Ilhéu Chão lighthouse

Ilhéu Chão Lighthouse marks the northern tip of Ilhéu Chão, an uninhabited islet in the Desertas group southeast of Madeira. The islands fall under the municipality of Santa Cruz. It is a working navigation light, best seen from a boat rather than from land.

Where does it stand?

Ilhéu Chão is part of the Desertas archipelago and sits about 500 metres across a narrow channel from the largest island, Deserta Grande. The lighthouse is at roughly 32.59° N, 16.55° W. Two structures stand on the islet: the lighthouse tower at the north end and a single-storey building around 600 metres to the south.

What does it look like?

The light dates from 1959. The tower is a white concrete cylinder about 14 metres tall, rising from a square equipment building. The islet's own elevation puts the lamp roughly 112 metres above the sea, far higher than the tower alone would suggest. It shows two white flashes every 15 seconds and has a range of 13 nautical miles, so ships crossing this stretch of the Atlantic between Madeira and Porto Santo can pick it out.

What is the history of the island?

In 1864 Ilhéu Chão and Deserta Grande were sold to the merchant Alexandre Fernandes Camacho and his son of the same name. Today the Desertas are a protected area and access is limited. Most visitors see the lighthouse on boat trips around the Desertas or wildlife-watching cruises that leave from Madeira.

How can you see it?

There is no road or landing for visitors. The practical option is a boat trip from Madeira, ideally on a calm day when the white tower stands out against rock and ocean. Bring a zoom lens, since you view the lighthouse from the water at a distance. At night the two-flash signal is visible from the sea when weather and visibility allow.

Don't confuse it with another light

The name is sometimes mixed up with Ilhéu do Farol, the lighthouse islet at Ponta de São Lourenço on Madeira's eastern tip. That is a different site. The Ilhéu Chão light lies much farther offshore, in the Desertas.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the Ilhéu Chão lighthouse? No. It is an active aid to navigation on an uninhabited islet in a protected archipelago, with no visitor facilities.

When was it built? In 1959. The tower is about 14 metres tall and the light sits around 112 metres above sea level.

What is its light signal? Two white flashes every 15 seconds, visible up to 13 nautical miles.

Where is the best place to see it? From a boat on a cruise around the Desertas, departing from Madeira.