The first optics of the Cap Bénat lighthouse, a 0.59 ft (0.1875 m) focal length optic with four panels, was installed on May 5, 1895. It emitted a light consisting of a red flash every five seconds and was replaced in 1917 by a 0.8 ft (0.25 m) optic restored in 1994. Now equipped with a 1,000-watt halogen lamp, it is visible from a distance of 21 mi (38 km). Other modernization stages of the lighthouse led to the use of a mercury tank and mineral oil from 1895 and petroleum steam from 1917. The automation of the structure dates back to 1984.