The town was a considerable port in the 19th century, but was completely destroyed by a 100-foot-high tsunami which was caused by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. The present settlement still houses the Cikoneng Lighthouse built by Dutch government two years later as a memorial for the townspeople killed by the eruption. It was also the starting point of the Great Post Road, built by the Dutch in the nineteenth century, which ran around to the eastern tip of Java. Off the coast of Anyer is the island Pulau Sangiang, an uninhabited island with vast areas of untouched jungle. The area is also known for coral formations swarming with tropical fish.