During the Middle Ages and the Modern Age, the lighthouses were not subject to any improvement except in their decoration, which was sometimes notable. In the century the lighthouses were still nothing more than towers with an upper platform on which wood bonfires of coal, tar or pitch were lit that burned in sheds. Some lighthouses already had a lantern at the top of their tower "Lantern (architecture)") in which beautiful oil lamps or systems with wicks inserted in tallow were placed, both systems being very widespread in Spain.[2]​.

The coasts of ancient al-Andalus still preserve medieval and Renaissance watchtowers along its coasts. The Maritime Signals Plan of 1985/1989 began to recover this historical heritage for the first time, adapting some watchtowers "Watchtower (construction)") to the demands of modern lighthouses and rehabilitating their original structure; such as the truncated conical tower of the Camarinal lighthouse in Zahara de los Atunes or the square tower of the Roche lighthouse, in Conil de la Frontera, both in (Cádiz). Among the oldest lighthouses in Spain, it is also worth noting the Portopí lighthouse, at the entrance to the old port of Palma de Mallorca. There is documentary evidence of its existence since the 19th century, and in documents from the century its tower is described as a tower with a circular plan and equipped with a lantern.[2]​.

Outside of Spain, the lighthouses from the Modern Age that have survived to this day show the most diverse architectures, in accordance with the historical context of each country. The Cordouan lighthouse (France), in its original version from the beginning of the century, was a building made up of several overlapping and profusely decorated floors, whose section decreased as it went up. It had a masonry lantern, housing for the lighthouse keepers, a large chapel to which light reached through stained glass, and an internal staircase.[3]​ The Kõpu Lighthouse, a lighthouse built at the beginning of the century on the Baltic coast of Estonia, was conceived as an austere fortress composed of a massive cuboid tower flanked by thick buttresses; It had no interior rooms and the upper platform was accessed by an external wooden staircase.[4]​.

It is very likely that lighthouses existed before Roman and Greek times, and that the Phoenicians and Carthaginians lit bonfires atop the watchtowers they built at prominent points along the coasts. Few vestiges remain of the lighthouses built by the Romans, although some still retain their original appearance, such as the polygonal lighthouse of Dover Castle, in England. The Tower of Hercules in La Coruña, although it was renovated and covered in the 19th century, has preserved the square shape of its original tower.

During the Middle Ages and the Modern Age, the lighthouses were not subject to any improvement except in their decoration, which was sometimes notable. In the century the lighthouses were still nothing more than towers with an upper platform on which wood bonfires of coal, tar or pitch were lit that burned in sheds. Some lighthouses already had a lantern at the top of their tower "Lantern (architecture)") in which beautiful oil lamps or systems with wicks inserted in tallow were placed, both systems being very widespread in Spain.[2]​.

The coasts of ancient al-Andalus still preserve medieval and Renaissance watchtowers along its coasts. The Maritime Signals Plan of 1985/1989 began to recover this historical heritage for the first time, adapting some watchtowers "Watchtower (construction)") to the demands of modern lighthouses and rehabilitating their original structure; such as the truncated conical tower of the Camarinal lighthouse in Zahara de los Atunes or the square tower of the Roche lighthouse, in Conil de la Frontera, both in (Cádiz). Among the oldest lighthouses in Spain, it is also worth noting the Portopí lighthouse, at the entrance to the old port of Palma de Mallorca. There is documentary evidence of its existence since the 19th century, and in documents from the century its tower is described as a tower with a circular plan and equipped with a lantern.[2]​.

Outside of Spain, the lighthouses from the Modern Age that have survived to this day show the most diverse architectures, in accordance with the historical context of each country. The Cordouan lighthouse (France), in its original version from the beginning of the century, was a building made up of several overlapping and profusely decorated floors, whose section decreased as it went up. It had a masonry lantern, housing for the lighthouse keepers, a large chapel to which light reached through stained glass, and an internal staircase.[3]​ The Kõpu Lighthouse, a lighthouse built at the beginning of the century on the Baltic coast of Estonia, was conceived as an austere fortress composed of a massive cuboid tower flanked by thick buttresses; It had no interior rooms and the upper platform was accessed by an external wooden staircase.[4]​.