closeup photo, Erik Schepers has another closeup photo, Wikimedia has a photo of the station, and Google has a satellite view. The light station is staffed. This is Argentina's oldest surviving lighthouse and the first one to be built on the coast of Patagonia. The area is known locally as La Boca (the mouth), referring to the mouth of the Río Negro. Located on the west side of the mouth of the Río Negro, adjacent to the El Cóndor resort; accessible via provincial route 1 from Viedma. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ARG-012; Admiralty G1028; NGA 19588. * Belén (?) 1928. Inactive since 1992. 14 m (46 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with black and white slatted daymark. Lantern removed. The survival of this tower is uncertain: ARLHS has a photo, but nothing is seen in Bing's satellite view. Located on the Península Belén, at the northern entrance to the Golfo San Matías, about 110 km (70 mi) west of Viedma. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS ARG-069; ex-Admiralty G1030. San Antonio Department Lighthouses * San Matías 1924. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); two white flashes every 11 s. 16 m (52 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with black and white slatted daymark. The lantern was removed in 1974, and the light is displayed from a platform at the top of the tower. Trabas has Silvano's photo, Lightphotos.net has a photo, Jorge Luis Bilbao has another photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is built atop an artificial dune: a large conical mound. The surrounding area is a nature preserve, the Área Natural Protegida Bahía de San Antonio. Located off National Route 3 on the northeast side of the Golfo San Matías, perhaps 30 km (20 mi) east of San Antonio Oeste. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ARG-064; Admiralty G1031; NGA 19596. * Pedro Garcia Range Rear Date unknown. Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); green flash every 3 s. 24 m (79 ft) round water tank, painted with vertical black and white stripes. Trabas has Silvano's photo, and Google has a satellite view. The range guides vessels arriving at San Antonio Oeste. Located on a peninsula sheltering the harbor. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G1035; NGA 19601.

Río Negro Light, Viedma, April 2011 Flickr photo copyright Carlos María Silvano; used by permission

* Banco Reparo Range Rear

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); red flash every 3 s. 24 m (79 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The front of the tower has a daymark of black and white bars. Trabas has Silvano's photo, and Google has a satellite view. The range guides vessels arriving at San Antonio Oeste. Located on a peninsula about 5 km (3 mi) southeast of San Antonio Oeste. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G1037; NGA 19608.

* Camino (Cangrejal Inner Range Rear)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24.5 m (80 ft); red flash every 4 s. 23 m (75 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower carrying a slatted daymarak painted white with red bars in the center. Trabas has Silvano's photo, and Google has a satellite view. This is an entrance range for San Antonio Oeste. The front light is on a smaller skeletal tower. Located just off highway 3 on the north side of the Bahía San Antonio. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G1042.1; NGA 19616.

* Las Grutas

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 71 m (233 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 30 m (98 ft) round cylindrical water tank. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located in Las Grutas, a beach resort town about 15 km (9 mi) south of San Antonio Oeste. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G1045; NGA 19626.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

• Punta Villarino (1911-1924), Golfo San Matías. Nothing remains of this lighthouse. ARLHS ARG-072.

Notable faux lighthouses:

• Iguazu, a well known observation tower and faux lighthouse, at the famous Iguazu Falls on Argentina's border with Brazil. Bing has an indistinct satellite view.
• Palacio Barolo (1923), a historic office building in Buenos Aires, is crowned by a lantern containing a powerful light. As far as I know, this building has never been regarded as an aid to navigation. According to the Spanish Wikipedia article the light is lit only on special occasions. Google has a street view and a satellite view.

Adjoining pages: North: Uruguay | South: Southern Argentina

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Posted 2003. Checked and revised April 13, 2016. Lighthouses: 41, lightships: 1. Site copyright 2016 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.