Lighthouses of Cape Verde

The Cape Verde Islands are a group of ten volcanic islands located in the Atlantic roughly 700 km (430 mi) west northwest of Cape Verde, the westernmost point of the African continent. Most the islands feature rugged scenery and all have attractive beaches popular with tourists. These islands were uninhabited until they were discovered and settled by Portuguese explorers in the 1400s. After 500 years as a Portuguese colony the islands became independent as the Republic of Cape Verde (Cabo Verde in Portuguese) in 1975.

The islands are arranged in two lines converging toward the east. The southern group is the Ilhas de Sotavento (Leeward Islands) and the northern group is the Ilhas de Barlavento (Windward Islands).

The languages spoken in the islands include Portuguese and a local creole language. 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.

Aids to navigation in Cape Verde are operated by the Instituto Marítimo Portuário (IMP).

Special thanks to Harm Carrette, who visited six of the islands in early 2019 and shared his observations and photos.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. PT numbers are from the IMP list; these are certainly the original Portuguese light list numbers. 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
Faróis de Cabo Verde
Articles on the Portuguese edition of Wikipedia, most with photos.
Online List of Lights - Cape Verde
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. Photos for Cape Verde are by Thomas Philipp, Eckhard Meyer, and Douglas Cameron.
Lighthouses in Cape Verde
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
World of Lighthouses - Cape Verde
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Afrikanische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Postcards from the collection of Klaus Huelse.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for the islands.


Dona Amélia (Ponta Machado) Light, São Vicente, February 2019
contributed photo copyright Harm Carrette; used by permission.

Ilhas Sotavento Lighthouses

Ilha Brava and Ilhéu de Cima Lighthouses
Ilha Brava ("Wild Island") is at the southwestern corner of Cape Verde; it is the smallest of the inhabited islands and its population is less than 6000. It has no airport, so the only access is by interisland ferry from Praia.

Ponta Nhô Martinho
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); four white flashes every 15 s. 4 m (13 ft) square white tower. R. Onschroeder has a very distant view from the sea and Google has a satellite view. Located on a sharp promontory at the southern tip of Ilha Brava. Site status unknown. PT-2184; Admiralty D2910; NGA 24240.
Ponta Jalunga
1891. Active; focal plane 23 m (76 ft); three white flashes in a 2+1 pattern every 12 s. 8 m (26 ft) white masonry column with external masonry stairway, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. No photo available but a postage stamp (second from left) has a closeup view of the lighthouse and Google has a satellite view. Located north of the entrance to the harbor of Furna, at the northeastern corner of Ilha Brava. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CAP-013; PT-2180; Admiralty D2908; NGA 24236.
Ilhéu de Cima
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 80 m (262 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 4 m (13 ft) square tower, painted white, with a white lantern. A small keeper's cottage is nearby. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island about 20 km (13 mi) northwest of São Filipe, Ilha do Fogo, and 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Vila Nova Sintra, Ilha Brava. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. PT-2190; Admiralty D2904; NGA 24260.

Ilha do Fogo Lighthouse
Ilha Fogo ("Fire Island") has the only volcano in the islands that has been active in historic times; the last eruption was in 2014-15. The sides of the volcano rise steeply from the sea, and its conical peak rises to an elevation of 2829 m (9281 ft). Despite the difficult topography the island has a population of about 45,000.

Ponta do Alcatraz
Date unknown. Inactive as of 2019; listed with focal plane 135 m (443 ft); white flash every 4 s. 3 m (10 ft) cylindrical white concrete tower with lantern. Lantern painted red. Abandoned keeper's house. No photo available but Google has a satellite view of the station. When Carrette visited in 2019 he found the lamp and solar panels missing, probably stolen. Located on the southeastern side of the island. Site status unknown. PT-2164; Admiralty D2898; NGA 24256.

Ilha de Santiago Lighthouses
Santiago is the largest of the Cape Verde Islands and by far the most populous. Nearly 300,000 people live on the island. Praia ("beach"), at the southern end of Santiago, is the capital of the country and its largest city.

Ponta do Lobo
1887. Reactivated (inactive as of 2004); focal plane 17 m (56 ft); four white flashes every 15 s. 9 m (30 ft) trapezoidal tower attached to a 1-story keeper's house. The lighthouse was abandoned at the time Simon Gadaleta operated his amateur radio station there in 2004. His photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. Accessible by 4WD. Located at the southeastern point of Santiago. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS CAP-006; PT-2125; Admiralty D2882; NGA 24210.

Ponta do Lobo Light, Santiago, 2004
photo copyright Simon Gadaleta (IZ7ATN); used by permission
Praia Cais Novo (New Pier)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green flash every 4 s. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower colored with green and white horizontal bands. Luis Orlando has a distant street view, Aníldio Costa has a very distant drone view, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the cruise ship pier on the east side of the entrance to the harbor of Praia. Admiralty D2881.
* Praia (Dona Maria Pia, Ponta Temerosa)
1881. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 21 m (69 ft) octagonal masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Entire structure painted white; lantern roof is gray. A photo is at right, Trabas has Meyer's photo, Wikimedia has many photos, Ulf Ståhle has a photo, Nicolas Gel has a 2019 photo, the lighthouse has appeared on a postage stamp, and Google has a satellite view. For many years photos showed the lighthouse to be much in need of restoration and painting; a 2016 photo is typical. In 2018 it was completely restored inside and out. There are plans to add a small museum and a café at the station. Located on Ponta Temerosa on the west side of the entrance to Praia harbor, about 3.5 km (2 mi) southwest of the town. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CAP-003; PT-2136; Admiralty D2876; NGA 24204.
Ponta Preta (Tarrafal) (2)
2019 (?) (station established 1889). Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 9 m (30 ft) round barbell-shaped tower colored with black and white horizontal bands, standing in front of a 1-story keeper's house. Isildo “Jeffrey” Timas has a 2022 photo. The original light was on a white post light on a pyramidal base. Wikimedia has a photo and several other views of that light, Trabas has Meyer's distant view from the sea, a postage stamp (far right of the four pictured) has a closeup view of the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. When Carrette visited in early 2019 he found that the historic light had been removed. Tarrafal is a fishing port near the northwestern tip of Santiago. Located at the northeastern entrance to the Baia de Tarrafal, north of town. Site status unknown. PT-2148; Admiralty D2890; NGA 24215.
Ponta Moreia
Date unknown. Inactive; listed with focal plane 96 m (315 ft); five white flashes every 20 s. 8 m (26 ft) square concrete tower, painted white. Adylson Sousa has a 2018 photo, Carrette has a 2019 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Carrette found this light abandoned with no light and no solar panels. Located at the northernmost point of Santiago. Accessible by a hiking trail. Site status unknown. PT-2150; Admiralty D2888; NGA 24214.

Praia Light, Santiago, February 2019
contributed photo copyright Harm Carrette; used by permission

Ilha de Maio Lighthouses
The Ilha de Maio ("Isle of May") occupies the southeastern corner of the Cape Verde Islands, south of Boa Vista and east of Santiago.

Forte de São José (Vila do Maio)
1887. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); three red flashes every 12 s. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) square stone tower of the Forte de São José. Tower painted white. Suzilene Andrade has a 2019 closeup photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on the waterfront in Vila do Maio, on the southwestern side of the Ilha do Maio. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS CAP-009; PT-2115; Admiralty D2872; NGA 24200.
Ponta Cais
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 7 s. 7 m (23 ft) metal tower with lantern, according to NGA. No photo available but Google has a satellite view of the station. Located on the northernmost point of Ilha de Maio. Site status unknown. ARLHS CAP-011; PT-2118; Admiralty D2874; NGA 24202.

Ilhas Barlavento Lighthouses

Ilha da Boa Vista (Boavista) Lighthouses
Known for its fine beaches, Boa Vista ("Good View") is a roughly round island about 40 km (25 mi) south of Sal. The island has a population of about 15,000.
Morro Negro
Around 1930. Active; focal plane 163 m (535 ft); white flash every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Hazze Wijnhoven's 2019 photo is at right, Karsten Schneider has a 2021 photo, lighthouse is featured on a postage stamp, and Bing has a satellite view. The lighthouse had deteriorated severely by the time of Diana Talamazzin's 2017 closeup photo but it was restored sometime in 2018-19. The results are seen in Hazze Wijnhoven's photo at right and in Philipp's photo posted by Trabas. Located on a steep bluff on the east side of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CAP-005; PT-2102; Admiralty D2914; NGA 24196.
Ponta Varandinha (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 7 m (23 ft) round barbell-shaped fiberglass tower colored with black and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Philipp's photo, Marek Mašek has a 2022 closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a bluff above a popular beach at the southwestern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CAP-014; Admiralty D2916; NGA 24197.
Ribeira de Rabil
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 9 m (30 ft); white light, pattern unknown. 7 m (23 ft) round barbell-shaped fiberglass tower colored with black and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Philipp's photo, Rita Mercier has a 2022 photo, but the light is not seen in Google's satellite view. Located on the Praia Carlota beach about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) south of Sal Rei. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D2917.
* [Calheta de Velho]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); three red flashes every 12 s. 6 m (20 ft) post adjacent to a 1-story harbor master's office. Trabas has Meyer's photo, Daniel Mendes da Silva has a street view, and the harbor master's office is centered in Google's satellite view. Located on the original quay of Sal Rei, a town on the northwestern coast of Boa Vista. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D2919; NGA 24193.

Morro Negro Light, Boa Vista, November 2019
Google Maps photo by Hazze Wijnhoven

Sal Rei (Ponta da Escuma) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1888). Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); five flashes every 20 s, white or red depending on direction. 8 m (26 ft) round barbell-shaped fiberglass tower colored with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Philipp's photo, Patrick Bantigny has a 2022 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Next to the tower is the former light, a 5 m (17 ft) concrete tower with a staircase. A small keeper's cottage is now in ruins. Located on the Ilha da Sal Rei, marking the entrance to the harbor of Sal Rei. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. PT-2106; Admiralty D2918; NGA 24192.
Ponta do Sol
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 117 m (384 ft); four white flashes every 15 s. 7 m (23 ft) round barbell-shaped fiberglass tower colored with black and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Philipp's photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on a steep ridge at the northern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D2919.5; NGA 24198.
 

Ilha do Sal Lighthouses
Named for the salt mines of Pedra de Lume, the Ilha do Sal (Salt Island) is the northeasternmost of the Cape Verde Islands. Relatively flat, it is the site of one of the country's international airports.
* Ponta de Vera Cruz (Santa Maria) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 9 m (30 ft); five green flashes every 20 s. 4 m (13 ft) round concrete tower rising from the seaward end of the Restaurante Farolim. Light tower painted white. Holger Heerdegen has a 2022 photo, Ziggy Martin has a 2015 street view, Mark Oscarsson has a 2017 street view, and Google has a satellite view. NGA describes a "white framework tower" at this station. Located on the beach at Santa Maria, on the south coast of the island. Site open, tower closed. PT-2080; Admiralty D2922.5 (ex-D2924); NGA 24168.
* Ponta do Sinó
1892. Active (?); focal plane 11 m (36 ft); three white flashes in a 2+1 pattern every 15 s. 9 m (30 ft) square concrete tower with a staircase that winds up to the light. Lighthouse painted white. A photo by Miklos Kiss is at right, Teresa Schilder has a closeup photo, Ulf Ståhle has a good photo, Fabio Flowerside has another photo, Trabas has Meyer's closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Carrette found this lighthouse in good condition but with some graffiti. Ponta do Sinó is a popular location for windsurfing. Located at the southern tip of the island, about 6 km (4 mi) southwest of Santa Maria. Once lonely on the beach at the southern tip of the island the light is now surrounded by recent development and is accessible by road; its light must be obscured by the new buildings. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CAP-007; PT-2084(?); Admiralty D2922; NGA 24164.
Rabo de Junco (Ponta Pesqueirona)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (45 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round barbell-shaped fiberglass tower colored with black and white horizontal bands. A sea view is available and Google has a satellite view. Piotr Krawczyński's 2021 distant view shows the light in front of the steep slope of Monte Leão. The light is named for the Ilhéu Rabo de Junco, an island just offshore, but it is located nearby on the mainland Ponta Pesqueirona, a promontory on the west coast of Ilha do Sal. Site status unknown. Admiralty D2919.9.
Farol de Ponta Sinó
Ponta do Sinó Light, Sal, April 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Miklos Kiss
* #Ponta Norte (Reguinho Fiúra) (2)
Date unknown (around 1940?) (station established 1897). Inactive at least since the 1960s. Now in ruins, the lighthouse was originally an 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical masonry tower, painted white. Bergtor Roald Opsett has a photo, Daniel Almeida has a photo, Óscar Oter's photo is at right, and Bing has a satellite view of the ruins. Very little remains of the tower. The original lighthouse was a 13 m (43 ft) cast iron tower with keeper's house. Located at the northern tip of the island, near the village of Reguinho Fiúra. Site open, tower closed.
* Ponta Norte (Farol da Fiúra) (3)
Date unknown (recent). Active; focal plane about 19 m (62 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 9 m (30 ft) round barbell-shaped fiberglass tower colored with black and white horizontal bands. Óscar Oter's photo is at right. Located next to the ruins of the historic lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. PT-2070; Admiralty D2919.75; NGA 24147.
* Pedra de Lume
Date unknown. Active (?); light characteristics unknown. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round red metal tower with a conical base. Pascal Bonvard has a 2018 view from the harbor, Piotr Kwiatkowski has a closeup street view, and Google has a satellite view. Pedra de Lume is a small port on the east side of the island., formerly used to ship salt. Located on a hill east of the harbor. Not listed by the Admiralty and not charted by Navionics.
* Pedra de Lume Mole
Date unknown. Clearly inactive but still listed by the Admiralty. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) square stone tower on a square stone base with a stairway. Fatima Rodrigues has a 2015 photo, Styve Reineck has a view across the small harbor, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater at Pedra de Lume. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D2923.6.

Ponta Norte Light, Sal, September 2019
Google Maps photo by Óscar Oter
* Pedra de Lume Second Range Rear (1?)
Date unknown. Inactive, though still listed as having focal plane 13 m (43 ft) and a continuous red light. Chapel painted white with an orange tile roof; a series of brown and white horizontal bands were painted in a strip up the side and roof as a daymark. Wikimedia has several photos of the chapel but no light is seen. Several photos (no longer online) showed that the light was moved to a small wood skeletal tower next to the chapel, but that tower seems to have been removed as well. Google has a satellite view. Site open, building status unknown. Admiralty D2923.1; NGA 24180.

Ilha de São Nicolau Lighthouses
Predominately rural, São Nicolau (St. Nicholas) lies about 50 km (30 mi) east southeast of São Vicente. The island's three small lighthouses are all in areas difficult to visit.

Ponta Leste (Ponta Calheta) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 73 m (240 ft); four white flashes every 10 s. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) square white concrete tower with lantern. No photo available but Bing has a distant satellite view. NGA lists a smaller tower. Located at the eastern tip of the Ilha de São Nicolau. Site status unknown. PT-2050; Admiralty D2930; NGA 24144.
Preguiça (Porto Velho) (1)
Date unknown. Inactive. 7 m (23 ft) white concrete tower. No photo available but Bing has a distant satellite view. The light has moved to the pier of the harbor. Located on heights above Porto Velho, a small port on the south coast of the island. Carrette was able to view this lighthouse from a distance. Site status unknown. ex-Admiralty D2936; NGA 24136.
Ponta do Barril
1891. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 9 m (30 ft) square pyramidal masonry tower with a small lantern. Keeper's house nearby. David Rubio Vidal's 2022 closeup is at right, Lightphotos.net has a photo, Sergio Machado has a closeup photo, a postage stamp (first stamp on the left) has a closeup view of the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the western end of Ilha de São Nicolau. Site status unknown. ARLHS CAP-001; PT-2058; Admiralty D2934; NGA 24132.

Ponta do Barril Light, São Nicolau, July 2022
Google Maps photo by David Rubio Vidal

Ilha de São Vicente Lighthouses
A relatively flat island by Cape Verde standards, São Vicente (St. Vincent) lies about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Santo Antão across the São Vicente Channel. The island has a population of about 75,000 and has several resorts.

Ilhéu dos Pássaros (Farol Don Luís, Porto Grande) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1882). Active; focal plane 86 m (282 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 5 m (16 ft) hexagonal equipment room with a small lantern. Tower painted white, lantern red. This lighthouse is perched atop a conical rock; the keepers house, which is also a signal station, is halfway down the slope, with a remarkable stairway connecting it to the light. Thomas Hackl's photo is at right, a distant view is available, Trabas has a view from the sea by Cameron, a postage stamp (third stamp in line) has a closeup view of the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the original light, which was 12 m (39 ft) tall; it's not known whether the existing tower is the stump of the original or if it is a shorter replacement. Carrette found that the lighthouse has been restored recently. Located in the entrance to Porto Grande, the harbor of Mindelo, on the northwest side of Ilha de São Vicente. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS CAP-010; PT-2024; Admiralty D2942; NGA 24100.
[Cabnave (Mindelo Breakwater)]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); red flash every 2 s. 4 m (13 ft) light atop a square platform resting on a small square masonry tower. Trabas has Cameron's view from the sea and Bing has a very distant satellite view. Located on a breakwater on the east side of the entrance to Mindelo. Site status unknown. Admiralty D2943; NGA 24104.
*** Ponta Machado (Dona Amélia, São Pedro)
1894. Active; focal plane 56 m (184 ft); white flash every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) square cylindrical stucco-clad masonry tower with lantern and gallery rising from the front of a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white with gold trim. Carrette's photo is at the top of this page, Catherine Schadelle has a 2021 photo, another good photo and a more distant view are available, Trabas has a view by Capt. Theo Hinrichs, Wikimedia has another view, the lighthouse has also appeared on a postage stamp, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view showing the lighthouse with the original lantern. The lighthouse was repainted in 2006. In 2018 it was completely restored and a new lantern was installed. Located at the western point of Ilha de São Vicente, marking the entrance to the channel between São Vicente and Santo Antão. Accessible from São Pedro by a hiking trail notched into the cliffs. Site open, and Fünfzig found the tower to be open during his 2004 visit. ARLHS CAP-002; PT-2020; Admiralty D2946; NGA 24096.

Ilha de Santo Antão Lighthouses
Santo Antão ("Saint Anthony") is the northwesternmost island of the group. Much of the island is quite rugged. The principal towns are Ponta do Sol on the north coast, which has an airport, and Porto Novo on the south coast, which has a ferry terminal.

*
Ponta do Sol
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) round barbell-shaped tower painted with black and white horizontal bands. Carrette's photo is at right and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the waterfront at Ponta do Sol, at the northern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. PT-2004; Admiralty D2952; NGA 24088.
Ponta de Tumbo (Fontes Pereira de Melo) (1)
1886. Reactivated; focal plane 162 m (531 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 16 m (52 ft) octagonal stucco-clad masonry tower with lantern and gallery. The adjacent 1-story rubblestone keeper's house has collapsed in ruins. Lighthouse originally painted white. Carrette's photo is below right, Diogo Botelho has a 2020 photo, a distant photo is available, Wikimedia has a very distant view, the lighthouse also appears on a postage stamp, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was gravely endangered, as seen in Bergtor Roald Opsett's 2013 closeup photo. His photo also shows a then-active active light on a small concrete pyramid in front of the historic tower. The light station was completely restored sometime around 2017 and the light is back in the original tower. Huelse has a historic postcard view (misidentified on the card as São Pedro Light on São Vicente). Located at the northeastern point of Santo Antão, about 10 km (6 mi) southeast of Pombas. Site status unknown. ARLHS CAP-004; PT-2008; Admiralty D2950; NGA 24080.
[Ponta de Mangrade (3)]
Around 2020. Active; focal plane 112 m (367 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round tower colred with blaack and white horizontal bands. This light replaced a 3 m (10 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with lantern. The original light here was mounted on a keeper's house and the modern light appears to be within the foundation ruins of this house. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This is the westernmost light of the islands, and thus the westernmost of all African lighthouses; it stands in longitude 25°21.8' W. Located at the western point of Ilha de Santo Antão. Site status unknown; the area is quite remote. PT-2013; Admiralty D2954; NGA 24092.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:


Don Luís Light, Ilhéu dos Pássaros, January 2021
Google Maps photo by Thomas Hackl


Ponta do Sol Light, Santo Antão, February 2019
contributed photo copyright Harm Carrette; used by permission.


Ponta de Tumbo Light, Santo Antão, February 2019
contributed photo copyright Harm Carrette; used by permission.

Adjoining page: East: Senegal

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted September 2, 2005. Checked and revised March 26, 2023. Lighthouses: 36. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.