Robben Island Prison Museum: Lighthouse

Jan van Riebeeck first set a navigation aid atop Fire Hill (now Minto Hill), the highest point on the island, where the lighthouse stands today. Hugh bonfires were lit at night to warn VOC ships of the rocks which surround the island. The current Robben Island lighthouse, built in 1863, is 18 metres high and was converted to electricity in 1938. Its light can be seen from 25 kilometres away.