Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Puerto Rico, the construction of this lighthouse was completed in 1882.

[2] It was built to guide passing ships through the southeast entrance from the Caribbean Sea through the treacherous Mona Passage into the Atlantic Ocean.

The lighthouse is located over a white lime cliff which is surrounded by salt water lagoons and marshes.

The lighthouse's architecture is distinguished by its simplicity, with minimal decoration and an unelaborated cornice repeated through the structure.

The municipality took over the renovations, which, according to critics, has irrevocably damaged the historical significance of the internal structure.