Against the blue water of the gulf, Arzew Islet appears as a compact rock crowned by a white keeper’s house and tower. The photograph shows an active navigation aid, not an abandoned monument.
Arzew Islet and its 1848 lighthouse off the cape.
The lighthouse was built in 1848. A 12-metre round tower rises from the keeper’s house beneath a dark-green lantern; the red light flashes every five seconds from about 19 metres above the sea.
The islet lies roughly 2.5 kilometres north-east of Arzew port. Site and tower are closed, so observe from a lawful public position or authorised passage and never assume that landing is allowed.
The frame brings out the contrast between bare rock, white building and horizon. To understand it fully, look also at the shape of the cape and the sheltered bay that made Arzew an important harbour.