It houses a tourist center at its base, a ten-story vertical tower, and a horizontal sky bridge that has panoramic views of the city of Ponce and the Caribbean Sea.

[6] The cross sits at the same spot on Cerro del Vigía where early settlers once looked out for merchant ships and would-be invaders, including marauding pirates.

In 1801, the settlers built a much smaller cross made of two intersecting tree trunks where an observer would constantly watch the sea and the city's port, raising different flags to either notify local merchants of incoming trade ships or alert military authorities of possible threats (a replica of this wooden cross now sits behind the current monument).

The Cruceta was built in honor of Castro and all the other watchmen who so faithfully helped protect the city during its younger years.

[4] The Cerro del Vigía also served as a refugee camp for citizens during the storm of 12 September 1738, the earthquake of 10 May 1787, the tsunami of 18 November 1867, and the American invasion of 25 July 1898.