International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend 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 has become a symbol of the region"s deep links to the sea.

© Andreas Kunz/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Gravity-defying wonders of the world
So fresh, so clean
Aug. 17, 2025International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug. 29, 2023Zelenci Nature Reserve, Slovenia
Come on, guys, this way!
Dec. 16, 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
Small but mighty
Oct. 23, 2023Corn maze in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania
Nov. 16, 2025A traboule in Lyon, France
Dec. 5, 2023Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles, Bavaria, Germany
Aug. 22, 2025Rolling hills of the Palouse, Washington, United States
Aug. 16, 2024Canadian National Exhibition 2024
Dare to delve into this dense swamp
Jun 7, 2026Ruins of Dunseverick Castle, Northern Ireland
May 31, 2026Humber River in Boyd Conservation Area, Vaughan, Ontario
Apr. 19, 2026Mirror Beach, Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil
Nov. 7, 2025Polar Bear Week
Apr. 7, 2024International Beaver Day
Dec. 27, 2025Plate ice along Lake Superior, Grand Marais, Minnesota, United States
Sep. 26, 2024Blue-throated toucanet, Los Quetzales National Park, Costa Rica
Rainbow around the sun
God’s Own Country
Sep. 6, 2025Rufous hummingbird
Jun. 27, 2024Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence
Mar. 13, 2025Holi celebration in Jaipur, India
May 13, 2026Arch and Milky Way, Alabama Hills, Sierra Nevada, California, USA
Dec. 28, 2024Green sea turtle
Jan. 25, 2025Porto, Portugal
Nov. 1, 2025Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
Oct. 1, 2025Clark Range, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
May 11, 2024World Migratory Bird Day
A bevy of buzzers
A scented sea of purple