Farol do Albarnaz

The original Lighthouse and Beacon Plan proposed building a 4th‑order lighthouse at Ponta Delgada, but the 1902 Commission disagreed, recommending instead a 1st‑order device at Ponta do Albarnaz. The decision was not unanimous; a hyper‑radiant apparatus was even considered, but its high cost and small advantage in range made it unviable. It was finally decided to install a 1st‑order device. In 1922, 5,525 m² of land were expropriated for the lighthouse, which began operating on 28 January 1925 with a 3rd‑order lens and a constant‑level oil lamp, rotated by a clockwork mechanism. The lamp was upgraded to petroleum‑vapor incandescence in 1938. A military plane crashed nearby in 1944. The lighthouse was electrified by generators in 1956 and fitted with a 3000 W lamp. A telephone was added in 1959, and more land purchased in 1968. The lamp power was reduced in 1983. The lighthouse is now automated and was connected to the public power grid in 2008.