Visit to Recalada Lighthouse and the Lighthouse Museum

Inaugurated on January 1, 1906, it stands on a 67-meter-tall metallic tower and is undoubtedly the highest lighthouse in South America when it comes to open structures.

Its great perspective is ideal to catch a matchless glimpse of the city and its beaches, as well as of other nearby geographical features.

Open to visitors year round, the lighthouse offers guided tours around its venue and the Naval Museum, which displays samples of historical naval pieces related to Recalada Lighthouse.

Text excerpts, nautical charts, photographs, lamps, light systems and solar valves are discovered by visitors as the tourist guide tells them the history of the place, the light station and the advantages this kind of structures provide for navigators.

It lies on the southern shore of the Province of Buenos Aires, approximately 7 miles West of the mouth of Sauce Grande Creek. Due to its characteristics, it is highly useful for sailors. Its exact location is 39° 00' S and 61° 16' W.

It was built with a tubular shaped tower with horizontal red and white stripes. It gains height through a central iron cylinder with a 1.50-meter diameter and 8 columns of cast iron.

Inside, a spiral staircase made of solid iron is made up of exactly 293 steps: the great attraction to reach the top, both for children and grown-ups.

In 2006, Recalada Lighthouse turned 100 years old. The same year, on May 1, the people of Monte Hermoso dressed up to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of their nautical emblem and to present its new façade.
For six long months, the Navy, the local municipality and Tersuave (famous paint shop) joined their efforts to give the lighthouse its original esthetic look and its historical relevance.

Today, the Recalada, as everyone refers to it, undoubtedly is one of the highest lighthouses in South America and one of the most eye-catching in Argentina and the world.
At over sixty meters of height, a group of 13 men performed refurbishing tasks which included painting and the restoration of the old iron mass. They struggled against the strong winds to give back the beauty that has characterized the lighthouse structure for a hundred years.
The Recalada is one of the greatest tourist attractions in the City of Monte Hermoso and for years it has been fulfilling tasks related to naval hydrography. Its significance consists in guiding sailors to Puerto Belgrano and Puerto Bahía Blanca.