Ilha Rasa

The Ilha Rasa lighthouse was authorized by D. João VI in 1819, at the request of the Junta do Comércio. In 1825, with the work nearly finished, Argentine privateers plundered the ship bringing the lens apparatus from France, and the lighthouse was only inaugurated on July 31, 1829. In 1883 it was electrified, in works that would make it the first electric lighthouse in South America. In 1923, a cabin was set up on the island that served as quarters for political prisoners of the time. Underwater, besides the Buenos Aires wreck, the island holds the Galeão, a second wreck that has not yet been identified and remains a mystery to researchers. On dives around the island, turtles, rays, fish, sea urchins, starfish and sea cucumbers can be seen.