The climb
293 steps.
Roberto Fiadone — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Robertoe — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Julio Benitez — CC BY 3.0 · Julio Benitez — CC BY 3.0 · Robertoe — CC BY-SA 3.0
Faro Recalada, in full the Recalada a Bahía Blanca lighthouse, rises 67 metres above the dunes about two kilometres east of Monte Hermoso's beach. It is the tallest lighthouse in Argentina and one of the tallest in the world, with its light 74 metres above the sea, and it was first lit on 1 January 1906 to guide ships into the Bahía Blanca estuary and its ports. Its open iron frame, painted in red and white bands, is a central cylinder braced by eight cast-iron columns, its parts brought from France by the company that built the Eiffel Tower. Inside, a spiral staircase of 293 steps climbs to the lantern, and those who reach the top look out over the long beach, the dunes and the sea. Guided visits climb the tower and include a small museum on its history; days and fees change with the season, so ask in Monte Hermoso first. The climb needs good fitness.
293 steps.
Sea and dunes.
Lighthouse history.
Coast road, about 2 km east of Monte Hermoso's beach
Yes, on paid guided visits that climb its spiral staircase to the top; days and times change with the season.