Located southwest of Singapore, Pulau Satumu (or “one tree island” in Malay) is home to Raffles Lighthouse – second-oldest amongst the six fully functional lighthouses in Singapore. The 1.3 hectare island also features a grassy landscape and jetty.
Designed by John Bennett and named after Sir Stamford Raffles, Raffles Lighthouse was built using granite from the quarries in Pulau Ubin in 1854. Standing 29 metres tall (about six storeys high), it takes 88 steps to reach the top. The lighthouse’s white façade, century-old brass fixtures and glass-panelled dome are some of its iconic features. Since completion in 1855, Raffles Lighthouse has been a beacon of safety for ships as they navigate the southernmost point of Singapore in the busy Singapore Strait. Today, the lighthouse is serviced by keepers who work in pairs on a 10-day rotating shift. The island and lighthouse are out-of-bounds except for staff and visitors on guided tours organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore - MPA.
MPA is exploring and assessing the feasibility of developing Singapore’s first floating solar panels and tidal farms in the waters around Pulau Satumu. The energy generated could charge electric harbour craft, in line with impending requirements to decarbonise the maritime industry.
Raffles Lighthouse
Instead of using a kerosene-based lantern, the lighthouse now uses an electricity-based light, giving off 3 white flashes every 20 seconds.
There are 2 lighthouse keepers on duty at any given time, with each keeping an alternating 12-hour shift for 10 days. They spend 10 days at the lighthouse, and then 10 days off on the mainland, before the cycle repeats.
Learn more about the lighthouse’s operations and fascinating history through a guided tour. You’ll be ferried to Pulau Satumu, and the 5-hour tour even includes 1 hour at the Singapore Maritime Gallery.
Sultan Shoal Lighthouse
Built in 1895, Sultan Shoal Lighthouse was intended to replace the beacon previously established there. It’s situated in the Western Anchorage of Singapore, about 5.46km away from mainland Singapore. The lighthouse tower itself is painted white, while the keeper’s house roof is painted red – a mixture of Oriental and Victorian designs.
The Sultan Shoal island also consists of man-made structures, such as a swimming lagoon with concrete sides and a natural sandy bottom. The site used to be open to public visits, but has since been closed off for the construction of the upcoming Tuas Port. That said, the lighthouse remains operational. Open to public? No.
Bedok Lighthouse
As Singapore develops and buildings get taller, obstructed lighthouses have now found a way to beat them – by being on top of a building itself. Bedok Lighthouse, or what appears to be a red water tank on the rooftop, is located on top of a 26-storey block at Lagoon View condominium.
Perched 76m above sea level, it’s Singapore’s first automated and unmanned lighthouse. Its flash, which goes off once every five seconds, is visible for 37km. When it began operating in 1978, it was meant as a replacement for the Fullerton Lighthouse, which was obscured by buildings in the current Marina Bay area.
Open to public? No, the condo is a gated residence, and the lighthouse floor is also not accessible to residents of Lagoon View.
Horsburgh Lighthouse
Horsburgh Lighthouse is located on Pedra Branca, an island 54km off mainland Singapore, at the eastern entrance to the Singapore Straits. The oldest lighthouse in Singapore, it has been in operation since 15th October 1851.
It is named after James Horsburgh, a Scottish hydrographer from the East India Company who mapped Singapore’s seaways in the late 18th and early 19th century. For centuries before that, the waters around Pedra Branca were treacherous to navigate due to the rocks and reefs, resulting in numerous vessels running aground and falling into the hand of pirates.
Horsburgh Lighthouse was also at the centre of the Pedra Branca dispute between Singapore and Malaysia, with the International Court of Justice eventually ruling that sovereignty over Pedra Branca belonged to Singapore. Open to public? No.
Pulau Pisang Lighthouse
It might come as a surprise to many that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore maintains the lighthouse located on Malaysia’s Pulau Pisang island in the Straits of Malacca, 15km from Pontian Kechil, Johor, Malaysia.
The unique territorial agreements date back to 1900, when Sultan Ibrahim of Johor granted the British government of Singapore rights to the plot of land where Pulau Pisang Lighthouse stands, as well as the roadway leading to it. This agreement was on the basis that Singapore would be the one operating the lighthouse.
The lighthouse has been operating since 1914 and is used for navigational purposes into the western entrance of the Singapore Strait. Open to public? No.
