Lighthouses of Northern Colombia

The mainland of Colombia has two coastlines, one facing northwest on the Caribbean and another facing west on the Pacific. Colombia also administers the territory of San Andrés y Providencia, which includes a scattering of islands and banks in the southwestern corner of the Caribbean Sea, north of Panama and east of Nicaragua. This page includes the lighthouses of the Colombian Caribbean; there are separate pages for the Pacific Coast and for San Andrés and Providencia.

Aids to navigation in Colombia are owned by the Autoridad Marítima Colombia and maintained by the Dirección General Marítima (DIMAR). There are a number of lighthouses, but almost no information is available about them. The U.S. NGA lists for Colombia are sketchy and out of date, and DIMAR's web site has very little information about the nature of the light towers. We need information about most of Colmbia's lighthouses.

The Spanish word for a lighthouse is faro. In South America, this word is used for all fixed lights large or small, although smaller lights are sometimes called balizas (beacons). Cabo is a cape, punta is a point, morro is a bluff or headland, bajo is a bay, and río is a river.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume J of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals and U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 110.

General Sources
División Señalización Marítima
Web site of the navigational aids division of DIMAR.
Derrotero de las costas and áreas insulares de Colombia
An informative site posted by DIMAR's oceanographic and hydrographic center (Centro de Investigaciones Oceanográficas e Hidrográficas, or CIOH).
Online List of Lights - Vol. J - Columbia
Photos by Capt. Peter Mosselberger, posted by Alexander Trabas.
Faros antiguos en Cartagena
This article by Jorge Sanduval Duque describes the early lighthouses of Cartagena.

Faro de Cartagena
Faro de Castillo Grande, Cartagena, September 2006
Creative Commons photo by Nihaar Gupta

Chocó Department Lighthouses
Cabo Tiburón
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 104 m (341 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A photo is at right, the top of the tower is visible in a distant view of the cape, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view. This lighthouse marks the Panamanian border and the west side of the entrance of the Gulf of Urabá. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-017; Admiralty J6144; NGA 16632.
* Acandí
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower is seen in an aerial photo by Mauricio Ibañez, but Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view of the town. Located in Acandí, a town at the northwestern corner of the Gulf of Urabá. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-017; Admiralty J6144.5; NGA 16635.

Antioquia Department Lighthouses
Matuntugo
2001. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); three white flashes every 8 s. Approx. 35 m (115 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has a satellite view. Located at Matuntugo on the west side of the Gulf of Urabá. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-030; Admiralty J6148; NGA 16639.
Isla de los Muertos
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white flash every 6 s. 19 m (62 ft) skeletal mast mounted on a small concrete equipment shelter. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trees hide the light in Google's satellite view. Located on a low promontory about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) east of Matuntugo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-027; Admiralty J6147; NGA 16636.
Punta las Vacas
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 6 s. 16 m (52 ft) skeletal mast mounted on a small concrete equipment shelter. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. The light is not seen in Google's satellite view. Located in a Colombian military base on the south side of Turbo, on the east side of the Gulf of Urabá. Site and tower closed. ARLHS COL-043; Admiralty J6149; NGA 16648.
Punta Yarumal
2001. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 17 m (56 ft) square skeletal tower, mounted on a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. The lighthouse is not seen in Google's satellite view of the area Located on a long spit leading to the town of Turbo on the east side of the Gulf of Urabá. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-047; Admiralty J6147.5; NGA 16638.
Faro Cabo Tiburón
Faro Cabo Tiburón; DIMAR photo
Punta Caimán
2001. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view of the area. Located on a prominent cape on the east side of the Gulf of Urabá, about 25 km (15 mi) north of Turbo. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-035; Admiralty J6146.5; NGA 16652.
Punta Caribaná
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 84 m (276 ft); one long (1.2 s) white flash every 12 s. 4 m (13 ft) post mounted on a 1-story square equipment building. Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view of the area. Located on a prominent cape at the east side of the entrance of the Gulf of Urabá. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-018; Admiralty J6145; NGA 16660.

Córdoba Department Lighthouses
Isla Tortuguilla
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white flash every 10 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, mounted on a concrete base supported by concrete piles. The island is only a blur in Google's satellite view. Located on a small island about 8 km (5 mi) offshore near Puerto Escondido. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-053; Admiralty J6151; NGA 16662.
** Isla Fuerte (2)
1968 (station established 1939). Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 35 m (115 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A photo is at right, another good photo is available, and Alejandro Cock-Peláez has a 2008 closeup, but Google has only a distant satellite view of the island. Isla Fuerte is an island about 10 km (6 mi) off the coast at the southern entrance to the Golfo de Morrosquillo. Resorts on the island are popular with scuba divers. Located on the east side of the island. Site open, tower open for climbing. ARLHS COL-025; Admiralty J6152; NGA 16664.

Sucre Department Lighthouses
*Punta de Piedra
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 5 m (17 ft) triangular skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, mounted atop a 10-story condo building. Giraldo Nelson has a good photo, César Olmos also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located in the Punta de Piedra resort area, about 130 km (80 mi) south of Cartagena. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-061; Admiralty J6153.9; NGA 16672.
Roca Morrosquillo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 3 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, mounted on a square concrete platform supported by piles. Located on a shoal at the southwestern extremity of the Islas de San Bernardo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-067; Admiralty J6154.5; NGA 16678.
Isla Ceycen
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 3 s. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a small island at the southern end of the Islas de San Bernardo, an archipelago of ten islands off the northern coast of Sucre. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-023; Admiralty J6156; NGA 16679.
Faro Isla Fuerte
Faro Isla Fuerte; DIMAR photo
* Isla Múcura
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. In a view of the beach, the top of the tower is visible at full magnification to the left of center. Google's satellite view does not reveal the tower. Isla Múcura is a small island resort in the Islas de San Bernardo, about 80 km (50 mi) southwest of Cartagena. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-029; Admiralty J6157; NGA 16680.

Bolivar Department (Cartagena de Indies Area) Lighthouses
Isla Arena (Isla Arenas)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white flash every 15 s. 18 m (56 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a small island in the Islas del Rosario, just off the tip of the Barú Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty J6159; NGA 16684.
Isla del Rosario
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, standing on a square concrete pad. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a rocky reef at the extreme western end of the Islas del Rosario. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6159.7; NGA 16687.1.
Isla del Tesoro
Date unknown (station established 1922). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 34 m (112 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, mounted on a square concrete platform supported by piles. Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant view, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the reef. Located on a small island on the north side of the Islas del Rosario, about 25 km (15 mi) southwest of Cartagena. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-009; Admiralty J6160; NGA 16688.
Banco Salmedina (2)
1978 (station established 1937). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white flash every 10 s. 22 m (72 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, mounted on a square concrete platform supported by piles. This light marks the beginning of the approach to Cartagena. Located on a low bank about 8 km (5 mi) off the coast and 16 km (10 mi) west of Cartagena. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-012; Admiralty J6164; NGA 16728.
Isla Tierra Bomba
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 107 m (351 ft); two white flashes every 3.5 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant view, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Tierra Bomba is a large island sheltering the harbor of Cartagena. Located on one of the highest points of the island. Site and tower closed. ARLHS COL-052; Admiralty J6166; NGA 16700.
* [Bocachica (Boca Chica)]
1885. Inactive for many years. Formerly a square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on the Fuerte San Fernando de Bocachica. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the lighthouse, and the second photo of Sanduval Duque's article shows this lighthouse.. The light tower has been gone for many years, but the structure on which it stood survives. It can be seen rising above the wall of the fortress in Johnny Benedetti's view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. The fortress was built starting in 1753 to guard the entrance to Cartagena's harbor. Located at the southern tip of Isla Tierra Bomba. Site open.
Bocachica Channel No. 2 (Range B Rear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); blue light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 33 m (108 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's view, and Google has a good satellite view. This range guides vessels in the main channel into Cartagena harbor, south of Isla Tierra Bomba. Located just offshore at a petroleum tank farm. Site and tower closed. Admiralty J6166.67; NGA 16708.1.
* Castillo Grande (Cartagena)
1973. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 7 s. 22 m (72 ft) unpainted round concrete block tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted white. Nihaar Gupta's photo appears at the top of this page, another good photo is available, Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, Hugo Narvaez Fuentes has a 2008 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Castillo Grande is an upscale neighborhood accessible to tourists. Located at the end of a peninsula sheltering the inner harbor of Cartagena. Site appears open, tower presumably closed. ARLHS COL-037; Admiralty J6167.6; NGA 16726.
* Punta Canoas (Punta Canoa)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 96 m (315 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but there is a photo of the view from the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a steep bluff overlooking the Caribbean about 25 km (15 mi) north of Cartagena. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-036; Admiralty J6174; NGA 16736.
Galerazamba (Punta Galera) (2)
1968 (station established 1921). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, mounted atop a square 1-story equipment building. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands; equipment building is covered by tiles colored with blue and white vertical stripes. 1-story keeper's house. José Alfonso Meléndez has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland about halfway between Cartagena and Barranquilla. Site and tower closed. ARLHS COL-026; Admiralty J6176; NGA 16740.

Atlantico Department (Barranquilla Area) Lighthouses
Punta Hermosa (2)
1969 (station established 1925). Active; focal plane 134 m (440 ft); three white flashes, separated by 3 s, every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, radjacent to a 1-story square concrete equipment building. A Google satellite view probably shows the light station. Located on a headland near Barranquilla. Site status unknown, tower closed. ARLHS COL-045; Admiralty J6180; NGA 16744.
Río Magdalena F-2 (West Breakwater)
Date unknown (station established 1937). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); red flash every 5 s. 22 m (72 ft) square skeletal tower, pyramidal below and cylindrical above, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Capt. Peter's photo is at right, Rodolfo Useche Melo also has a photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. This is the entrance light for the Magdalena estuary, which leads to the port of Barranquilla. The rubblestone west breakwater at the mouth of the estuary is nearly 8 km (5 mi) long. Located at the end of the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-049; Admiralty J6188; NGA 16748.

Río Magdalena West Breakwater Light
photo copyright Capt. Peter Mosselberger
used by permission
Río Magdalena F-1 (East Breakwater)
Date unknown. Inactive since 2011. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6191.3; NGA 16762.
Río Magdalena E-3 (Entrance Range Rear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); yellow light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo. The front light is on a much shorter skeletal tower. Located beside the east breakwater at the entrance to the Magdalena. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6191.1; NGA 16760.
Río Magdalena E-8 (Range Rear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 22 m (72 ft) square skeletal tower, mounted on a square platform. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, and Google has a satellite view. The front light is on a much shorter skeletal tower. Located in a lagoon just west of the Magdalena channel. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6191.91; NGA 16788.
San Nicolas Range Common Rear (Río Magdalena E-12)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (95 ft); green flash every 2 s. 22 m (72 ft) square skeletal tower, mounted on a square platform. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries two slatted daymarks painted white with a red vertical stripe. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, and Google has a satellite view. This tower carries the rear lights for both upstream and downstream ranges. Located on an embankment west of the Magdalena channel. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J6192.1; NGA 16790.5.

Magdalena Department Lighthouse
Morro Grande (Santa Marta, Isla del Morro) (2)
1971 (station established 1870). Active; focal plane 82 m (269 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. Approx. 24 m (80 ft) hexagonal tower on a 2-story square base; the lighthouse is built of cement blocks with a frame of reinforced concrete. Lighthouse painted gray with white trim; the lantern has red and white vertical striping. Capt. Peter's photo is at right, Rosalie Beasley has a 2008 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a steep-sided island in the entrance to the harbor of Santa Marta. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower presumably closed. ARLHS COL-028; Admiralty J6256; NGA 16832.

La Guajira Department (Guajira Peninsula) Lighthouses
Note: Projecting northwestward into the Caribbean Sea, the broad Guajira Peninsula is the northernmost region of the South American mainland. Most of the peninsula is in Colombia, but the southeastern coast is in Venezuela.
* Riohacha (Río de la Hacha) (2)
1986. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has a satellite view. Located on the waterfront on the west side of Riohacha, the capital of the department of La Guajira in the northeastern corner of Colombia, about 150 km (90 mi) east of Santa Marta. Site appears open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-050; Admiralty J6262; NGA 16836.
* Riohacha (Río de la Hacha) (1)
1857. Inactive at least since 1986. Light formerly mounted on the tower of the cathedral of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. A photo of the church and a closeup of the tower are available. Located in Riohacha. Site and church open, tower closed.
Punta Manaure
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 21 m (69 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands and mounted on a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Google has a satellite view of the point. Located on a headland on the east side of Manaure, a salt-mining town on the west side of the Guajira Peninsula. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-044; Admiralty J6260; NGA 16840.
* [Cabo de la Vela] (2)
1955 (station established 1928). Active; focal plane 88 m (289 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower, painted red. A closeup photo is available, Sebaxtian Echeverry has a 2008 photo, Emilie Baird de Vargas has posted a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Foundation ruins near the tower must be from the earlier lighthouse and/or keeper's house. Cabo de la Vela is a resort area, and tourists often hike to the lighthouse to enjoy the spectacular view. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-016; Admiralty J6266; NGA 16844.

Faro de Santa Marta
photo copyright Capt. Peter Mosselberger
used by permission
Punta Gallinas
1989. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. A photo and a second photo are available, Edgar Martínez Londoño has a closeup in silhouette, and Google has a satellite view. The ruined building nearby is presumably a former keeper's house. This modest tower is the northernmost lighthouse of South America, standing at latitude 12° 27.5' north. Located on the cape, at the northern tip of the Guajira Peninsula, about 18 km (11 mi) north of Inosu. Accessible by 4WD. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-042; Admiralty J6267; NGA 16848.
Chimaré
2001. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); one long (1.2 s) white flash every 12 s. 22 m (72 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, and the tower is not seen in Google's satellite view of the station. Located about 8 km (5 mi) west of Puerto Chimaré. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-038; Admiralty J6267.3; NGA 16848.2.
Puerto Estrella
2002. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 15 s. 22 m (72 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Jorge Andres Gonzalez has a distant view, but the tower is not seen in Google's satellite view. Located on a promontory at Puerto Estrella. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-033; Admiralty J6267.4; NGA 16848.3.
Chichibacoa
2001. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 10 s. 19 m (62 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view of this area. Located on or near a point of land at Chichibacoa. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-024; Admiralty J6267.6; NGA 16848.4.
Punta Espada
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); one long (1.6 s) white flash every 20 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A photo is available, as well as a photo taken from atop the tower, but the tower is inconspicuous in a Google satellite view. The lighthouse marks the easternmost point of the Guajira Peninsula. The light characteristic was changed in 2011. Located on a bluff above the cape. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-040; Admiralty J6267.8; NGA 16849.
Castilletes
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 9 s. Approx. 28 m (92 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A 1-story border control station stands a short distance north of the lighthouse. A photo is at right, a closeup photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 600 m (3/8 mi) north of the Venezuelan border on the southeast side of the Guajira Peninsula. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-019; Admiralty J6268; NGA 16850.
Faro Castilletes
Faro Castilletes; DIMAR photo

Information available on lost lighthouses:

  • Cartagena (1) (1882-?). This light was on the tower of the church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced; the church was demolished to make way for the municipal theater. The first photo of Sanduval Duque's article shows this lighthouse.
  • Cartagena (2) (?-late 1970s), a tall skeletal tower on the bastion of Santo Domingo. The third photo of Sanduval Duque's article shows this lighthouse. Traces of the base of the tower remain. Google has a satellite view of the bastion.

Adjoining pages: East: Venezuela | South: Western Colombia | West: Panama | Northwest: San Andrés and Providencia

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted February 13, 2004. Checked and revised December 23, 2011. Lighthouses: 40. Site copyright 2011 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.