Lighthouses of Ecuador

Ecuador is located on the northern Pacific coast of South America between Colombia and Peru. Guayaquil is the major seaport, but there are several others, including Esmeraldas in the north, Manta on the central coast, and Puerto Bolívar in the south. Ecuador also administers the Galápagos Islands, where it appears that several lighthouses have been constructed in recent years.

The aids to navigation in the country are not well known, and additional information of any of these lighthouses would be very welcome. Special thanks to Eduardo Estrada, author of Los Faros de la Republica del Ecuador 1841-1941, for use of the photo below and for information on the historic lens at the Salinas Yacht Club.

Aids to navigation in Ecuador are owned by the Navy (Armada del Ecuador) and maintained by the Departamento de Ayudas a Navegación of the Navy's Instituto Oceanigrafico.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume G of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 111.

General sources
Lighthouses of Ecuador from 1841 to 1941.
Excellent historical information in an October 2002 Lighthouse Digest article based on Estrada's book. Sadly, none of these historic lighthouses survive.
Online List of Lights - Ecuador
Photos by Capt. Peter Mosselberger posted by Alexander Trabas.
Phares d'Amérique
From their Phares du Monde web site, Alain Guyomard and Robert Carceller have photos of four lights in the Galápagos and two lights of the mainland.

Faro de Manta
Faro de Manta, March 2008
photo copyright Dave Nelson; used by permission
Northern Ecuador Lighthouses
Punta La Barca
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white light, 2 s on, 8 s off. 20 m (66 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available. Located on the south side of a river entrance at La Tola in northern Ecuador. Site status unknown. ARLHS ECU-035; Admiralty G3097; NGA 0256.
[Esmeraldas South Harbor]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green light occulting once every 15 s. 9 m (30 ft) concrete post light extended with a short skeletal tower. Lighthouse painted white with a red horizontal band. A 2008 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The building seen behind the light in the photos is the Ecuadorian Navy's northern command center. Located at the end of the broad quay between the north and south harbors of Esmeraldas. Site and tower closed (military base). Admiralty G3096.34; NGA 0292.
* Punta Coquitos
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 200 m (656 ft); three long (2 s) white flashes every 24 s. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower painted with red and white stripes in a spiral pattern. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on heights on the southwest side of Esmeraldas. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ECU-013; Admiralty G3096; NGA 0264.
* [Punta Súa]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); one long (1.5 s) white flash every 15 s. 8 m (26 ft) concrete post light, painted in a red and white diamond checkerboard pattern. A 2007 photo is available. Located on a cape about 30 km (19 mi) southwest of Esmeraldas. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ECU-037; Admiralty G3095; NGA 0300.
Punta Galera
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 10 s. 11 m (37 ft) round concrete tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland about 100 km (60 mi) southwest of Esmeraldas and a few miles north of Muisnes. Site status unknown. ARLHS ECU-012; Admiralty G3094; NGA 0304.

Manta Area Lighthouses
Punta Jaramijo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 17 m (56 ft) square concrete tower painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland on the east side of the entrance to the harbor of Manta. Site status unknown. ARLHS ECU-009; Admiralty G3076; NGA 0376.
Manta Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); red flash every 10s. 14 m (46 ft) square concrete tower with gallery but no lantern, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Dave Nelson's photo is above, Todd Sproule has posted a photo, an aerial view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the east breakwater at Manta. Site status unknown, but the lighthouse can be seen from the waterfront. ARLHS ECU-008; Admiralty G3073; NGA 0380.
* Cabo San Lorenzo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 130 m (427 ft); white flash every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, painted in an orange and white checkerboard pattern. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view of the station. Tourist sites for Manta report that there is a "marvelous view from the lighthouse" toward the Isla de la Plata (about 16 km or 10 miles offshore). However, it's not clear if this means that the tower is open for climbing. Located atop a steep bluff on the Cabo de San Lorenzo, a very prominent cape about 30 km (20 mi) southwest of Manta. Accessible by road (4WD recommended). Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS ECU-007; Admiralty G3068; NGA 0392.
Isla La Plata
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 189 m (620 ft); white flash every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available. The Isla La Plata is an isolated, mountainous island about 16 km (10 mi) offshore and 25 km (15 mi) southwest of Cabo San Lorenzo. The island is a protected bird sanctuary and natural area. Located at the northwestern tip of the island. Site status unknown.ARLHS ECU-018; Admiralty G3064; NGA 0396.

Salinas (Punta Santa Elena) Area Lighthouses
* [Salinas Yacht Club]
1991. Inactive (a 15 watt decorative light is displayed). Approx. 10 m (33 ft) square pyramidal tower with a tall octagonal lantern, painted white; lantern roof is red. A good photo is available, Rachel Rianne has a 2008 photo, and Google has a satellite view. This tower carries the Barbier & Fenestre lantern and 3rd order Fresnel lens used at Isla Santa Clara from 1872 to 1921. Purchased from the Navy by the Guayaquil Yacht Club in 1956, the lantern and lens are on loan to the Salinas Yacht Club. Located on the yacht club's breakwater in Salinas. Site open, tower closed.
* Punta Santa Elena (Salinas)
Date unknown (station established 1882). Active; focal plane 95 m (312 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) round tower mounted atop a 1-story building, with lantern and gallery. Building painted white with red trim, tower red, lantern white. A photo by Eduardo Estrada appears at right, and Google has a satellite view. Punta Santa Elena, the westernmost point of mainland Ecuador, is a very sharp promontory. Located above the cape on the hill known as La Puntilla, about 3 km (2 mi) west of the yacht club light (previous entry). Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ECU-006; Admiralty G3050; NGA 0412.
* Chocolatera
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); one long (1.5 s) white flash every 10 s. 9 m (30 ft) square solid concrete tower with gallery and an external ladder. A closeup photo and a second photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. Lighthouse painted in a black and white checkerboard pattern. Located at the tip of Punta Santa Elena, about 1750 m (1.1 mi) west of the lighthouse (previous entry). Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ECU-022; Admiralty G3051; NGA 0416.
Faro Punta Santa Elena
Faro Punta Santa Elena
photo copyright Eduardo Estrada; used by permission
El Real
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 16 s. 12 m (39 ft) concrete tower, painted with orange and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland near El Real, about 50 km (30 mi) southeast of Punta Santa Elena. Site status unknown. ARLHS ECU-038; Admiralty G3049.2; NGA 0438.

Guayaquil Approach Lighthouses
Estero Salado B Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); white light, 2.5 s on, 2.5 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. The tower also carries a slatted daymark, painted red with a white vertical stripe. The Estero Salado is the northwestern entrance to the Bahía de Guayaquil. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo. Located on the west side of the bay about 12 km (7.5 mi) southeast of Puerto Ayalan. Site status unknown. Admiralty G3041.1; NGA 0463.
Estero Salado C Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white light, 2.5 s on, 2.5 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white, mounted on a platform supported by four piles. The tower also carries a slatted daymark, painted red with a white vertical stripe. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo (a smaller version is at right). Located in the water off Puerto Pizarro. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G3043.1; NGA 0472.
Estero Salado E Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white light, 2.5 s on, 2.5 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. The tower also carries a large slatted daymark, painted red with a white vertical stripe. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo. Located on the east side of the bay about 12 km (7.5 mi) opposite Carrizal. Site status unknown. Admiralty G3046.1; NGA 0474.5.
Isla Santa Clara (4)
Date unknown (station established 1841). Active; focal plane 81 m (266 ft); white flash every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round white concrete skeletal tower, possibly with lantern. No photo available. This is Ecuador's oldest light station; Lighthouse Explorer has a drawing (from Estrada's book) of the original lighthouse. The original wooden tower was replaced by a taller wooden tower in 1872 and then by an iron skeletal tower in 1921. The lantern and lens from the second lighthouse are preserved on the Salinas Yacht Club lighthouse (previous entry). Located on a small island in the middle of the southern entrance to the Bahía de Guayaquil, about 55 km (35 mi) west of Machala. Accessible only by boat; ecotours to the island, a well-known bird sanctuary, may be available. Site manager: Refugio de Vida Silvestre Santa Clara. Site status unknown. ARLHS ECU-001; Admiralty G2996; NGA 0508.
Punta Arenas
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 4 s. 18 m (59 ft) skeletal tower, painted white, mounted on a square pier or platform. No photo available, but the pier or platform is seen in a Google satellite view. Located off the southeastern tip of the large Isla de Puna, marking the north side of the southern entrance to the Bahía de Guayaquil. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ECU-002; Admiralty G3026; NGA 0500.
Estero Salado Range Light
Estero Salado C Range Rear Light
photo copyright Capt. Peter Mosselberger
used by permission

Puerto Bolívar Area Lighthouses
* Puerto Bolívar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. Light mounted on the top of a 38 m (125 ft) square steel and masonry church steeple. A 2008 photo and a 2009 closeup are available. Puerto Bolívar is an important seaport near Machala at the southern entrance to the Bahía de Guayaquil; bananas and shrimp are the principal exports. Located on the waterfront of Puerto Bolívar. Site open, tower status unknown. Admiralty G3029; NGA 0520.
Jambelí
Date unknown (station established 1882). Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 5 s. 16 m (53 ft) round concrete tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the Punta Jambelí, the northernmost point of the Isla Jambelí, an island off the entrance to Puerto Bolívar. Site status unknown. Admiralty G3028; NGA 0512.
Isla San Gregorio
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 3 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available. Located at the westernmost point of the Isla San Gregorio, just north of the Peruvian border. Site status unknown. Admiralty G2998; NGA 0522.

Archipiélago de Colón (Galápagos Islands) Lighthouses
 Note: The Galápagos are a group of volcanic islands stretched along the Equator about 750 km (475 mi) due west of the mainland of Ecuador. Famous for exotic scenery and even more exotic wildlife, the islands are a popular tourist destination. The lighthouses of the archipelago are not well known, so additional information and photos would be welcome.
* Playaman (San Cristóbal) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 8 m (26 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with orange trim and a red band around the gallery (the band is definitely red in a January 2007 photo by Pat Young). A panoramic view of the lighthouse and harbor is also available, and Google has a satellite view. NGA lists a very small light at this location. San Cristóbal is the easternmost of the islands. Located on a rocky point north of Puerto Barquerizo Moreno near the southwestern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS GAL-007; NGA 0329.
* Patricio Hill (San Cristóbal)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 90 m (295 ft); red light, 2 s on, 8 s off. 4m (13 ft) square pyramidal metal tower mounted atop a 2-story building. Tower painted red with a white band at the base. Located on a hill above the harbor of Puerto Barquerizo Moreno. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS GAL-006; NGA 0331.
Punta Suarez (Española) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round hourglass-shaped metal tower, painted with black and yellow horizontal bands. Fritz Stugren has another photo, and a sunset view taken from the sea is also available. NGA lists a much smaller fiberglass light with a focal plane of 6 m (20 ft) at this location. Española is a small, uninhabited island about 55 km (35 mi) south of San Cristóbal. Located at the western tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G3105; NGA 0370.2.
* Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); two yellow flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with a red band around the gallery. A somewhat closer view is available. NGA lists this light as a "metal structure." Puerto Ayora, on the southern side of the Isla de Santa Cruz, is the largest settlement in the Galápagos. Located on Punta Estrada, a rocky point on the west side of the harbor. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G3107; NGA 0360.
Playaman
Faro Playaman; photo by Toño
courtesy of Le Phare à travers le monde,
by Alain Guyomard and Robert Carceller

Notable faux lighthouse:

  • Cerro Santa Ana (Guayaquil), crowning Guayaquil's tallest hill, is a keystone in the city's redevelopment of the hill as a historic site and tourist attraction. It is a beautiful lighthouse, but it is not an aid to navigation.

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Checked and revised August 15, 2009. Lighthouses: 22. Site copyright 2009 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.