Although the lighthouse was designed in 1924, it was not built until 1971. It stands 78m above sea level and the flashing beam has a maximum range of 18 miles. It has no auxiliary buildings and only the Garroveret defense tower and the Foradada cave are nearby.

Cap de Barbaria is a large portion of Formentera, a region or venda that belongs to the parish of Sant Francesc Xavier. It is a territory that was inhabited by the first inhabitants of the island (in prehistory) four thousand years ago.

During the repopulation of Formentera, at the end of the xvii century, most of Cap de Barbaria was reserved for the Crown of Spain This is where some of the area's toponyms come from, such as Camí del Rei or Plan del Rei. The monarch built (1760) the Torre del Cap de Barbaria, also called Torre d'es Garroveret, near the Cap de Barbaria lighthouse (1971).