Point Pinos Lighthouse - Monterey Attractions

The Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino, during his expedition in 1602 for the Count of Monterrey, named the point at the southern entrance to Monterey Bay as Punta de los Pinos or Point of the Pines due to the Monterey Peninsula’s wide expanse of Pines. The Point Pinos Lighthouse was constructed under the guidance of Francis Kelly and Francis Gibbons and was among the first batch of eight lighthouses built on the west coast. It became operational in 1855 and was the oldest active lighthouse on the west coast.