Lighthouses of Angola

The Republic of Angola is a large nation of southwestern Africa, located south of the Congo and north of Namibia. It has a coastline 1600 km (995 mi) long facing west on the South Atlantic Ocean. A former Portuguese colony, Angola dissolved into civil war immediately upon independence in 1975. The long and bitter war finally ended in 2002 but the country is still working on recovery.

Lighthouses in Angola are maintained by the Instituto Hidrografico e de Sinalizacao de Angola (IHSMA), an agency of the transport ministry. Nearly all of the lighthouses were abandoned during the civil war and some were destroyed in the fighting. In recent years the Portuguese Navy has assisted in efforts to restore or replace and relight many of the lights.

Portuguese continues as the language of government and trade in Angola, along with four indigenous languages. The Portuguese word for a lighthouse is farol, plural faróis; a small lightbeacon is often called a farolim. In Portuguese ilha is an island, ilhéu is an islet, cabo is a cape, ponta is a promontory or point of land, rocha is a rock, recife is a reef, baía is a bay, estreito is a strait, rio is a river, and porto is a port or harbor.

Current information and photos for many Angolan light stations are badly needed. Special thanks are due to José da Palma for his work in visiting lighthouses of Benguela and Kwanza Sul provinces. Entries for those areas depend heavily on his observations.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. PT numbers are from volume II of the Portuguese light list as supplied by the Admiralty. Admiralty numbers are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.

General Sources
Online List of Lights - Angola
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. This collection includes photos taken by José da Palma in January 2012, some of which appear on this page.
World of Lighthouses - Angola
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Lighthouses in Angola
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
Afrikanischen Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for Angola.


Lobito Light, Benguela, February 2018
Google Maps photo by José Sampaio Teixeira

Namibe Province Lighthouses
Namibe Province includes the southwestern desert coast of Angola. It is sparsely populated and 40% of the population lives in Moçâmedes, the capital and principal port. The province was called Moçâmedes under Portuguese rule. The provincial capital of Moçâmedes was renamed Namibe in 1985 and regained its Portuguese name in 2016, but the province continues to be called Namibe.

Ponta da Marca (2?)
Date unknown (station established 1920s or early 1930s). Active(?); focal plane 15 m (49 ft); three white flashes every 11 s. 13 m (43 ft) white conical tower on piles, according to the current Admiralty List; formerly a square skeletal tower with lantern, gallery, and enclosed watch room. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a sand spit enclosing the Baía dos Tigres. This location is the westernmost point of Angola, in the extreme southwestern corner of the country. Site presumably open but very remote, tower closed. ARLHS ANO-012; PT-5618; Admiralty D5460; NGA 25724.
Leão (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); green light occulting twice every 6 s. NGA lists a 10 m (33 ft) square gray metal tower. No photo available. Google's satellite image resembles a standard barbell-shaped fiberglass tower. Located at Leão ("lion"), a small settlement on the Baía dos Tigres about 11 km (7 mi) south of the Ponta da Marca. Site presumably open but very remote, tower closed. PT-5622; Admiralty D5464; NGA 25728.
Ponta Albina (4?)
Around 2010 (station established 1920s). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 38 m (124 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Earlier Google satellite views showed that the previous lighthouse, a similar tower mounted on a 1-story keeper's house, had been destroyed. The earlier lighthouse was a sibling of the second Ponta dos Palmeirinhas lighthouse. Located on a prominent point of land about 25 km (15 mi) southwest of Tombua. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-011; PT-5612; Admiralty D5442; NGA 25720.
Tombua (Tombwa, Porto Alexandre) (2?)
Date unknown (1920s or early 1930s). Active (?); focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white or green light, depending on direction, occulting three times every 9 s. NGA describes an 8 m (26 ft) tripod tower mounted atop a 1-story building. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This is one of several lights in Namibe reported to have been rehabilitated in 2008; the satellite view suggests that the light was moved to a fiberglass tower next to the building. Located at the end of a sand spit protecting the harbor of Tombua (called Porto Alexandre under colonial rule), marking the west side of the harbor entrance. Site status unknown. PT-5606; Admiralty D5436; NGA 25716.
Rio dos Flamingos
Date unknown (since 1967). Active; focal plane 110 m (361 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower attached to a duplex keeper's house. Lighthouse painted with vertical yellow and white stripes. José Rocha has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located high on a bluff north of the dry riverbed, 1.2 km (3/4 mi) from the coast and about 40 km (25 mi) south of Moçâmedes. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-027; PT-5600; Admiralty D5430; NGA 25712.
Ponta do Noronha (Ponta do Pau do Sul) (1)
1950s?. Inactive. 4 m (13 ft) square 1-story concrete service building, now painted all white. A 2007 photo is at right. The light was formerly mounted on the roof. This modest building survives next to the modern light.
Ponta do Noronha (Ponta do Pau do Sul) (2)
2006 (station established 1950s?). Active; focal plane approx. 45 m (148 ft); flash every 3 s, white or green depending on direction. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower painted with green and white horizontal bands. A 2007 photo is at right , Steffen Neumann's distant view is available, Tiago Campos de Carvalho has a sunset view, and Google has a satellite view. NGA misspells the name as Nornonha. Located atop a spectacular cliff on the south side of the entrance to the Baía de Namibe, about 5 km (3 mi) west of the waterfront. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-039; Admiralty D5414; NGA 25708.
#Moçâmedes (Namibe) Quay (2)
Date unknown (2014?). Removed in 2021, although the light remains on the Admiralty list. This was an approx. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower painted with green and white horizontal bands. A 2015 photo by Steffen Neumann is available but the light is no longer seen in Google's satellite view. In 2012 the Admiralty was listing a 3 m (10 ft) "column" for this light. Located at the north end of the commercial harbor sheltered by Ponta do Noronha. Site status unknown. PT-5548; Admiralty D5420; NGA 25704.


Ponta do Noronha Light, Moçamdes, January 2007
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Princesa-do-Namibe


* Fortaleza de São Fernando
Date unknown (late 1930s?). Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); red light occulting twice every 6 s. 4 m (13 ft) equipment building, painted white and mounted on the historic fort; the light is on a mast atop the roof. Alexander Nalivko has a photo of the fort, another view is available, and Google has a satellite view. The Admiralty reported this light reactivated in 2006. Located on the waterfront in Moçâmedes. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ANO-032; PT-5544; Admiralty D5418; NGA 25700.
Saco (Porto Salazar) Range Front (2?)
Date unknown (1967?). Active(?); focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red light, 1 s on, 1 s off. NGA's description is "white column, tower." Bing's satellite view suggests a fiberglass tower. Jeremias Malheiro has a photo that shows what may be an earlier tower leaning on the beach. Porto Salazar is an iron ore terminal located 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Moçâmedes. Portugal built this terminal in 1966-67 to ship iron ore from the Cassinga mine in the interior of the country. These shipments stopped during the civil war and have not resumed. The port was named originally for the Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar. Located on the waterfront. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty D5404; NGA 25692.
Saco (Porto Salazar) Range Rear
Date unknown (1967?). Active(?); focal plane 48 m (158 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. NGA's description is "white column, tower." Bing's satellite view suggests a skeletal tower atop a base of some kind. Located about 2.7 km (1.7 mi) northeast of the front light. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty D5404.1; NGA 25696.
* Ponta do Giraúl (Namibe, Moçâmedes) (2)
Date unknown (late 1930s?) (station established 1886). Inactive. 24 m (79 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 1-story keeper's house. A second 1-story keeper's house is nearby. Endangered. In Steffen Neumann's photo at right the lighthouse appears to be in very poor condition. A 2007 closeup photo and a historic closeup taken in the 1960s are available, Tomasz Poskrobko has a 2018 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located atop a vertical cliff at the northern entrance to the Baía de Namibe, about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Namibe. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ANO-019.


New and old Ponta do Giraúl Lights, Namibe, October 2015
photo copyright Steffen Neumann, courtesy of Jürgen Klinksiek; used by permission

* Ponta do Giraúl (Namibe, Moçâmedes) (3)
Date unknown (probably around 2005). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft) (?); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower, flared at the top and bottom, colored with red and white horizontal bands. Modern 1-story keeper's house. Steffen Neumann's photo is above right, Sumit Pandey has a 2019 photo, and Afonso Hipocrates has a 2017 photo showing the old and new towers. The new light was not seen in a 2004 view by Oscar Carmo (no longer online). Site open, tower closed. PT-5525; Admiralty D5400; NGA 25688.
Ponta Piambo
Date unknown (station established 1968 (?)). Reactivated; focal plane 54 m (177 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) square masonry tower, rising from the center of a keeper's house. Lighthouse painted with blue and white horizontal bands. Gualter Matos has a 2020 photo and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was restored in 2008 and it appears to be in good condition. Located on an isolated headland about 80 km (50 mi) north of Namibe. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-023; PT-5510; Admiralty D5370; NGA 25684.
Ponta Grossa
Date unknown (late 1930s?). Reactivated; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); four white flashes every 12 s. 14 m (46 ft) square masonry tower, rising from the north end of a keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. Eric Lafforgue has a 2010 closeup photo and Google has a good satellite view. Like the Ponta Piambo lighthouse this historic lighthouse has been restored and re-equipped with a solar-powered light. Located on a headland about 10 km (6 mi) northwest of Bentiaba. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-022; PT-5500; Admiralty D5356; NGA 25680.
* Cabo de Santa Marta
1925. Active; focal plane 48 m (157 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 14 m (46 ft) hexagonal cylindrical masonry tower attached to a 1-story equipment building. Lighthouse painted white. 1-story keeper's cottage and several smaller buildings. A photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. This is one of several lights in Namibe reported to have been rehabilitated in 2008. Located on a headland about 15 km (9 mi) west of Lucira. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS ANO-006; PT-5450; Admiralty D5346; NGA 25676.

Cabo de Santa Marta Light, Lucira, March 2019
Facebook photo by Cabo de Santa Marta

Benguela Province Lighthouses
Benguela Province is on the south central coast of Angola. Its capital, Benguela, has a population of more than half a million. Lobito, about 20 km (13 mi) north of Benguela, is a major port with a population of about 325,000. Lobito is the terminal of the historic Benguela Railway, completed in 1929 to bring copper ore and other minerals from Congo and Zambia. The railway was almost completely destroyed during Angola's civil war; it was rebuilt by a Chinese company and rededicated in 2015.
Cabo de Santa Maria
1939. Inactive, although still listed at focal plane 102 m (335 ft); three white flashes every 13 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower, formerly with lantern and gallery, rising from a small 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white; lantern destroyed and removed. Trabas has José da Palma's photo (also seen at right) and the light station also appears abandoned in a Google satellite view. Endangered. This station was heavily damaged during the civil war and there has been no effort to restore it. Located on a headland at Santa Maria. Site open but very difficult to reach except by sea. ARLHS ANO-005; PT-5440; Admiralty D5336; NGA 25672.
Ponta dos Frades
Date unknown (after 1967). Reactivated(?); focal plane 148 m (486 ft); white light occulting twice every 7.5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round white concrete tower attached to a white concrete duplex keeper's house. José da Palma has contributed a photo, Trabas has a different photo by Da Palma, and Google has a satellite view. Endangered (?). Da Palma found the lighthouse looted but basically intact in 2012. The Admiralty reported it reactivated in March 2019. Located on a headland about 35 km (22 mi) northeast of Santa Maria. Site open but difficult to reach. ARLHS ANO-021; PT-5436; Admiralty D5328; NGA 25668.
Ponta das Salinas (3)
2006 (station established 1888). Reactivated; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); white flash every 4 s. 38 m (125 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a concrete base. Trabas has José da Palma's photo and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was built in 2005-06 to replace a pyramidal skeletal tower. Located on a prominent point of land about 80 km (50 mi) southwest of Benguela. Site open (lighthouse fenced), tower closed. Accessible by 4x4 vehicles. ARLHS ANO-016; PT-5430; Admiralty D5324; NGA 25664.
Santa Maria Light
Cabo de Santa Maria Light, January 2012
photo copyright José da Palma; used by permission
* Baía Farta (Ponta de São José) (2?)
Date unknown (station established 1953). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); green flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) post light centered on a square 1-story equipment shelter. Lighthouse colored with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has José da Palma's photo and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was renovated or replaced in 2005-06. Located on the beach on a sandy point north of Baía Farta, a fishing town about 40 km (25 mi) west of Benguela. Site open (lighthouse fenced), tower closed. Accessible by a short walk from the village, which can be reached by car from Benguela. ARLHS ANO-030; Admiralty D5318.
Ponta do Sombreiro (4)
2006 (station established 1885). Active; focal plane about 130 m (427 ft); white light occulting once every 9 s. 15 m (49 ft) round fiberglass tower, colored with red and white horizontal bands. 1-story keeper's house covered with blue siding. Trabas has one of José da Palma's photos, another one is at right, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a hilltop about 800 m (1/2 mi) southwest of the historic light station (next entry). Accessible by road (local guidance may be needed). Site open (light station fenced), tower closed. PT-5420; Admiralty D5312; NGA 25648.
Ponta do Sombreiro (3)
Date unknown (1950s?) (station established 1885). Inactive for many years. 7 m (23 ft) post mounted on a small equipment building. Keeper's cottage, unroofed and in ruins. José da Palma has contributed a distant photo and Google has a satellite view. A 1939 chart (no longer online) has an image of a tall skeletal tower here. Located atop a very prominent headland (supposedly shaped like a sombrero) on the west side of the Baía de Benguela about 10 km (6 mi) west of the city. Site status unknown; José da Palma was unable to reach the station in 2012 because the road had been lost to erosion.
* Benguela Range Front
Date unknown (early/mid 1950s?). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); flash every 2 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) square tower with gallery, colored with red and white horizontal bands and also bearing a cross of the Order of Christ. Trabas has José da Palma's photo and Google has a satellite view. The deepwater port of Benguela is at Lobito; at the city itself there is no sheltered harbor. The range guides smaller vessels to an area where it is safe to anchor. Located on the beach 490 m (0.3 mi) northwest of the rear light (next entry), in an area used by Angolan police. Site and tower closed, but the light can be seen from the beach. ARLHS ANO-031; PT-5410; Admiralty D5300; NGA 25652.
Sombreiro Light
Ponta do Sombreiro Light, Benguela, January 2012
photo copyright José da Palma; used by permission
* Benguela Range Rear
Date unknown (1930s?). Reported inactive in 2012; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); red lens. Light mounted on a 12 m (39 ft) square tower of the church of Nossa Senhora do Pópulo. The light can be seen in the left (north) tower of the church in Dario Meyer's 2016 photo and in Trabas's photo by José da Palma. Another photo of the historic (1748) church is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a main street in downtown Benguela, about 400 m (1/4 mi) from the shore. Site open, tower status unknown. Admiralty D5300.1; NGA 25656.
* Ponta da Restinga (Ponta do Lobito) (2)
Date unknown (1930s?) (station established about 1910). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white light occulting once every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery but no lantern, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The lower third of the tower is enclosed by what appear to be metal panels. Steffen Neumann's photo is at right, Trabas has José da Palma's photo, Frederico Sá Pinto has posted an August 2004 photo (2/3 of the way down the page), and Google has a satellite view. Lighthouse Digest has a postcard view of the original lighthouse contributed by Michel Forand; it was a square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. The port of Lobito is sheltered by a narrow sandy spit that forms a natural breakwater. Located at the end of the spit, marking the west side of the harbor entrance. Site open, tower fenced and closed. Accessible by car. ARLHS ANO-037; PT-5400; Admiralty D5288; NGA 25644.
* Lobito (1)
1915. Inactive. 15 m (49 ft) cylindrical masonry tower with gallery and a small lantern, attached to a small keeper's cottage. Lighthouse painted white with one red horizontal band. The active light (focal plane 106 m (348 ft); two white flashes every 10 s) has been moved to a mast, also painted with red and white bands, next to the historic tower. A 2018 photo by José Sampaio Teixeira is at the top of this page, Claus Bunks has a 2007 closeup photo, Trabas has José da Palma's distant view, and Google has a good satellite view. In an older photo (no longer online) the lighthouse was painted all white. Klaus Huelse has a historic postcard view and a second postcard view showing the tower with a series of horizontal red or black and white bands. Damaged during Angola's civil wars, the lighthouse was nicely restored sometime between 2004 and 2007 and converted to a guest house. Located atop the bluffs on the east (mainland) side of the harbor entrance, north of the city. Da Palma found this area closed in early 2012 due to mine removal operations nearby. Site normally open, tower closed. ARLHS ANO-008. Active light: PT-5315; Admiralty D5280; NGA 25640.

Ponta da Restinga Light, Lobito, October 2015
photo copyright Steffen Neumann, courtesy of Jürgen Klinksiek; used by permission
[Ponta do Egito]
Date unknown (since 1967). Still listed, but inactive for many years and now largely destroyed. This was a 9 m (30 ft) tower, originally painted with red and white vertical stripes. No photo of that light is available, but Trabas has José da Palma's photo of what remains, and the station is seen in Google's satellite view. Da Palma visited this station in early 2012; he found it to be abandoned, with a ruined keeper's house. The light tower was blown up during the civil war. Located on a headland about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Egito Praia, a small town about 40 km (25 mi) north northeast of Lobito. The site is very difficult to reach. ARLHS ANO-018; PT-5305; Admiralty D5270; NGA 25636.

Kwanza Sul (Cuanza Sul) Province Lighthouses
Kwanza Sul province includes the central coast of Angola. It is primarily agricultural but Sumbe and Porto Amboim are important fishing ports.
Kikombo (Quicombo, Ponta Vermelha) (2)
2006 (station established 1939). Active; focal plane 137 m (449 ft); four white flashes every 12 s. 14 m (46 ft) round fiberglass tower, colored with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has José da Palma's photo and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse here, a square masonry tower, was blown up during the civil war and only a few ruins remain. Located on a bluff south of the fishing village of Kikombo (Quicombo), about 20 km (13 mi) south of Sumbe. Accessible by car from the main road 5 km (3 mi) to the east. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ANO-026; PT-5295; Admiralty D5250; NGA 25632.
* [Sumbe (Novo Redondo) (1)]
1889. Inactive. 7 m (23 ft) post formerly mounted on a 1-story house atop the northwest corner of a fort. The post has disappeared and the fort and the lighthouse are now in ruins. José da Palma has contributed the photo at right, another photo is available and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a hill in downtown Sumbe (Novo Redondo), the capital of Kwanza Sul Province, about 200 m (220 yd) from the shore. Site open, tower closed.
* Sumbe (Novo Redondo) (2)
Date unknown (around 1970?) (station established 1889). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 3 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) masonry tower with lantern, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has José da Palma's closeup photo, Da Palma has also contributed the photo at right, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located next to the remains of the historic lighthouse. Site open. ARLHS ANO-036; Admiralty D5240; NGA 25628.
Porto Amboim (1)
Date unknown (1920s or early 1930s). Inactive. 12 m (39 ft) white square tower with gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. A photo is posted on Twitter. Located on a prominent headland about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Porto Amboim. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-024.
Porto Amboim (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 110 m (361 ft); white light occulting twice every 6 s. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) round tower, painted white. Manuel S. Fonseca has a distant view and Google has a satellite view. Located a short distance seaward of the historic lighthouse. Site status unknown. PT-5272; Admiralty D5224; NGA 25624.
* Cambiri
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 64 m (210 ft); red flash every 4 s. 4 m (13 ft) concrete equipment shelter with a light on a short tower at one end. Building painted white. Mario Pinho has a closeup of the lens and a photo of one corner of the structure, the light is barely visible (on the right) in a view of the bluff and in Alex Marlony Dias Santos's street view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a prominent headland in Porto Amboim. Site open, tower closed. PT-5270; Admiralty D5226; NGA 25612.

New and Old Sumbe Lights, Sumbe, January 2012
photo copyright José da Palma; used by permission
Cabo das Tres Pontas
Date unknown (late 1930s?). Active; focal plane 51 m (167 ft); two white flashes every 7 s. 14 m (46 ft) square masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view of the station. Located on a headland about 60 km (37 mi) northwest of Porto Amboim. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-004; PT-5260; Admiralty D5200; NGA 25608.

Southern Bengo Province Lighthouse
Bengo Province surrounds Luanda, the national capital. The capital city, with its population of more than 8 million (a third of the country's population), has been a separate province since 1980.
Cabo Ledo
Date unknown (late 1930s?). Active; focal plane 102 m (335 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 11 m (36 ft) hexagonal masonry tower with gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white; the keeper's house roof is red tile. The lighthouse was heavily damaged by looters in 1994. The light station was restored in 2004 and the original lantern was removed at that time. A photo by Hélio Dias de Brito Teixeira is at right and Google has a satellite view of the station. Cabo Ledo, in southern Bengo Province 120 km (75 mi) south of Luanda, is famous for beautiful beaches and fine surfing; the government is working to improve security in this area enough to attract more foreign visitors. Located on a headland south of the town of Cabo Ledo. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-007; PT-5255; Admiralty D5180; NGA 25604.

Luanda Province Lighthouses
* [Ponta das Palmeirinhas (3)]
1936 (station established 1889). Inactive. Originally this was a square steel skeletal tower, roughly 27 m (89 ft) tall, mounted on a square 1-story concrete equipment building. The skeletal tower has collapsed but Octavio Perez has contributed a photo of the ruins of the equipment building and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a postcard view of the second lighthouse, an octagonal cast iron skeletal tower with lantern and gallery roughly 23 m (75 ft) tall. Located on a prominent headland about 65 km (40 mi) southwest of Luanda. Site open, tower closed.
#Ponta das Palmeirinhas (4)
Date unknown (station established 1889). Replaced around 2019. This was an approx. 27 m (89 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery. Octavio Perez has contributed a photo. This tower was removed by 2021.
* Ponta das Palmeirinhas (5)
Around 2019 (station established 1889). Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 4.5 s. Approx. 27 m (89 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A small concrete equipment building stands next to the tower. No recent photo available but Google has a satellite view of the station. This light station marks a great westward bulge in the coastline south of Luanda. Located on a prominent headland about 65 km (40 mi) southwest of Luanda. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ANO-015; PT-5250; Admiralty D5150; NGA 25600.

Cabo Ledo Light, Cabo Ledo, December 2021
Google Maps photo by Hélio Dias de Brito Teixeira
* Ilha do Cabo (Ilha do Luanda) (4)
2002 or later (station established 1930s). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); three white flashes every 8 s. 11 m (36 ft) fiberglass tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Oloyede Ifeoluwa's 2017 photo is at right, Royer Elizandra has a 2009 photo, Eurico Xavier has a 2019 photo, Trabas has a view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. The previous lighthouse was described as a square skeletal tower, painted white, mounted on a building. Wikimapia has an image of earlier lighthouse (perhaps the original). Luanda, the capital city of Angola, has one of the best harbors of southwestern Africa, sheltered behind a sandy barrier island known as Ilha do Cabo, Ilha do Luanda, or simply "The Ilha." The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway at its southern end. The lighthouse is located at the northern end, marking the entrance to the harbor. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ANO-033; PT-5205; Admiralty D5101; NGA 25584.
* Ponta das Lagostas (Mórro das Lagostas) (2)
Around 1930 (station established 1880). Inactive. 14 m (46 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white. Trabas has Douglas Cameron's view of the station. Endangered. Huelse has posted a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse, which had a lower focal plane of 64 m (210 ft). Located on a headland about 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Luanda. Site appears open, tower presumably closed. ARLHS ANO-014.
* Ponta das Lagostas (Mórro das Lagostas) (3)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 81 m (266 ft); red light occulting twice every 6 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round barbell-shaped tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Douglas Cameron's view and Google has a satellite view. Site appears open, tower closed. PT-5204; Admiralty D5100; NGA 25576.
* Cacuaco
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); one long (2 s) yellow flash every 12 s. 9 m (30 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, mounted on a square concrete base. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the waterfront at Cacuaco, a town about 30 km (19 mi) east of Luanda. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D5090.

Ilha do Cabo Light, Luanda, November 2017
Google Maps photo by Oloyede Ifeoluwa

Northern Bengo Province Lighthouses
Barra do Dande (Ponta do Dande)
1968. Active; focal plane 63 m (207 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands; lantern roof painted blue. João Cunha has a 2018 photo, Dario Andrade has a 2022 closeup, there is a postage stamp image and Google has a satellite view. Located on a prominent headland sheltering the harbor of Barra do Dande. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-017; PT-5193; Admiralty D5080; NGA 25572.
Ambriz
1930s? (station established 1883). Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); four white flashes every 12 s. 14 m (46 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, originally painted white. A photo is available and Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland near Ambriz. Site and tower closed (military base area). ARLHS ANO-001; PT-5180; Admiralty D5060; NGA 25568.

Zaire Province Lighthouses
Zaire Province is in the northwestern corner of Angola, separated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by the Congo River. The Congo River was called Zaire by Portuguese colonists, a name adapted from a native word nzere for a great river. The DRC was known as Zaire or Zaïre from 1971 to 1997.
N'Zeto (Ambrizete) (2)
1930s? (station established 1888). Clearly inactive but listed with focal plane 34 m (112 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower, originally painted white; the tower carries a cross-shaped daymark. Rosario Bidarra's 2007 photo is at right, Marco Santos's 2022 photo shows an abandoned lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. Endangered. Sailing directions mention a disused lighthouse here. Located on a headland about 5 km (3 mi) south of N'Zeto (Ambrizete). Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-002; PT-5172; Admiralty D5040; NGA 25564.
Ponta do Quinzáu (Kinzau) (2?)
Date unknown (since 1967). Active; focal plane 55 m (180 ft); three short white flashes followed by one long (2.6 s) white flash every 12 s. Listed as a 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower, painted with black and yellow horizontal bands, but Google's satellite view appears to show a slender round tower painted with horizontal bands. The original lighthouse appears to be in ruins with no tower standing. No photo available. Located on a headland just south of Quinzau. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-020; PT-5166; Admiralty D5006; NGA 25560.
Cabeça da Cobra
1930s?. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white flash every 4 s. 13 m (43 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the center of a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but there is a postage stamp image (right stamp in second row) and Google has a satellite view. Located about 65 km (40 mi) south of Soyo. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-003; PT-5161; Admiralty D5003; NGA 25556.
Moita Seca (Congo River, Shark Point) (3)
2002 (station established 1889). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) fiberglass tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The light is seen in the center of Kellie Pendoley's distant aerial view, there is a postage stamp image (left stamp in first row), and Google has a satellite view. This modern light replaced a 1919 hexagonal cast iron skeletal tower, 24 m (79 ft) tall. The original light was on a post next to a keeper's house. The lighthouse stands at the base of a sandy spit on the south side of the entrance to the Congo River. Located about 15 km (9 mi) east of the river port of Soyo. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-035; PT-5030; Admiralty D4380; NGA 25528.
Farol de N'Zeto
N'Zeto Light, N'Zeto, November 2007
ex-Panoramio photo copyright Rosario Bidarra; permission requested

Cabinda Province Lighthouses
Cabinda is an exclave (a detached province) of Angola, separated from the rest of the country by a strip of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 50 km (30 mi) wide, along the north bank of the Congo (Zaire) River. Formerly known as Portuguese Congo, Cabinda was administered separately by Portugal until 1956. A long-running campaign by separatists has not succeeded in establishing Cabinda as an independent state, but some fighting continues. The city of Cabinda, the major town of the province, does not have a sheltered harbor; ships anchor in an open roads offshore. In July 2009 the Angolan government announced plans to develop a deep-water port in Cabinda; no timetable was given. Aids to navigation in Cabinda are maintained by the Porto de Cabinda.

Ponta do Táfe (Cabinda, Ponta de Farol) (4)
2002 (station established 1888). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); two white flashes, separated by 3.5 s, every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) fiberglass tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but there is a postage stamp image (right stamp in first row) and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the third lighthouse, a white square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Located at the tip of Ponta de Farol, a point of land at the south end of the bay of Cabinda, just southwest of the city. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-013; PT-5010; Admiralty D4340; NGA 25504.
Simulambuco Range Front (?)
Date unknown (since 1967). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red light, 1 s on, 1 s off. Square masonry tower, painted white. No photo available and the lighthouse is not seen in Google's satellite view. This is the entrance range for the Cabinda anchorage. Located on the waterfront in Cabinda. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-028; PT-5013; Admiralty D4343; NGA 25508.
Simulambuco Range Rear (?)
Date unknown (since 1967). Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. Square masonry tower, painted white. No photo available and the lighthouse is not seen in Google's satellite view. Located 300 m (0.2 mi) east southeast of the front light in Cabinda. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-029; PT-5013.1; Admiralty D4343.1; NGA 25512.
Malongo Range Front
Date unknown. Inactive since 2014 (still listed by NGA with focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red light, 1 s on, 1 s off). 10 m (33 ft) triangular solid concrete tower, unpainted. The shadow of the tower is seen in Google's satellite view. Malongo is the base for operations of Chevron Oil in Cabinda. Located on the waterfront, just north of the pier and about 40 km (25 mi) north of Cabinda. Site status unknown. ex-Admiralty D4332; ex-PT-5002; NGA 25496.
Malongo Range Rear
Date unknown. Inactive since 2014 (still listed by NGA with focal plane 121 m (397 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off)). 10 m (33 ft) triangular solid concrete tower, unpainted. The shadow of the tower is seen in Google's satellite view. Located 400 m (1/4 mi) east northeast of the front light. Site status unknown. ex-Admiralty D4332.1; ex-PT-5002.1; NGA 25500.
Ponta de Lândana (Kakongo) (3)
Date unknown (1950s?) (station established 1888). Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); white light, 3 s on, 2 s off. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower, painted white, rising from a 1-story keeper's house. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a headland just south of Kakongo (Cacongo), about 55 km (35 mi) north of Cabinda city. Site status unknown. ARLHS ANO-025; PT-5000; Admiralty D4326; NGA 25492.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Republic of the Congo | Northeast: Democratic Republic of the Congo | South: Namibia

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Posted September 30, 2005. Checked and revised March 6, 2024. Lighthouses: 51. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.