Lighthouses of Argentina: Buenos Aires City and Province

Argentina (officially the Argentine Republic, República Argentina) is the second largest country of South America and has a population approaching 50 million. Located on the southern east coast of the continent, Argentina has a lengthy coastline on the South Atlantic Ocean, extending from the warm waters of the Río de la Plata to the edge of the cold Southern Ocean.

Colonized by Spain in the mid 1500s, Argentina secured its independence and territorial integrity in series of uprisings between 1810 and 18i6. Several decades of controversy and conflict established the organization of the country and its borders with its neighbors to the north. Between 1878 and 1884 Argentina expanded its control southward, occupying the region of Patagonia east of the Andes Mountains.

The nation is a federation of 23 provinces (provincias) plus the autonomous capital city of Buenos Aires. This page includes lighthouses of central Argentina, all in Buenos Aires Province or Buenos Aires City except for one in Entre Ríos Province. Buenos Aires Province is divided into 135 county units called partidos.

The coast in Buenos Aires Province is mostly low and sandy with dangerous shoals offshore. This coast required construction of very tall lighthouses including several that rank with the tallest in the world.

The Spanish word for a lighthouse is faro; smaller lighthouses are often called balizas (beacons). In Spanish isla is an island, cabo is a cape, punta is a promontory or point of land, péñon is a rock, arrecife is a reef, bahía is a bay, ría is an estuary or inlet, estrecho is a strait, río is a river, and puerto is a port or harbor.

Active lighthouses in Argentina are owned by the Argentine Navy and managed by the Navy's Servicio de Hidrografía Naval (SHN).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume G of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 110. The official Argentine light list, Faros y Señales Marítimas, is not available online.

General Sources
Lista de Faros Argentinos
Official SHN lighthouse site with data and small photos. Unfortunately it is not possible to link directly to the pages for individual lighthouses.
Faros de Argentina
Index to lighthouse articles and photos in the Spanish Wikipedia.
Faros Argentinos
Information and photos from the Argentine-based Faros del Mar website.
Lighthouses in Argentina
The ARLHS listing of Argentine lights; the society has photos for most of them.
Online List of Lights - Argentina
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. For Argentina many of the photos are by Capt. Peter Mosselberger ("Capt. Peter"), Capt. Theodore Hinrichs ("Capt. Theo"), or Carlos Maria Silvano.
Lighthouses in Argentina
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
Faros Argentina
Photos posted on Flickr.com by Carlos María Silvano. Thanks to Mr. Silvano for permission to post several of his photos on this page.
World of Lighthouses - Argentina
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Leuchttürme Südamerikas auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.
GPSNauticalCharts
Navigational chart for Argentina.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for Argentina.

Faro San Antonio
Cabo San Antonio Light, San Clemente del Tuyu, August 2009
Flickr photo copyright Carlos María Silvano; used by permission

Entre Ríos Province (Río Uruguay) Lighthouse

Uruguay Department: Concepción del Uruguay Lighthouse
* Stella Maris (2)
1949 (station established 1908). Active (unofficial); 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. Matias Caceres has a 2008 photo, Jose Luis Quintana has a 2018 photo, Federico Calosso has a 2023 closeup, 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 320 km (200 mi) north of Buenos Aires. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS ARG-077.

Buenos Aires Province and City Lighthouses

La Plata Partido (Río de la Plata North Side) 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 but no longer has a light. Andres Aenbici has the photo seen at right, ARLHS has a photo and the lighthouse is in the trees in the center of a Wikimedia photo, but trees hide it in Google's satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view. Many visitors miss the lighthouse and photograph the nearby round water tower. 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's photo, Marta Cristina Petrolli has a 2018 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. ARLHS ARG-152; Admiralty G0791; NGA 19292.
 

Martín García Light, La Plata, February 2012
Google Maps photo by Andres Aenbici
 
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'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 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.

San Isidro Partido Lighthouses
* Río Luján (San Isidro) (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. Trabas has Jim Smith's photo, Ricardo Correa has a 2023 photo, and Google has a satellite view. A ruined concrete skeletal tower nearby 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. ARLHS ARG-127; Admiralty G0860.2; NGA 19402.8.
* Río Luján (San Isidro) Escollera (Pierhead) (1)
Date unknown. Replaced. 12 m (39 ft) post with a stairway mounted on a platform supported by piles. Formerly falling into ruin, the old light has been restored and carries a sign welcoming boaters to San Isidro. Trabas has Jim Smith's photo. The light has been moved to a post offshore (green flash every 5 s). Both lights are seen in German Biafore's 2015 photo and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of the pier on the east side of the entrance to the Río Luján. Site open, and anyone can climb the old light (with caution). Active light: Admiralty G0860; NGA 19402.7.
Faro de San Pedro
Piedra Diamante Light, Río de la Plata, November 2009
photo copyright Capt. Theo Hinrichs; used by permission

Buenos Aires City Lighthouses
Torre Toma (Water Intake) #1
Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane about 8.5 m (28 ft); white light, pattern unknown. 6 m (20 ft) square concrete water intake tower. The building also carries a daymark, two black balls on a mast. Trabas has Jim Smith's photo, Ana Yrigaray has a video, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located in the Río de la Plata just off a park, the Monumento a las Víctimas del Terrorismo de Estado. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos S.A. Admiralty G0854.4.
Torre Toma (Water Intake) #2
Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane about 8.5 m (28 ft); white light, pattern unknown. 6 m (20 ft) hexagonal concrete water intake tower. The building also carries a daymark, two black balls on a mast. Trabas has Jim Smith's photo and Google has a satellite view. Located in the Río de la Plata halfway between Torre Toma #3 (next entry) and the shore. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos S.A. Admiralty G0854.2.
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. Trabas has Jim Smith's photo seen at right 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. ARLHS ARG-156; Admiralty G0854; NGA 19402.6.

Torre Toma #3, Buenos Aires
photo copyright Jim Smith; used by permission
* 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. David Diaz has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Google also has a street view 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. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. 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. 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 Jim Smith's 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. Active light: 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, a 2017 photo is available, Trabas has Capt. Peter'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.
Antepuerto Sur (Leading Light)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); quick-flashing light, white, red or green depending on direction. 27 m (89 ft) skeletal cell phone tower carrying a daymark with red and white horizontal bands. Google has a street view and a satellite view. This light guides vessels into the South Harbor of Buenos Aires (Antepurto Sur) at the mouth of the Río Matanzas southeast of downtown Buenos Aires. Site status unknown. Admiralty G0848.15.
Km. 0 Mole
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (44 ft); two green lights, one above the other, occulting once ever 4 s. 12.5 m (41 ft) square skeletal tower. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Bing has a satellite view. Located in an oil tank farm on the south side of the entrance to the Antepurto Sur. Site and tower closed. Admiralty G0848.

Quilmes Partido Lighthouse
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. Adrian Selaya has a closeup photo but the light is not shown in Bing's satellite view. Located in the Río de la Plata about 3 km (2 mi) offshore of Quilmes, a city 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.

Edificio Malecón Light, Buenos Aires, November 2009
Wikimedia public domain photo by Elsapucai
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 Google has a satellite view. Located in the Río de la Plata about 2 km (1.25 mi) offshore of the border between the partidos of Quilmes and Berazategui 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.

Ensenada Partido Lighthouse
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. Adrian Selaya has a closeup photo, Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant view, and Google has a satellite view. This is described as a water tower (toma de agua) although it does not appear to be an intake or storage structure. Located at the end of a pier at Ensenada, about 10 km (6 mi) southeast of Buenos Aires. Site and tower closed. Admiralty G0871; NGA 19368.

Magdalena Partido Lighthouse
Punta Atalaya (1)
1930. Inactive since 1980. 17 m (56 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with a black and white slatted daymark. Lantern removed. Silvano has the photo seen at right, Lightphotos.net also has his photo, and ARLHS has a photo, but trees hide the tower in Google's satellite view. 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 in the town of Atalaya; Google has a distant street view. The older light now stands on the grounds of 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 and tower closed (private property). Owner/site manager: Yacht Club Atalaya. ARLHS ARG-076. Active light: Admiralty G0896; NGA 19316.

Punta Indio Partido Lighthouses
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's photo and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. This is an automated weather station. 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.
 

Punta Atalaya Light, Atalaya, August 2009
Flickr photo copyright Carlos Maria Silvano; used by permission
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. Trabas has a photo by Maxi Alonso. A history of the light station is available; it has photos of several earlier vessels. The ship is operated by the Prefectura Naval, the Argentine coast guard. Accessible only by boat. Operator: Prefectura Naval Argentina. ARLHS ARG-070; Admiralty G0812; ex-NGA 19308.
* 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 (also seen at right), SHN has a photo, Mercedes Delle Ville has a 2021 distant view from the coastal highway, 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. Located off the coastal highway (route 11) at a ranch called "El Faro." Site status unknown but the tower is visible from the highway. ARLHS ARG-058; Admiralty G0900; NGA 19403.

Punta Piedras Light, Punta Piedras
photo copyright Carlos María Silvano; used by permission

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. Trabas has Silvano's photo (also seen at the top of this page), Nicolás Lope de Barrios has a photo, Emanuel Gutiérrez has a 2022 closeup, a 2007 photo and a 2008 closeup are available, 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 easier access to the light. The lighthouse was restored in 2010 and guided tours are available from the neighboring Termas Marinas Park. 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 open to guided tours. Site manager: Termas Marinas Park (El Faro). ARLHS ARG-011; Admiralty G0904; NGA 19420.
Punta Rasa
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 3.5 s. 13 m (43 ft) triangular skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. This light acts as a front range light with the Cabo San Antonio lighthouse as the rear light. The range defines the exterior limit of the Río de la Plata. Located on the Punta Rasa peninsula 614 m (3/8 mi) north northeast of the Cabo San Antonio lighthouse. Site status unknown. Admiralty G0905.5; NGA 19421.
* 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 condo building. Sebastián Ariel Abalo has a photo, ARLHS has a closeup photo of the light tower, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This light is said to be the first privately-installed light in the country. Located just off the beach on Calle 69 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; not listed by the Admiralty.
** 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, the Garro family has a photo, Trabas has Andreas Köhler's photo, Omar De Cristofaro has a 2018 photo (showing an urgent neeed for repainting), 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 showed 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 Friday through Sunday year round. . ARLHS ARG-008; Admiralty G0908; NGA 19424.
Faro Punta Médanos
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), Gabriel Potaves has a 2018 photo, Raul Antonio Alvarez has a 2007 closeup, and the tower pokes through the trees in Google's street view and satellite view. The lighthouse was built by the German company Dyckerhoff & Widmann. Juan Manuel Novello's 2022 photo shows the lighthouse freshly repainted. 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 Saturday and Sunday afternoons. . 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 colored with black and white horizontal bands. A closeup is available, Toti Bustamante has a distant view, 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 when the present light was installed. ARLHS has a photo of the earlier light. 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

General Pueyrredón Partido (Mar del Plata City) Lighthouses
The city of Mar del Plata is a fishing port and naval base as well as Argentina's largest seaside resort. The second largest city in the province, Mar del Plata has a population of more than 600,000.

*
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. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the north side of Mar del Plata. Site open. Admiralty G0915; NGA 19436.
* Mar del Plata North Breakwater (3?)
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. Eduardo Magonza has a photo, Javier De Pueblo En Pueblo has a closeup street view and Google has a satellite view. The previous light was a skeletal mast and Huelse has a postcard view of another earlier light. This breakwater is open to autos and parking is available near the end. Located at the end of the north breakwater pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ARG-123; 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. Cintia Lopez has a photo, Analia Gonzalo has a view from the North Breakwater, Google has an indistinct satellite view and a closeup street view by Fernando Scelzo. The pier is best known for a large statue of Christ the Redeemer near the end. This breakwater is open to autos and parking is available near the end. Located at the end of the south breakwater pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ARG-124; Admiralty G0917; NGA 19437.
Mar del Plata Inner Harbor Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (105 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 25 m (82 ft) steel mast painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has a street view and a satellite view. The rear light is on a mast atop a 4-story building, Located on the main quay in the harbor of Mar del Plata. Site and tower closed. Admiralty G0918; NGA 19467.
*** 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, Carlos Alberto Orellano has a 2021 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. 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 open Thursday through Sunday afternoons. . ARLHS ARG-005; Admiralty G0913; NGA 19472.
Faro de Punta Mogotes
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 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, but Hector Martinez's street view shows that the tower has been demolished. Google has a satellite view of the location. 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; ex-Admiralty G0924.

Necochea Partido Lighthouses
* 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, Trabas also has Silvano's photo, Esteban Maringolo has a good photo, Nicolas Garbossa has a 2018 photo, a 2008 photo is available, Marcelo Minichelli has a street view from inside the lantern, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The tower was formerly open for climbing but has been closed due to safety concerns. 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 closed. . ARLHS ARG-004; Admiralty G0926; NGA 19480.
Quequén First Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) chimney; a triangular daymark is fixed at the top. There is also a second light, synchronized with the first, at a focal plane of 23 m (75 ft). Trabas has a photo (chimney on the right) by Capt. Theo Hinrichs that also shows the front light (red light, 1 s on, 1 s off) on a 6 m (20 ft) round tower colored white with a red horizontal band. Google has a satellite view. This is the entrance range for Quequén, a port that primarily ships grain. Located in an industrial area south of the river entrance. Site and tower closed. Admiralty G0932.1; NGA 19508.
Faro Quequén
Quequén Light, Necochea, August 2009
Flickr photo copyright Carlos María Silvano; used by permission

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, Cristian Romero has a 2018 photo, Marcelo De Lio has a 2021 street view, and Google has a satellite view and a distant street 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 open Friday through Sunday. . ARLHS ARG-014; Admiralty G0942; NGA 19536.

Bahía Blanca Area: Monte Hermoso Partido Lighthouses
Bahía Blanca ("White Bay") is a narrow bay about 50 km (30 mi) long leading to the city of the same name. The bay has been dredged for large ships and the city of Bahía Blanca is a major port with a population of more than 300,000.

**** 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, Marcelo Vassallo has a 2018 photo, Wikimedia has several photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Prefabricated in France by the same company that built the Eiffel Tower, this soaring lighthouse is the tallest in Argentina 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. 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. Severely deteriorated, the tower collapsed in a gale in 2002. The ruins are not clear in Google's satellite view. The lighthouse was abandoned after it was deactivated in 1970. The Navy has recently placed a small monument 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.

Bahía Blanca Landfall Light, Monte Hermoso, November 2007
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Sofia Larrea
 
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 lighthouse is not seen in Bing's satellite view. 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.
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. QSL.net has a 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.
Tripode
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower carrying a daymark with black and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a view from the sea by Capt. Peter Mosselberger and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a headland on the north side of the lower Bahía Blanca estuary. Site status unknown. Admiralty G0994; NGA 19554.

Villarino Partido Lighthouse
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. A 2023 photo is at right, Alvaro Parra also has a 2023 photo, Wikimedia has a photo by Jota Cartas, 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. The lighthouse is surrounded by privately owned ranch land. Site and tower closed. . ARLHS ARG-036; Admiralty G1020; NGA 19580.
 

El Rincón Light, Villarino, March 2023
Instagram photo by alfonsinaiaffar73

Olavarría Partido Lighthouse
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. A photo is at right, there's a page for the lighthouse, Osvaldo Callegari has a 2021 photo, Andres Britez has a 2018 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a sandy coast about 75 km (45 mi) east of Carmen de Patagones, the southernmost city of Buenos Aires province. The lighthouse appears to be accessible by road but local guidance will be needed to find it. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ARG-067; Admiralty G1024; NGA 19584.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

  • Faro de las Pampas is an attractive faux lighthouse on a small lake in Colón, a town in the Pampas west of Buenos Aires. Mauro Cortinas has a photo and Google has a satellite view.
  • Iguazú, a well known observation tower and faux lighthouse, at the famous Iguazú Falls on Argentina's border with Brazil. Google has an indistinct satellite view.
  • Palacio Barolo (1923), a historic office building in downtown 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.

Segunda Barrance Light, Villa Gesell, November 2007
Wikipedia Creative Commons photo by Raphodon

Adjoining pages: North: Uruguay | South: Río Negro and Chubut | Northwest: Paraguay

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Posted 2003. Checked and revised June 28, 2023. Lighthouses: 43, lightships: 1. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.