As early as 1430 the monks of the hermitage had built a beacon on the site. Despite this, and similar informal efforts along the Portuguese coastline, the coast was known by foreign ships, especially the British, as the "black coast", because there was no lighting system to aid navigation. The construction of the present lighthouse owes much to the reforms that followed the 1755 earthquake, which resulted in the Marquis of Pombal creating an organized Lighthouse Service in 1758 and ordering six lighthouses to be built. Cape Espichel light dates from 1790 and is situated about 600 meters from the sanctuary. It consists of a hexagonal tower in three levels, built with thick masonry walls. The lowest two levels have sloped walls while the walls of the top part are vertical. In appearance it is very similar to the Guia lighthouse near Cascais, another of the six lights proposed by the Marquis of Pombal.