The lighthouse Being slightly below 230 feet tall, it is considered to be one of the tallest lighthouses in the world, being surpassed by one more lighthouse in Argentina, in the city of Cordoba. The lighthouse along with the Palacio Salvo in Montevideo, Uruguay, were designed to serve as a welcome to visitors arriving from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rio de la Plata estuary, similar to the Pillars of Hercule. The ornamental spire aligns with the actual Southern Cross constellation on July 9, Argentine Independence Day