Point Sur Lighthouse, Maritime lighthouse on California Central Coast, United States
Point Sur Lighthouse is a 40-foot cylindrical black tower with a red metal dome and finial, set on a stone base of rectangular blocks with a dark arched opening and white panels inside. Black metal railings ring the lower deck and the top of the black tower section; above them a glass lantern room framed in red metal holds a glowing lamp. The tower rises from the peak of a 361-foot rock above the water.
The lighthouse was built in 1889 to guide ships through dangerous coastal waters. After more than 60 years of operating with whale oil and animal fat as fuel, the facility was eventually converted to electric power.
The lighthouse complex shows how ships found their way before modern technology existed. The surviving buildings tell the story of the lighthouse keepers and their families who lived isolated on this rocky point.
The structure is accessible only through guided walking tours that run several times a week and last about three hours. The route includes paths with varying slopes and can be challenging in poor weather.
The first-order Fresnel lens that once threw Point Sur's beam 23 miles to the horizon is no longer in the tower: it is displayed at the Monterey museum. The lantern now holds a modern DCB-224 beacon flashing white every 15 seconds, visible about 25 nautical miles. The original lens measured over 6 feet across and 9 feet tall and weighed 4,330 pounds.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,742 contributors worldwide.
