Lighthouses of Mexico's Gulf Coast

This page includes the lighthouses of the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Tabasco, all facing east on the Gulf of Mexico. Lighthouses of the Yucatán Peninsula (Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo) are on a separate page.

Although this region is close to the U.S., it is mostly terra incognita for American lighthouse fans. That's too bad, because some of Mexico's most historic lighthouses are located on this coast. While the U.S. Coast Guard is rapidly pulling out of the lighthouse business, in Mexico lighthouses still play an important role in coastal navigation, and new towers are still being built from time to time.

Some of the lighthouses of Mexico are known only from listings of navigational aids. More information is needed for all of them, and photos are needed for most of them. If you can add to our online knowledge, please let me know.

Mexican lighthouses are managed by the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes, the cabinet agency that also manages the country's airports and seaports. Many of the larger light stations are staffed by resident civilian keepers.

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

General sources
Lighthouses of Tamaulipas: Five rare photos formerly posted by the Capitanía de Puerto de Tampico.
Online List of Lights - Mexico: Photos posted by Alexander Trabas. Many of these photos were taken by Capt. Peter Mosselberger, better known as Capt. Peter.
Leuchttürme Mittelamerikas auf historischen Postkarten: Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.

Faro Benito Juárez, Veracruz, March 2008
Creative Commons photo by Philo Nordlund

Lighthouses of Tamaulipas

Northern Tamaulipas Lighthouses
Río Bravo: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 6 s. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted white. 300 mm lens mounted on a short mast; no lantern. A 2009 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located in Matamoros on the south side of the entrance to the Rio Grande, which is called the Rio Bravo del Norte in Mexico. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-037; Admiralty J4229.5; NGA 15203.
* El Mezquital: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 26 m (85 ft) square aluminum skeletal tower, the lower 2/3 supported by four white reinforced concrete legs. 400 mm lens mounted on a short mast; no lantern. Located about 20 km (13 mi) south of Río Bravo. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-031; Admiralty J4230; NGA 15203.1.
Canal de Chávez: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (38 ft); white flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted white. 300 mm lens mounted on a short mast; no lantern. This lighthouse marks an artificial channel cut through the barrier beach. Located on the beach 70 km (45 mi) south of the Río Bravo. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-177; Admiralty J4229.55; NGA 15203.2.
La Carbonera: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (38 ft); white flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted white. 300 mm lens mounted on a small lantern painted with red and white horizontal bands. A view from the Laguna Madre, west of the barrier beach, is available. Located on the beach about 60 km (38 mi) south of El Mezquital. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-178; Admiralty J4230.4; NGA 15206.
* La Pesca: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 16 m (52 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with four large ribs, lantern and gallery. 375 mm lens. Tower painted white, lantern red. A tourist site has a nighttime closeup, a 2007 photo is available, and a distant view from the beach is available. The lighthouse marks the southern entrance to the Laguna Madre. Accessible by road. Site open; tower closed. ARLHS MEX-034; Admiralty J4231; NGA 15208.
Punta Jerez and Altamira Lighthouses

Tampico Lighthouses
* Tampico Escollera Norte (North Breakwater): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red flash every 5 s. 11.5 m (38 ft) square pyramidal concrete tower, painted white, topped by a square pyramidal skeletal tower. A 2009 photo is available, Benjamin Espinosa has a good photo, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the north breakwater at the entrance to the Río Pánuco, Tampico's traditional harbor. Accessible by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4240; NGA 15232.
* Tampico (Faro de la Barra, Madero) (2): 1883 (station established 1865). Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); three white flashes every 6 s. 40 m (131 ft) hexagonal pyramidal skeletal tower with central cylinder, lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. A historic photo, collected by the Library of Congress, was taken before 1897. Arturo Cordova has a photo, a 2006 photo is available, Luis Angel Torres has a nighttime photo, Huelse has posted a postcard image, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was designed by U.S. engineers and prefabricated in Pittsburgh. It is the only surviving example of its design. Locally the lighthouse is also called el Faro de Madero, the name of the seaside city adjacent to Tampico, or el Faro de la Barra, the same name used at Tuxpan (see below) and many other places in Latin America. Located in an industrial area on the north side of the entrance to the Río Pánuco, about 1200 m (3/4 mi) from the open Gulf of Mexico. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-033; Admiralty J4236; NGA 15220.
Tampico Entrance Range Front: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 3 s. 16 m (52 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. No photo available. Located in an industrial area about 2 km (1.25 mi) west of the beach on the north side of the Río Pánuco. Site status unknown. Admiralty J4238; NGA 15224.
Tampico Entrance Range Rear: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 28 m (92 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. No photo available. Located in an industrial area about 500 m (0.4 mi) west southwest of the front light, on the north side of the Río Pánuco. Site status unknown. Admiralty J4238.1; NGA 15228.

Lighthouses of Veracruz

Northern Veracruz Lighthouses
Tampico Escollera Sur (South Breakwater) (2): Date unknown (station established 1912). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green flash every 5 s. 7 m (23 ft) square white concrete skeletal tower. Admiralty J4250; NGA 15276. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the south breakwater at the entrance to the Río Pánuco at Tampico (the south side of the river is in Veracruz state). Accessible only by boat (the south breakwater is not walkable). Site and tower closed. Admiralty J4241; NGA 15236.
Isla de Lobos (3): Date unknown (station established 1895). Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 5 s. 30 m (98 ft) white concrete tower with lantern and gallery. This lighthouse appears to be a sibling of El Palmar, Yucatán. Radio Club Satélite has a photo of the current lighthouse, another photo and a view from the sea are available, and Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo of the 1899 cast iron lighthouse. Google has a very distant satellite view. The lighthouse guides vessels around Cabo Rojo, a very prominent cape in northern Veracruz. The island is located about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of the cape. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-035; Admiralty J4250; NGA 15276.
* La Barra (Tuxpan, Túxpam) (2): 1930s (?) (station established 1895). Inactive. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's cottage. No lantern. Kate Messer has an account of a 1998 visit in which she was able to climb the tower but found it to be in poor condition. Located on the playa norte (north beach) of Tuxpan, somewhere to the north of the present lighthouse. Site open, tower reported open but dangerous.
* La Barra (Tuxpan, Túxpam) (3): Date unknown (station established 1895). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); four white flashes every 7 s. 22 m (72 ft) concrete block tower with lantern and double gallery, attached to 1-story keeper's cottage. Lighthouse painted white; the lantern roof is red. John Todd Jr. has a photo (second photo on the page), and another photo is available. Located on the north side of the entrance to the Río Túxpan in Barra Norte. A lack of shadows makes the lighthouse inconspicuous in a Google satellite view. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-136; Admiralty J4255; NGA 15304.
La Barra Entrance Range Front: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 3 s. 16.5 m square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. The tower also carries an orange daymark. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the south side of the Río Túxpan in La Moderna. Site status unknown. Admiralty J4258; NGA 15305.
La Barra Entrance Range Rear: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 22.5 m (73 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. The tower also carries an orange daymark. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located 270 m (885 ft) west southwest of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty J4258.1; NGA 15306.
** Barra de Cazones: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 5 s. 16 m (52 ft) white concrete tower with four ribs, lantern and gallery. Ank Camaleon has a photo, another photo is available (almost 3/4 of the way down the page), there is also a distant view (about 4/5 of the way down the page), YouTube has a video taken from the gallery, and Google has a satellite view. Barra de Cazones is a fishing port about 35 km (22 mi) southeast of Tuxpan. Site open, tower apparently open. ARLHS MEX-021; Admiralty J4259.5; NGA 15332.
* Tecolutla (2): Date unknown (station established 1906). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 23 m (74 ft) "2-stage" masonry tower with lantern and two galleries: a cylindrical extension rises above the gallery of a conical lower section. The lighthouse, painted white with blue trim, is floodlit at night. A photo is available, also a second photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the Avenida Hidalgo in the center of Tecolutla, a small coastal town at the mouth of the Río Tecolutla about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Túxpan. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-066; Admiralty J4260; NGA 15336.
* Río Nautla (3): Date unknown (station established 1906). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 6 s. 22 m (72 ft) concrete tower with lantern and double gallery. A keeper's house is nearby. The lighthouse was repainted between Sybil Lopez's March 2007 photo and Jaime Santos's 2008 photo. Google has a satellite view. Nautla is on the coast roughly halfway between Cabo Rojo and Veracruz. Located on the south side of the Río Nautla entrance; accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-065; Admiralty J 4262; NGA 15348.
* Punta Delgada (2): Date unknown (station established 1906). Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); three white flashes every 25 s. 22 m (72 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse is unpainted concrete. 1-story keeper's houses and other light station buildings. Manolo Arrubarrena has a photo, Angel David Hernández Ruíz has contributed a closeup, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland about 100 km (60 mi) southeast of Nautla. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-179; Admiralty J4266; NGA 15352.
Veracruz Harbor Lighthouses
* Veracruz (1) (San Juan de Ulúa): 1796. Inactive since about 1890. Approx. 18 m (60 ft) ruined cylindrical masonry tower; lantern removed. A good photo is available, Carlos Eduardo Aguirre González has a second photo, Lighthouse Explorer has a historic postcard view of the lighthouse when it was in service, Huelse has a second postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This was the first lighthouse on Mexico's Gulf coast, created by placing a lantern and optics prefabricated in London atop the existing Torre de San Pedro del Castillo. The historic lens is on display at the Museo Historico Naval in Mexico City. Located on a seaward corner of the star-shaped Fuerte de San Juan de Ulúa, the historic fortress that guarded Veracruz from early in the 16th century. The site is one of the principal tourist attractions of the city. Site open, tower closed as far as is known. Owner/site manager: Government of Mexico(?). ARLHS MEX-148.
* Veracruz (2) (Convento de San Francisco, Faro Benito Juárez): 1872. Inactive since 1910. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) square masonry clock tower at one corner of the 2-story Convento de San Francisco, a 17th century convent and church. Philo Nordlund's photo is at the top of this page, another photo is available, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. It was in this building that Benito Juárez promulgated laws reforming the Mexican constitution in the late 1850s. Still recognized as having been a lighthouse, the tower is now called the Faro Benito Juárez. The building is now a historical museum. Located at the foot of the Calle Benito Juárez y Morelos in downtown Veracruz. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: City of Veracruz(?). ARLHS MEX-144.
Muro de Pescadores (Veracruz Entrance Range Front): Date unnown. Actve; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 3 s. 24 m (79 ft) concrete post light with gallery rising from a round 2-story concrete base. The concrete is a pale yellow color. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, and Google has a satellite view. The rear light of the range is mounted on the top of the Hotel Hawaii. Located at the end of the south inner breakwater of Veracruz. Fishermen walk the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4286; NGA 15392.
Veracruz Reefs Lighthouses
Note: The Veracruz Reefs are 17 coral reefs fringing the approach to the harbor of Veracruz. The reefs are very popular sites for scuba diving.
Isla de la Galleguita: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 11 m (36 ft) round white concrete tower mounted on a round concrete pier. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located at the south end of the reef, about 4 km (2.5 mi) northeast of the Veracruz harbor entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4271; NGA 15356.
Isla Verde: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 8 m (26 ft) hexagonal pyramidal concrete tower, mounted on a hexagonal concrete base. Lighthouse painted red. Mario Malpica Patrón has a photo, a view from the sea is available, and Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant view. This light is close to the approach channel for large ships. Located on an islet at the southern end of the reef, about 7 km (4.5 mi) east of the harbor entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4274; NGA 15372.
Isla de Sacrificios (2): 1964? (station established 1894). Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white flash every 15 s; tower also carries shorter range hazard lights showing two flashes of white, red, or green depending on the direction of approach. 39 m (128 ft) cylindrical concrete (?) tower with double gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. Lantern replaced by a square skeletal tower to elevate the light. A photo is available, Laura Fern has a second photo, Yair Delfin has a portfolio of photos, GulfBase.org has a page with an aerial photo, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse was a 9 m (30 ft) cast iron tower; Klaus Huelse has posted a postcard image, and Lighthouse Explorer has a historic photo. The present lighthouse is one of Mexico's tallest. The lighthouse is on a small island southeast of the harbor of Veracruz; the island is famous as the place where the conquistador Hernan Cortéz landed in 1519. Site and tower closed. ARLHS MEX-145; Admiralty J4278; NGA 15380.
Antón Lizardo Reef Lighthouses
Note: These reefs lie off the cape of Antón Lizardo, southeast of Veracruz.
Arrecife Santiaguillo (2): 1934 (station established 1898). Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); two flashes, alternating red and white, every 10 s. 32 m (105 ft) cylindrical tower, attached to a 1-story concrete keeper's house. painted with red and white horizontal bands. Laura Elena Rosado has an excellent photo, and Alfonso Treviño Acosta has a second photo. This isolated island is off the coast about 30 km (20 mi) east southeast of Veracruz. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-076; Admiralty J4318; NGA 15436.
Arrecife Blanca: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) white concrete tower mounted on a concrete base. Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef about 3 km (1.8 mi) north northwest of Antón Lizardo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4310; NGA 15408.
Isla de Enmedio (2): Date unknown (station established 1893). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); three flashes, alternating white, red, and green, every 12 s. 14 m (46 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white; the name "Isla de Enmedio" is written in black on the gallery. Keeper's house. Staffed light station. Javier Lopez has a 2008 closeup, Gabriel Gaytán-Ariza has a photo, and an aerial photo is available. The reef is off the coast about 5 km (3 mi) north of Antón Lizardo and 30 km (20 mi) southeast of Veracruz. Located on an island at the north end of the Salmedina reef. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower open by arrangement with the keeper. ARLHS MEX-032; Admiralty J4314; NGA 15420.
Arrecife El Rizo (2): Date unknown (station established 1900). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical concrete skeletal tower with gallery. the lighthouse is covered with red tiles. Google has a satellite view. Located near the southeast end of a barely-exposed reef about 5 km (3 mi) southeast of the Isla de Enmedio. Accessible only by boat. Site open; if you can get there, the tower can be climbed. Admiralty J4316; NGA 15424.
Southern Veracruz Mainland Lighthouses Alvarado: 1930. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 8 m (26 ft) square cylindrical tower, painted red, mounted on a keeper's house. The light is barely visible in a photo taken from across the esuary, and a Google satellite view probably shows the lighthouse. The lighthouse marks the east side of the entrance to the Laguna de Alvarado, about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Veracruz. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-098; Admiralty J4324; NGA 15444.

Lighthouses of Tabasco

Tupilco (3): About 1974 (station established 1908). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 23 m (75 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery. According to NGA, the lighthouse is painted white. No photo available. The original lighthouse, a 20 m (66 ft) masonry tower, was replaced before 1953 by a skeletal tower having the same height. That lighthouse was undermined and toppled by Hurricane Brenda in 1973. The new tower was built farther inland, but recently it has also been threatened by beach erosion. The lighthouse marks a lagoon entrance west of Paraíso. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-135; Admiralty J4352; NGA 15496.
Chiltepec: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 13 m (43 ft) white round concrete tower. No photo available. Apparently located on the west side of the lagoon entrance at Chiltepec. Site status unknown. Admiralty J4353; NGA 15500.
Frontera (Río Grijalva, Tabasco River): 1882. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 6 s. 29 m (95 ft) octagonal cylindrical skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story octagonal cylindrical concrete base. Access to the lantern is by an exposed spiral staircase. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. An excellent photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the entrance to the Río Grijalva, a major river that has created a small delta called Punta Frontera. The historic tower is similar in design to the 1879 lighthouse at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Its focal plane was listed as 77 ft (23.5 m) as late as 1920, so apparently the tower was raised onto the concrete base in the 1920s. Located on the east side of the entrance, about 8 km (5 mi) northwest of the city of Frontera. Site status unknown, possibly open. ARLHS MEX-173; Admiralty J4354; NGA 15504.

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