Farol do Cabo Carvoeiro

The lighthouse at Cabo Carvoeiro was put into operation in 1790 and is one of the oldest on the Portuguese coast. The light was white, steady, and produced by sixteen Argand lamps with parabolic reflectors, powered by olive oil. A few years later, the olive oil was replaced by petroleum, but the same catoptric apparatus continued to be used. When it became necessary to switch from a steady light to a flashing light, the optical apparatus was replaced in 1923 with a new 4th-order rotating one, which produced groups of 4 flashes, powered by a clock mechanism.

The petroleum that had powered the light source until then was replaced by gas in 1947. In 1952, the lighthouse was electrified with power from the public grid, and the light source was replaced with an electric incandescent lamp. In 1988, the lighthouse was renovated, the lens-based unit was removed, and it was replaced with a PRB-46.