Farol do Ilhéu de Cima

The 1883 General Lighting Plan proposed a lighthouse on Porto Santo, at Ilhéu Branco, with a 2nd order optic. However, a 1896 study revealed no such islet existed. The lighthouse was instead built on Ilhéu de Cima and began operating on May 11, 1901, with a provisional 6th order optic and fixed white petroleum light. The tower is 15m high, at 124m altitude. In 1923, the building was expanded, and in 1925, a 2nd order rotating optic replaced the original. In 1935, the light source changed to petroleum vapor. Electrification came in 1956 with 3000W lamps. In 1982, the Fresnel lens was replaced by a PRB-21 system, later removed in 2003 and replaced by the solar-powered BGA 850 - ODA 360. In 1992, four Moroccan stowaways disabled the light to signal their presence. In 2008, a lighthouse residence was repurposed for environmental education by Madeira Natural Park.