Alfanzina lighthouse, Algarve, Portugal Aug 17, 2024

The lighthouse featured in today"s image stands in Carvoeiro in the Algarve on the southern coast of Portugal. Built in 1919, the Alfanzina lighthouse shines out over the ocean to help ships navigate the dangerous waters that surround the area. A popular tourist destination, the lighthouse also became a symbol of the region"s deep links to the sea. Lighthouses have been keeping sailors safe almost as long as humans have been sailing the seas. Originally, lighthouses were powered by fires and oil lamps, requiring lighthouse keepers to maintain them. These days, however, most lighthouses have been automated and installed with electric light sources. In waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable to build a lighthouse, lightships have often been used. If you"re lucky enough to live near a lighthouse, this weekend is the perfect time to pay it a visit.

© Andreas Kunz/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A glowing square of squares
Home of the ‘world’s worst smelling food’?
Aug 17, 2025Lyngvig Lighthouse, Hvide Sande, Denmark

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 17, 2024Alfanzina lighthouse, Algarve, Portugal
Jan 3, 2024Virupaksha temple, Hampi, Karnataka
Jul 6, 2025Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park, United States
Oct 12, 2024Mysore Dasara
Jul 5, 2025Tour de France
Aug 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Jul 7, 2025Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland
Jul 4, 2025Orosei, Sardinia, Italy
Jun 13, 2024Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Nov 16, 2024Wadden Sea coast, Friesland, Netherlands
Mar 20, 2026Spring equinox
Nov 20, 2024Olive grove, Valle dItria, Puglia, Italy
The ‘Old Bridge,’ reborn
This bird is peak beak
Jun 15, 2025Happy Fathers Day!
Don’t look down!
Jan 15, 2026The fishing village of Reine, Norway
Dec 8, 2023La Rocque Harbour, Island of Jersey
Stairway to where?
Sep 12, 2024World Dolphin Day
Jun 20, 2024Summer solstice
An iridescent view
Jan 10, 2024Mylopotamos, Thessaly, Greece
Jul 8, 2025Seceda, Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy
A kiss and a sigh
Dec 17, 2024Traditional red fishermens cabins, Reine, Norway
Gateway to Iberia
Nov 11, 2024Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Apr 21, 2024Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
Apr 10, 2025Siblings Day