The lantern is 81 metres above sea level and has a fixed optic with a range of 18 miles, emitting flashes of 0.2 seconds alternating with two eclipses of 3.3 and one of 7.8, for a total of 15 seconds. Nearly 20 metres high, it was built atop the cliff in 1866 by the Italian Navy at the behest of Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy. It stands on a granite cliff at an altitude of about 66 metres and can be reached by walking a long dirt road from the beach in Chia.

During the Second World War, it was bombed by American fighter planes, only to be restored at the end of the war. The keepers and their families lived on site until 1866, eventually replaced by an automatic guard change system. After more than 30 years of neglect, this shining example of military architecture was converted into a luxury hotel facility enhancing the original interior and exterior spaces.

A short distance to the east is the beach of Cala Cipolla, while to the west are the rocks known as 'i Padiglioni' (the Pavilions) and the islets of Ferraglione; here the coastline is rocky and dotted with coves which are only accessible by boat or hiking through impervious paths.