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
Aug 17, 2026False clownfish off Cabilao Island, Bohol, Philippines

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 18, 2024English National Ballet performing The Nutcracker
A curious little otter pup
Feb 21, 2025Champaka Sarasi, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
Jul 13, 2026International Rock Day
Jun 14, 2025Cinque Torri, Dolomiti, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Belluno, Veneto, Italy
Mar 5, 2026Evening over Göreme, Cappadocia, Türkiye
Feb 17, 2026Chinese New Year
Sep 27, 2023Via Krupp, Capri, Italy
Dec 6, 2025Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
Dec 21, 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Spring is the time for billing
Dec 20, 2023Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
Dec 22, 2023Red Fort, Delhi
Sept 1, 2026Surathkal Beach, Karnataka
Jul 27, 2025Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Chilling out on an ice floe
Dec 19, 2023Castle Square, Old Town, Warsaw, Poland
Where is this historic hotel?
Aug 10, 2024Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
Feb 19, 2026Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
Dec 29, 2023Oud-West neighbourhood, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mar 25, 2025Tolkien Reading Day
Sep 18, 2024Gujō Hachiman Castle, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
On the open ocean road
Oct 24, 2024Bodie State Historic Park, California, United States
Mar 21, 2026International Day of Forests
Dec 23, 2023Chinstrap penguins
Jul 5, 2025Tour de France
Aug 15, 2025Independence Day
Dec 16, 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market