The lighthouse of the Rio Negro

The resort El Cóndor on the coast of Rio de Janeiro, 30 km from the city of Viedma, is a destination of extensive beaches and territory of the first continental lighthouse installed in 1887. The oldest lighthouse in Patagonia is a walk between cliffs to enjoy another side of the coast, one more linked to the mystique of the torches that guided the ships to safe harbor.

Declared a National Historic Monument, the lighthouse is still in operation and turned 135 years old in 2022. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in Argentina. It is located on the southern canyon of the mouth of the Negro River at 43.5 meters above sea level, near the El Cóndor spa, where the Danish motor sailboat that gave its name to the beach ran aground.

It was inaugurated on May 25, 1887 in an act presided over by Lorenzo Vintter, governor of the rionegrino territory. other lighthouses of the time, it was intended to illuminate the geographical features of the proximity of the river and the transit of barges towards the port of Carmen de Patagones, even beyond, the crossing of sailors who ventured into Antarctic waters.

At first, the tower was 12 m high and the 8 lighting lanterns worked on the basis of oil. At present, the tower has 16.5 m and the power supply is electric. It is a cylindrical base tower and a hexagonal house, with 64 steps leading to the top where its rotating optics are located that can be observed up to 16 nautical miles.

The mouth of the Negro River is a good destination for fishing. In fact, the locals call this place "the fish tank". The maritime village is also known for the largest colony of barranquero parrots that inhabit the sandstone cliffs.

The lighthouse of the Río Negro is the starting point of the Camino de la Costa, along provincial route 1 to San Antonio Este, a journey between beaches, reserves and sea lions.

As an anecdote, on the same day of the entry into service of the lighthouse, the delegation returned to Viedma to inaugurate the Public Library, considered the first in southern Argentina and later renamed Bartolomé Mitre Popular Library. Both works are interwoven with the history of Viedma.