On 8 January 1856, a dispatch determined the need for a lighthouse on the coastal area of the
Ria de Aveiro at the mouth with the Atlantic Ocean; the
Director das Obras Públicas do Distrito de Aveiro (
Aveiro District Director of Public Works), in accordance with the Porto captaincy and
Director Maquinista de Faróis (
Lighthouse Engineering Director), indicated the appropriate location for a new lighthouse. The authorities had rejected the idea to repurpose the existing signal tower from the Fort of Barra, opting instead to custom-build a new Barra lighthouse in 1858. The build was initially under the direction of engineer Silvério Pereira da Silva and later by engineer José Maria de Mello e Matos, envisioning a budget of
51 contos de réis and equipped with an elevator that would eliminate the need for a 228 step winding staircase. The first beacon was from an incandescent petrol lamp and horn combination and began operating on October 15, 1893. The lighthouse would later be upgraded by a first-order lamp, with four clarions, oscillating at 2.5 seconds and with a 1.5 eclipse, and a 9.5 second interval, that allowed it to reach . In addition, a Holmes fog signal was installed at the same time to provide a warning in the fog. By 1929, the lighthouse required repairs following several faults and failures caused by oscillations in the tower. The works carried out that year included the insulation of the main structure with wall tiles and the installation of 14 concrete columns to reinforce the building. In 1935, the signal horn was repositioned in the interior of the building following its predecessor being swept away during a storm, and a year later, the building was electrified with the installation of a generator. In 1947, the beacon was substituted by the current installation, a small third-order
Fresnel lens beacon with panels, that included four white flashes that repeated every 13 seconds, and with a range. In 1950, the lighthouse was connected to the public electrical network, while the 3000W lamp was replaced by a 1000W lamp. A study was elaborated in 1954 by the
Direcção-Geral dos Serviços de Urbanização (
Directorate-General Urban Services), through its
Serviços de Melhoramentos Urbanos (
Urban Improvement Services), to examine the potential for improvement of the site position on the coast, culminating in the construction of a sea wall to protect the structure. Between 1958 and 1959, the DGEMN expanded building repairs and improvements under the auspice of the
Serviços de Construção e Conservação (
Construction and Conservation Services). Within the next four years an elevator was built to provide easy access to the beacon and in 1990 the light was automated. ==Architecture==