The Farol da Barra lighthouse in the Brazilian city of Salvador is the oldest lighthouse in South America and guards the entrance to the Ponta de Santo Antônio strait from a prominent rocky outcrop.
The popular Farol da Barra lighthouse in the Brazilian city of Salvador was built in 1839. The oldest lighthouse in all of South America is one of our top 10 sights in Salvador da Bahia. It sits prominently on a prominent rocky outcrop on the Atlantic coast, which was already used as a maritime orientation aid in the 16th century before the lighthouse was built.
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Around the lighthouse there are a few street vendors offering souvenirs for sale to visitors to the lighthouse. If you are not interested, they accept it immediately.
Tip: The lighthouse is one of the few places in Brazil from which you can watch the sun sink into the sea in the evening. If you have the chance, you should not miss this breathtaking natural spectacle!
The Farol da Barra was built in the middle of the Santo Antônio da Barra fortress. The mighty bulwark was erected as early as 1698, named after its builder, and has guarded the entrance to the Ponta de Santo Antônio strait for centuries.
Above it, the light of the Farol da Barra now shines in a white-white-red rhythm; the majestic tower itself has black and white horizontal stripes. With a tower height of 22 metres, the light signal is a total of around 40 metres above sea level.
From Farol da Barra, you have a magnificent view of the sea and the Barra district of Salvador. The fort and the lighthouse are spectacularly illuminated at night - so night shots against this incredible backdrop have a special appeal for photographers.
Inside the fortress is a nautical museum, the "Museu Náutico da Bahia". The museum has exhibits including model ships, paintings, lighthouse models, antique weapons, statues and old crockery.
