Once lighthouses played an exclusively functional role: they were watchtowers, saved the lives of sailors and fishermen, protected cities from pirates. The days of battle are long gone, but the lighthouses still serve the people. Romantic couples meet there, travelers enjoy the sea view, and history buffs discover something new and interesting. So for some, the Lighthouse of La Serena is just a beautiful picture on the ocean, while for others, it is a symbol of the city or a silent witness to amazing stories.

One of the main attractions of the city was built in 1951 as part of a city construction plan during the administration of President Gabriel González Videla. The project of the monument belongs to the architect Ramiro Pérez Arce and engineer Jorge Cisternas Larenas. The grand opening of the lighthouse with the participation of the head of the province Don Juan Cortés Alcayaga took place in 1953. The original design had beautiful modern lighting. But later, the authorities turned off the system, leaving only a couple of lines about it in the historical chronicles of La Serena. More than 30 years have passed when the commander-in-chief of the Chilean Navy, Admiral José Toribio Merino, declared the lighthouse a tourist attraction of the city. The fleet officially committed itself to its maintenance.

Currently, the lighthouse is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the city. However, it also has all the characteristics of the lighthouse of the Spanish colonial fort. The entire complex is located on three levels, the first of which has four round bastions and a large battle cannon aimed at the Pacific Ocean. There is also a museum of weapons. On the second level, there are four closed guard posts. And on the third - a lighthouse lantern and an observation deck. You can go up there by an iron spiral staircase. 

More than 100 thousand tourists visit this place annually. It negatively affects the state of the lighthouse structure and its appearance. Therefore, in 2010, the monument was added to the List of World Heritage Sites in Chile. Now it is under the protection of the country.