Ponta do Arnel Lighthouse

1876. Active; focal plane 66 m (217 ft); white flash every 5 s. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal cylindrical stone tower rising from the center of a 1-story keeper's house. 3rd order Fresnel lens. Building painted white; lantern painted red. This was first lighthouse built in the Azores; it is the traditional landfall light for ships arriving from mainland Portugal. The keeper's complex was greatly expanded in 1929. Located at the eastern tip of the Ilha de São Miguel; accessible by a paved but challenging road. Site open, tower closed.