Corner of Brazil
Where the coast turns.
Thyrone Domingos from Natal, RN, Brasil — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Vitoria Tavares — CC BY-SA 4.0 · O desembargador — CC0 · Marinha do Brasil — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Marinelson Almeida - Traveling through Brazil from Niteroi, Brasil — CC BY 2.0 · Marinha do Brasil — CC BY-SA 2.0
The Calcanhar Lighthouse, also known as the Touros Lighthouse, stands on the beach of Ponta do Calcanhar in the municipality of Touros, about eighty-six kilometres from Natal, where Brazil's coastline turns at a sharp angle. Locals call the spot the «Corner of Brazil» or «Corner of the Continent», at the north-eastern shoulder of South America. A first lighthouse was built here in 1912. The present tower is a reinforced-concrete cylinder sixty-two metres tall, braced by four side buttresses and painted in black and white horizontal bands, one of the tallest lighthouses in Brazil. Its light warns ships of a coral reef about seven kilometres offshore. Visitors climb 298 steps to the observation platform at the permitted times, looking out over the flat coast, coconut groves and ocean. Around the tower stand the old single-storey keepers' houses. Check climbing times before the trip, as they are limited.
Where the coast turns.
After 298 steps.
A coastal landmark.
Ponta do Calcanhar beach, Touros municipality, about 86 km from Natal
Yes, at limited times; check them before going.