Lighthouses of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula

This page includes lighthouses of the Mexican states of Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo, all located on the Yucatán Peninsula. Campeche and Yucatán face the Gulf of Mexico, while most of Quintana Roo faces east on the Caribbean Sea. Campeche city and Progreso are the major ports. Quintana Roo is known for the beach resorts of the Mexican Caribbean, including Cancún and the island of Cozumel.

Some of Mexico's most impressive and 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.

Many are known only from listings of navigational aids . More information and photos are needed for all of lighthouses on this page. 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. Light List numbers are from NGA Publication 110 for Caribbean lights and Publication 111 for Pacific lights.

General sources
Los Faros de Isla Cozumel: Photos and accounts of the Cozumel area lighthouses by John B. Caddell.
Mexican Beacons: November 2001 Lighthouse Digest article by Dalene Thomas, also covering the Cozumel lighthouses.

sunrise at El Palmar, New Year's Eve 2001
photo copyright Michelle Casler; used by permission

Lighthouses of Campeche State

Ciudad del Carmen Area Lighthouses
* Xicalango (Jicalongo) (Range Rear) (2): Date unknown (station established 1853). Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 6 s. 28 m (92 ft) cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery painted with red and white horizontal bands, attached to a 1-story red-roofed keeper's house. Uriel Akira has a 2007 photo, Bastiaan Ros also has a photo (almost 3/4 the way down the page), another photo is available, and Google has an excellent satellite view. The range guides vessels into the western entrance to the Laguna de Terminos west of Ciudad del Carmen. Located beside highway 180 about 6 km (3.5 mi) west of the bridge crossing the inlet from Ciudad del Carmen. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-138; Admiralty J4372.1; NGA 15516.
* Punta Atalaya (Ciudad del Carmen) (2): Date unknown (station established 1905). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); three flashes, alternating white and red, every 12 s. 21 m (66 ft) concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. A 2007 photo and another recent photo are available, and the shadow of the lighthouse can be seen in a Google satellite view. Lighthouse Explorer has a postcard image of the original lighthouse. Located on the west end of Isla del Cármen, marking the east side of the western entrance to the Laguna de Términos, west of Ciudad del Cármen. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-010; Admiralty J4374; NGA 15520.
** Punta del Tigre (Faro del Tigre, Isla Aguada) Range Rear: Date unknown (station established 1908). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); four white flashes every 15 s. 20 m (66 ft) concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome is red. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the east side of the northeastern entrance to the Laguna de Términos, about 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Ciudad del Cármen. Site open, tower reported to be open by arrangement. ARLHS MEX-174; Admiralty J4384.1; NGA 15540.
* Sabancuy: Date unknown.Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east side of the dredged channel through the barrier beach at Sabancuy. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4386; NGA 15544.
Ciudad de Campeche Area Lighthouses * Champotón (Río Champotón) (3): Date unknown (station established 1897). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 5 s. 22 m (72 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with gallery; the light is displayed in a small lantern on a short mast. Lighthouse painted white, gallery black, lantern red. Uriel Akira has posted a photo, and Vladimir Herman Miguel has a 2007 photo. The lighthouse marks the river entrance in Champotón about 60 km (40 mi) south southwest of Campeche. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-093; Admiralty J4388; NGA 15548.
* Isla Arena: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flashes every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) square concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. No photo available. Located on an island just offshore near Calkiní, about 25 km (15 mi) south of Celestún. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-107; Admiralty J4403; NGA 15584.

Offshore Lighthouses of the Bay of Campeche and Gulf of Mexico

Cayos Arcas (Range Rear) (2): Date unknown (station established 1898). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) concrete tower with gallery and a small lantern. Lighthouse painted white. 1-story keeper's house. An excellent photo is available. The reef is located in the Bay of Campeche about 160 km (100 mi) west of Campeche city. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-025; Admiralty J4358.1; NGA 15572.
Arrecife Triángulo Oeste (West Triangle Reef): Date unknown (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 22 m (72 ft) rectangular cylindrical tower, painted red. This is a staffed station, but when Dick Wedge visited this site January 23, 2001, he found the lighthouse operating but unmanned and "damaged." No further information available. The reef is located in the Bay of Campeche about 190 km (120 mi) west of Celestún. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-079; Admiralty J4364; NGA 15576.
Cayo Arenas (2): Date unknown (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white light, 2 s on, 10 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square concrete tower with double gallery. Lighthouse painted white. The cay is far out in the Gulf about 200 km (125 mi) northwest of El Palmar, the northwesternmost point of the Yucatán Peninsula. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-004; Admiralty J4368; NGA 15580.
Isla Pérez (Scorpion Reef) (2): Date unknown (station established 1901). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); two white flashes every 8 s. 18 m (59 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Several 1-story keeper's houses. This is a staffed station. Desiderio Caamal Hoyos has a fine closeup and a more distant view. The original lighthouse was one of nine cast iron towers given to Mexico by the British government and built by the British firm Chance Brothers. The original wood keeper's house survives in poor condition; there is interest in Progeso in restoring it. The cay, largest island of the Arrecife Alacrán (Scorpion Reef) is in the Gulf about 50 km (30 mi) northeast of Progreso. Accessible only by boat; transportation from Progreso can be hired. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-085; Admiralty J4414; NGA 15596.

Lighthouses of Yucatán State

* Celestún (2? 3?): Date unknown (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 12 m (40 ft) cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern roof is black. Jeremy Brett has a good photo. The photo also shows a square stone tower, leaning precariously. This is perhaps an older, abandoned lighthouse, but light lists do not mention any such tower. Another photo of these two towers is available, but the lighthouse is inconspicuous in a Google satellite view. A cast iron skeletal tower was built here in 1905, so the abandoned stone tower must be newer than that. Located on the beach in the center of Celestún, which is accessible by a paved road (RF 281) from Mérida. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-007; Admiralty J4404; NGA 15588.
Punta Palmas ("El Palmar"): Date unknown (around 1950?). Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 39 m (128 ft) masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from 1-story keeper's house. Michelle Casler's photo, at the top of this page, was taken on December 31, 2000. Google has a satellite view. This is Mexico's tallest traditional lighthouse (the modern Gran Puerto de Cancún tower is taller). Located at the end of federal highway 281, near the northwestern corner of the peninsula, north of Celestún. Accessible by boat or by 4WD vehicle over dirt roads from Celestún. Site and tower open. ARLHS MEX-125; Admiralty J4406; NGA 15592.
Sisal: Date unknown (station established 1852). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on the walls of the colonial Fuerte (fort) de Sisal. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands; lantern painted black. A closeup photo is available; there is also a small photo, and Google has a satellite view. NGA has lowered the focal plane of this light from 22 m, so the tower shown in the photos may have been replaced by a lower light; information is needed on his site. Located in Sisal, the historic seaport of the Yucatán, about 40 km (25 mi) northwest of Mérida. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-019; Admiralty J4409; NGA 15604.
Yalkubul (2): Date unknown (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 20 m (66 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Two 1-story keeper's houses. According to NGA, the tower is now painted with red and white horizontal bands, but it is all white in an undated photo (more than halfway down the page) posted by Constructora Anglo Peninsular, a contractor. The shadow of the lighthouse is conspicuous in a Google satellite view. The lighthouse is endangered by beach erosion, and the government has announced a beach stabiliazation project designed to protect it. Located on the beach about 120 km (75 mi) east of Progreso and 15 mi (25 km) west of Río Lagartos. The station may be accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-092; Admiralty J4420; NGA 15640.
* Río Lagartos: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Keeper's house. Rodney Shupe has a photo, a second photo is available, and Google has a good satellite view. Located on the tip of a peninsula in Río Lagartos. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-129; Admiralty J4421; NGA 15644.
*** Monte de Cuyo (2): Date unknown (station established 1907). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. Approx. 12 m (40 ft) cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands, built atop a Mayan ruin. Martin Hunter has a 2008 photo, and the Villa Xamen-nah resort has additional photos (halfway down the page). The lighthouse was repaired after being damaged by Hurricane Wilma in October 2005. Located on the main street in El Cuyo, a beach town about 30 miles west of Cabo Catoche. Site open; keys to the lighthouse are available from the port captain's office. ARLHS MEX-116; Admiralty J4422; NGA 15648.

Lighthouses of Quintana Roo (the Mexican Caribbean)

Cabo Catoche Area Lighthouses * Chiquilá Range Rear: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery. The tower carries a slatted daymark painted with red and white horizontal bands. Eric Lennert has a 2007 photo, and Robert Brands has a 2008 photo. Chiquilá is the mainland terminal for ferries to the resorts of Isla Holbox. Located beside the main street of Chiquilá. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4424.51; NGA 15661.1.
* Holbox Range Rear: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 16 m (52 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery. The tower carries a slatted daymark painted red, and the gallery carries a slatted daymark painted white. A photo is available (halfway down the page). Located in a dune field on Isla Holbox. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4427.31; NGA 15657.1.
Cabo Catoche: Date unknown (1930s or 1940s). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 14 m (46 ft) octagonal concrete tower with gallery and a small lantern, mounted on a square masonry base. Tower painted white, base red. Several keeper's houses; this is a staffed station. Laura Elena Rosado has a 2007 photo, and a sea kayaker has posted an account with a photo taken from the top of the tower. Located at Cabo Catoche, the northeastern tip of Yucatan. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower reported open. ARLHS MEX-084; Admiralty J4428; NGA 15664.
Isla Contoy (3): 1931 (station established 1900). Active; focal plane 33 m (105 ft); white flash every 7 s. 32 m (103 ft) concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white, rising from 1-story keeper's house. Emmanuelle Desachy's photo shows the lighthouse from the sea, a 2008 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The island, famous for its birds and coral reefs, is about 29 km (18 mi) north of Isla Mujeres. Tours are available from Cancún. Located at the north end of the narrow island. Site open, tower status unknown. Site manager: Parque Nacional Isla Contoy. ARLHS MEX-008; Admiralty J4430; NGA 15668.
Isla Mujeres and Cancún Area Lighthouses
*** Piedra la Carbonera Range Rear (Isla Mujeres): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 16 m (52 ft) concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern roof is red. A closeup photo and a second photo are available. The front range light is on a square concrete pillar 980 m (0.6 mi) due south, on a rock in the harbor. This is the taller of the two Isla Mujeres lighthouses, and it stands in the middle of a street intersection, but photos of it are curiously scarce. Located at the notrhwestern point of the island and the north end of the harbor. Site open, tower reported open. ARLHS MEX-139; Admiralty J4433.1: NGA 15676.
* Puerto Morelos (2): 1946 (station established 1905). Approx. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower, painted white with blue trim. This leaning tower on the beach was damaged by hurricanes and apparently abandoned after being undermined by Hurricane Gilbert in 1987. A 2007 photo is available. The original light was mounted on an iron mast. Located on the beach, near the water's edge, in Puerto Morelos.
* Puerto Morelos (3): 1988 (?) (station established 1905). Active; focal plane 15 m (52 ft); white flash every 6 s. 14 m (49 ft) round cylindrical tower with four ribs, lantern, and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Alejandro Mejía Greene's June 2006 photo shows the top of the tower with its gallery destroyed, probably by Hurricane Wilma (October 2005). A September 2007 photo shows the lighthouse restored and repainted. Located on the beach in Puerto Morelos, about 30 km (20 mi) south of Cancún. The lighthouse is inconspicuous in a Google satellite view. Site open, tower status uncertain. ARLHS MEX-014; Admiralty J4438; NGA 15704.
Isla de Cozumel Lighthouses
Note: Cozumel is a large island, 48 km (30 mi) by 16 km (10 mi), located 20 km (13 mi) offshore and 60 km (38 mi) south of Cancún. A very popular resort, the island has a population of about 75,000. It is readily accessible by air, cruise ship, and ferry from Playa del Carmen.
Punta Molas (2): Date unknown (station established 1900). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 20 m (66 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery; solar-powered 300 mm (?) lens. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. Other light station buildings demolished or in ruins. Caddell found a small military garrison at the light station. A 2007 photo and a view from the sea are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the northern tip of Cozumel; accessible by 4 wheel drive vehicles over a very rough road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-089; Admiralty J4442; NGA 15724.
Playa del Carmen and Tulum Area Lighthouses
** Playa del Carmen: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 16 m (52 ft) conical concrete tower, painted white; lantern red. This privately built lighthouse has a unique modern design with a stairway that spirals up the exterior of the tower. A good photo is available. Located in a resort on the beach at Playa del Carmen. Site and tower open. Site manager: Hotel El Faro. ARLHS MEX-146; Admiralty J4441; NGA 15716.
**** Tulum: About 1200 AD. Rubblestone pyramid crowned by a square temple structure with two small openings facing the sea. Built by the Maya, this structure was used ingeniously as a lighthouse to guide returning fisherman; when fires could be seen from the sea through both openings the boat was lined up properly to enter the harbor. This system was still in use when Spanish explorers under Juan de Grijalva discovered Tulum in 1518. There is a modern light (focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 6 s) mounted atop another 11 m (36 ft) Mayan pyramid nearby. Site and tower open. ARLHS MEX-080; Admiralty J4448; NGA 15748.
* Punta Allen (1): 1905 (?). Inactive. Square wood tower, now in ruins. A photo is available (near the bottom of the page).
** Punta Allen (2): Date unknown (station established 1905). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 20 m (66 ft) concrete tower with four ribs, lantern, and gallery. Lantern roof painted red. A closeup photo and a second photo are also available, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is in the village of Punta Allen about 40 km (25 mi) south of Tulum, marking the entrance to the Bahía de la Ascensión. Site and tower open. ARLHS MEX-048; Admiralty J4450; NGA 15752.
Southern Quintana Roo Lighthouses
Banco Chinchorro Lighthouses
Note: Banco Chinchorro is a complex of coral reefs and cays about 40 km (25 mi) long and up to 16 km (10 mi) wide, located about 25 km (15 mi) off Mexico's extreme southeast coast. The reefs have claimed countless shipwrecks since the earliest days of Spanish exploration in the region.
Banco Chinchorro (Cayo Norte) (3): Date unknown (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 15 m (94 ft) square white concrete tower. Geoff Schultz has a photo. Located at the extreme north end of the reef. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4456; NGA 15780.
Cayo Centro (2): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery. Cary Akin has a 2007 photo, which also shows the earlier lighhouse, a concrete post light about 10 m (33 ft) tall, undermined and leaning in the water. Another photo shows a similar view, but with the older light still on land. Cayo Centro is an island in the center of the reef complex. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4456.5; NGA 15784.
Cayo Lobos (2): Date unknown (station established 1900). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two white flashes every 12 s. 13 m (43 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery. No photo available, although the light is presumably similar to the Cayo Centro light. Cayo Lobos is at the extreme south end of the reef. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4456.7; NGA 15792.

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