Claromecó Lighthouse

The lighthouses of Argentina’s lengthy coastline need to be exceptionally tall due to its dense sandbank and the threatening shoals offshore. Claromecó Lighthouse reaches into the sky at a height of 177 feet, making it the second tallest in all of South America. It was once possible to climb the 278 steps along its spiral staircase to reach the top, but safety precautions now preclude the public from doing so.

However, it is not merely the height that makes this striped warning tower unique. At its base are the skeletal remains of a whale that washed ashore in 1991. Out of respect for the majesty of the mammal, its skeleton was reassembled and placed at the foundation of the lighthouse.