Lighthouses of Mexico: 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.

More information and photos are needed for many 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
Online List of Lights -Vol. J - Mexico
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Farosmex - Lighthouses of Mexico
A large portfolio of photos of Mexican lighthouses posted on Photobucket.com.
Leuchttürme in Mexiko
Photos by Andreas Köhler.
Lighthouses in Mexico
Photos available from Wikimedia.
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.
Leuchttürme Mittelamerikas auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.

El Palmar
Faro El Palmar, Celestún, May 2004
Panoramio photo copyright Eco Paraíso; permission requested

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) round tower with lantern and gallery painted with red and white horizontal bands, attached to a 1-story red-roofed keeper's house. A 2010 photo and a 2007 photo are available, Jorge Baños Hdez has a photo, 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. The front light is on a 12 m (39 ft) skeletal tower at the beach due north of the lighthouse. 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) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with one very narrow black horizontal band. A 2007 photo and another recent photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. Michel Forand contributed a postcard image of the original lighthouse to Lighthouse Explorer, and Huelse has an older postcard view. 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.
*** Isla Aguada (Punta del Tigre, Faro del Tigre) (1)
1908. Inactive (a decorative light is displayed). 20 m (66 ft) square concrete tower with lantern and double gallery, rising from one corner of a 2-story concrete keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is at right, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The lighthouse was long abandoned, but in 2010 the state port authority restored it thoroughly and opened a museum in the light station. This is the first of several tourist developments planned for the state's lighthouses. The town of Isla Aguada, on the east side of the northeastern entrance to the Laguna de Términos, is about 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Ciudad del Cármen. Located on the main street of Isla Aguada, two blocks north of the former ferry terminal and one block east of highway 180. Site and museum open, tower status unknown.
*** Punta del Tigre (Faro del Tigre, Isla Aguada) (2) (Range Rear)
Date unknown (station established 1908). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); four white flashes every 15 s. 20 m (66 ft) slender round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, although it was formerly painted with narrow red and white horizontal bands. A tourist site has a photo showing the red bands, a more recent photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located about 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Ciudad del Cármen. Site and museum open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-174; Admiralty J4384.1; NGA 15540.
Faro de Isla Aguada
Faro de Isla Aguada, November 2010
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Bea Lozano
* 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. The light is displayed from the top of a square skeletal mast placed on top of the lighthouse. Manuel Palomo has a photo, Köhler has a photo, another 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.

Champotón Lighthouse
* 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. Trabas has a photo by Arno Siering, Köhler has a photo, Vladimir Herman Miguel has a 2007 photo, and a closeup is available, but the tower is hard to find in Google's satellite view. 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.

Ciudad de San Francisco de Campeche Lighthouses
Punta Morro
1896. Active; focal plane 54 m (177 ft); three white flashes every 6 s. 16 m (52 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. 2-story keeper's house. A photo from the state government's web site appears at right, a 2012 closeup photo of the tower is available, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse marks a steep headland about 30 km (20 mi) southwest of Campeche. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-090; Admiralty J4392; NGA 15552.
Cerro de San Bartolo (San Bartolo Hill, Faro de San Miguel)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 78 m (256 ft); two white flashes every 12 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a square keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. Köhler has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. The scarcity of photos of this prominent lighthouse is surprising. Located atop a high hill just off the Avenida Escénica about 3 km (2 mi) southwest of downtown Campeche. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-094; Admiralty J4400; NGA 15564.
Faro de Punta Morro
Faro de Punta Morro; Estado de Campeche photo
* Campeche
1865. Apparently inactive. 25 m (82 ft) square cylindrical tower with octagonal gallery and watch room. The lighthouse is one of the two steeples of an 18th century church, the Templo de San José, converted to a light tower. Köhler has a photo, a good closeup, another closeup, and a more distant view are available, and Google has a satellite view. The building has not been used as a church since 1914; in 1934 it became the city's archaeological museum, and today it serves as a cultural center. Tower painted white, lantern roof black. Located in the center of the city. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-105.

Calkiní Lighthouse
* Isla Arena
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flashes every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with three ribs, lantern and gallery, painted white. The lighthouse is not visible in Google's distant satellite view. The island is being developed as a tourist attraction, and in 2011 the Campeche port authority opened a visitor center at the lighthouse. 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
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) round concrete tower with gallery and a small lantern. Lighthouse painted white. 1-story keeper's house and other station buildings. An excellent photo is available, the lighthouse is seen in Joaquin Perez Mata's aerial photos of the cays, another aerial view is available, and Google has a satellite view. The Cayos Arcas reef is located in the Bay of Campeche about 130 km (80 mi) west of Campeche city; it is administered under the municipality of Champotón. 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. Trabas has a good photo by Capt. Theo Hinrichs (also seen at right), but the cay is only a blur in Google's satellite view. 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.
Faro Triángulo Oeste
Faro Arrecife Triángulo Oeste
photo copyright Capt. Theo Hinrichs; used by permission

Lighthouses of Yucatán State

Offshore Lighthouses of the Gulf of Mexico
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. Trabas has Capt. Theo Hinrichs's photo, an excellent closeup, another photo, and an aerial photo are available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. 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, Trabas has Capt. Theo Hinrichs's view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. In Felipe Concha-Alonzo's 2004 photo the lighthouse is painted all red, but it is red and white in a 2007 photo. 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 Progreso in restoring it. The cay, at the south end 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.
Faro Isla Pérez
Faro de Isla Pérez, August 2007
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Yodigo

Western Coast (Litoral Poniente) Lighthouses
* 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. A photo is at right, Jeremy Brett has a good photo, Köhler has a photo, and another photo is available. The photos also show 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. The photo at the top of this page was taken by staff of Eco Paraíso, a nearby resort. Google has a satellite view. This is Mexico's tallest traditional lighthouse (the modern Gran Puerto de Cancún tower is taller). In fact, it is the tallest lighthouse of Middle America, so it deserves much better recognition; its remote location has kept it relatively unknown. It is always known by its nickname, El Palmar. 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.

Faro de Celestún, July 2003
Flickr Creative Commons photo by NCReedplayer

Progreso Metropolitan Region Lighthouses
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 a colonial fort, the Fuerte de Sisal. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands; lantern painted black. Köhler has a photo, a closeup photo is available, F. Robles also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. NGA has lowered the focal plane of this light from 22 m, so the light may have been relocated to a lower tower. More information is needed on this site. Located in Sisal, the historic seaport of the Yucatán, about 40 km (25 mi) northwest of Mérida. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-019; Admiralty J4409; NGA 15604.
** Progreso (2)
1893 (station established 1874). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 6 s. 33 m (108 ft) tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern roof is black. A photo by Pedro Sanchez appears at right, Köhler has a nice closeup, another closeup photo is available, Michael Vinson has a 2007 closeup, Jon Lebkowski has a 2009 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Progreso is the modern seaport of the Yucatán, about 32 km (20 mi) north of Mérida. Located in the downtown section of the city, two blocks from the ocean. Site open, tower open with keeper's permission. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-086; Admiralty J4416; NGA 15620.

Central Coast (Litoral Centro) Lighthouses
* Telchac
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three white flashes every 8 s. 12 m (39 ft) concrete tower with four ribs, lantern and gallery. Köhler has a photo, a 2008 closeup and a sunset view are available, and Tim Sexton also has a photo, but the tower is hard to spot in Google's satellite view. Located just off the beach at Telchac Puerto about 55 km (33 mi) east of Progreso. Site open. ARLHS MEX-150; Admiralty J4418; NGA 15632.
* Dzilám de Bravo (2)
Date unknown (station established 1960s?). Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with lantern, gallery, and four ribs. A 2008 photo is available, Wikimedia has a photo, the Mexican ecological protection agency Conobio also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 700 m (0.4 mi) west of the harbor entrance at Dzilám de Bravo, about 25 km (15 mi) east of Telchac. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-150; Admiralty J4419; NGA 15636.
Progreso Lighthouse
Faro de Progreso, July 2006
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Pedro Sanchez

Eastern Coast (Litoral Orente) Lighthouses
Yalkubul (2)
Date unknown (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 20 m (66 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Two 1-story keeper's houses. The shadow of the lighthouse is conspicuous in a Google satellite view. The lighthouse is gravely endangered by beach erosion, and the government announced a beach stabilization project designed to protect it. Apparently, this project was carried out by the U.S.-based Reef Ball Foundation, which has several photos of the effort. However, as of May 2009 the lighthouse was still standing in the surf. The light station is located in a nature reserve, the Parque Natural San Felipe. Located on the beach about 120 km (75 mi) east of Progreso and 15 mi (25 km) west of Río Lagartos. The station is probably 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. A photo is at right, Trabas has a photo, Rodney Shupe has a photo, Luis Arceo has a 2010 closeup, Köhler has a photo, another 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. Köhler has a photo, Martin Hunter has a 2008 photo, another closeup is available, the Villa Xamen-nah resort has additional photos (halfway down the page), and Google has a satellite view. 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.
Faro Río Lagartos
Faro de Río Lagartos, April 2008
Panoramio photo copyright markusz; permission requested

Lighthouses of Quintana Roo (the Mexican Caribbean)

Isla Mujeres Municipality 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, Robert Brands has a 2008 photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. 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, another good photo is available, Farosmex has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is endangered by beach erosion; several groins have been built to protect it. 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. Farosmex has a photo, S. Sichler has a 2008 photo, 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, the lighthouse is rarely visited. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower status unknown. Site manager: Parque Nacional Isla Contoy. ARLHS MEX-008; Admiralty J4430; NGA 15668.
*** 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. Trabas has an excellent photo, Farosmex has a photo, Köhler has a photo, a closeup photo and another photo are available, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. This is the taller of the two Isla Mujeres lighthouses. It stands in the middle of a street intersection, but photos of it are not so common as one might think. Located at the northwestern point of the island and the north end of the harbor. Site open, tower reported open. ARLHS MEX-139; Admiralty J4433.1: NGA 15680.
Piedra la Carbonera Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 6 m (20 ft); white flash every 3 s. 5 m (17 ft) square concrete tower, painted white. Steve Stevens has a photo, another good photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rock in the harbor of Isla Mujeres, 980 m (0.6 mi) due south of the rear light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4433; NGA 15676.
*** Isla Mujeres (Punta Sur) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1899). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 10 m (34 ft) octagonal concrete tower with gallery, covered with wood siding, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. There is only a small lantern; the top of the tower is an observation deck with the light mounted in the center. A photo is at right, Farosmex has a photo, Köhler has a photo, Joe Newble has posted a 2007 closeup, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. The lighthouse was restored after being damaged by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988; the restored lighthouse is faced with wood siding and the gallery rail is wood. It appears that the keeper's house has been rebuilt as a gift shop. Located in an ecological and historical park at the southern tip of Isla Mujeres. Site and tower open. Site manager: Garrafón National Park. ARLHS MEX-020; Admiralty J4432; NGA 15672.
Faro de Punta Sur, Isla Mujeres
Faro de Punta Sur, Isla Mujeres, August 2005
Flickr Creative Commons photo by the Mitchells

Benito Juárez Municipality (Cancún and Puerto Morelos) Lighthouses
** Gran Puerto de Cancún
2005. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); white flash every 6 s. 48 m (157 ft) tower with the lantern centered on a large round restaurant. A photo and a closeup are available, Farosmex has a photo, Köhler has a photo, there's a 2007 view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Obviously designed as a tourist attraction, this large structure straddles a terminal for ferries from Cancún to Isla Mujeres. Located on the waterfront in Puerto Juárez, the downtown waterfront district of Cancún. Site open, restaurant open. Admiralty J4436.3; NGA 15694.
* Cancún (Punta Cancún) (2)
Date unknown (2005?). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 12 m (39 ft) cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. An external stairway winds around the tower, but does not reach the ground. Farosmex has a photo, Köhler has a photo, another photo is available, also a 2009 photo and another photo, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse has been built or altered since 2000; the tower was formerly a simple cylinder with no lantern. The original light may well have been destroyed by Hurricane Wilma, which scored a direct hit on Cancún in October 2005. Located at Punta Cancún at the northeast point of the resort area; Caribbean-on-line.com has a map. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-087; Admiralty J4436.5; NGA 15696.
* 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, and Wikimedia has a photo. 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. Chris Gold's photo is at right, Wikimedia has a photo, Köhler has a photo, and Farosmex has a photo, but the lighthouse is inconspicuous in a Google satellite view. The top of the tower with its gallery destroyed by Hurricane Wilma (October 2005), but 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. Site open, tower status uncertain. ARLHS MEX-014; Admiralty J4438; NGA 15704.

Faro de Puerto Morelos, December 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Chris Gold

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. The name of the island is derived from the Mayan Kùutsmil, "island of swallows."
**** Punta Celeraín (3)
1934 (station established 1908). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 5 s. 25 m (82 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with black lettering on the seaward side; lantern painted red. 4th order (?) clamshell Fresnel lens in use. The keeper's house (1908) has been renovated as the Celeraín Museum of Navigation. Foundations of two earlier lighthouses remain visible. Visitor center nearby on the main road. Wikimedia has a 2011 photo, Farosmex has a photo, Vladimir Ponomarev has a 2009 photo, an aerial photo is available, Lighthouse Explorer has a fine photo by George Fuqua, Trabas has a view from the sea by Capt. Theo Hinrichs, and Google has a satellite view. The road to the lighthouse was washed out by Hurricane Wilma in late 2005, but the area was reopened by September 2006. Located in an ecological reserve at the southern end of the island of Cozumel. Site open (entry fee), tower open. Site manager: Parque Punta Sur. ARLHS MEX-088; Admiralty J4446; NGA 15744.
* San Miguel de Cozumel (5) (Punta Ealetita)
2000. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 36 m (118 ft) cylindrical concrete light tower with four ribs, lantern, and gallery. Richard Johnson's photo is at right, Farosmex has a photo, and a fine closeup is available, but a cloud blocks Google's satellite view. Shortly after Johnson's photo was taken, the lighthouse was repainted white with green trim and large black lettering on the sides, as seen in a July 2008 photo and Douglas Cameron's distant view. Located about 1.6 km (1 mi) south of San Miguel de Cozumel on the west side of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-096; Admiralty J4443.1; NGA 15732.
* Punta Langosta (San Miguel de Cozumel (4))
Date unknown (station established 1906). Reactivated (inactive 2000-2005); focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 5 s. 15 m (49 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and two galleries, painted white. A 2009 photo is available, Lighthouse Explorer has a photo by Joost Keesing, and Google has a satellite view. Deactivated in favor of the new lighthouse at Punta Ealetita (next entry), this lighthouse was apparently reactivated to assist boats entering the harbor. Located on the waterfront, near the cruise ship terminal, in San Miguel de Cozumel on the west side of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-131; Admiralty J4443; NGA 15730.
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, a 2008 photo, and a view from the sea are available, Trabas has a view from the sea by Capt. Theo Hinrichs, and Google has a satellite view. Farosmex has a photo in which the tower appears to be in poor condition. 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.
 

Faro de Punta Ealetita, San Miguel de Cozumel, April 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Richard Johnson

Solidaridad Municipality (Playa del Carmen) 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. Trabas has a closeup photo by Arno Siering, Köhler has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. 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 Municipality Lighthouses
**** Tulum El Castillo
About 1200 AD. Rubblestone pyramid crowned by a square temple structure with two small openings facing the sea. Köhler has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. 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. Site and pyramid open.
* Tulum
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) square concrete tower on a pyramidal base, attached to a 1-story concrete keeper's cottage. Lighthouse painted white with green trim. Farosmex has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Most tourists miss this lighthouse; it is located about 500 m (0.3 mi) south of the Mayan ruin atop a limestone cliff called Salta Iman. Site open, tower closed. 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. The lighthouse is unpainted white concrete; the lantern roof is painted red. Farosmex has a photo, a closeup photo and a view from the sea are 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.
Faro de Playa del Carmen
Faro Playa del Carmen, April 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Frank Kovalchek

Felipe Carrillo Puerto Municipality Lighthouses
* [Vigia Chico]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 10 m (33 ft) slender round white concrete tower. Alex Pakusin has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at Vigia Chico on the west side of the Bahía del Espíritu Santo. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4450.5; NGA 15756.
Cayo Culebra
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 12 m (39 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available, and the light is not seen in Google's satellite view. Cayo Culebra is an island about 8 km (5 mi) south southeast of Punta Allen. Located at the eastern end of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty J4450.7; NGA 15760.

Othón P. Blanco Municipality (Chetumal Area) Lighthouses
* Punta Herrero (4)
Date unknown (station established 1901). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 22 m (72 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with 4 ribs, lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white. 1-story concrete keeper's house. Farosmex has a photo, a good 2009 photo and a view from the sea are available, and Google has a distant satellite view. There's an aerial photo of the third lighthouse, a square skeletal tower. Punta Herrero is at the end of a long, northward-pointing spit that encloses the Laguna del Espíritu Santo. The entire area is included in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. Located at the end of the road in Punta Herrero. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-056; Admiralty J4452; NGA 15776.
* Mahahual (Majahual) (2)
2006 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane about 23 m (75 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with four buttressed ribs, lantern, and gallery. Lantern roof painted red. The former light, a short skeletal tower, stands next to the new lighthouse in a May 2006 photo. It's still there, no longer with a lens, in an April 2007 photo. Farosmex has a photo, another good photo is available, Trabas has a distant view by Douglas Cameron, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the waterfront in Mahahual. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4455; NGA 15782.
* X'calak (Xcalak) (1)
1904. Inactive. Round cast iron tourelle mounted on an octagonal concrete base. The top of the cast iron tower is missing. A closeup and a second closeup are available.
* X'calak (Xcalak) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1904). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery but without lantern, unpainted. Farosmex has a closeup photo, Riona MacNamara has a good closeup photo, LocoGringo.com has an aerial photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The name is pronounced "shkalak." Located at X'calak, the southernmost point of Quintana Roo, across from Ambergris Cay, Belize. Accessible by ferry from Chetumal. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-137; Admiralty J4462; NGA 15796.
* Ciudad Chetumal (Payo Obispo) (2)
1960s(?) (station established 1934). Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 6 s.15 m (49 ft) cylindrical tower without lantern, navigation light mounted on the gallery. Tower painted white, gallery red. Gabriel Herrera's photo is at right, Farosmex has a photo, Köhler has a photo, Geo-images.com has another photo, a 2008 photo is available, and Google has a good satellite view. Located on Boulevard Bahía in downtown Chetumal. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-028; Admiralty J4469; NGA 15800.
Faro de Chetumal
Faro de Ciudad Chetumal, April 2007
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Gabriel Joaquín Herrera Jimenez

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. A 2009 photo is available, Geoff Schultz also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. 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. The tower cannot be seen in Google's distant satellite view. 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. Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo; it shows two skeletal towers, and the newer one has tipped over, perhaps by a passing hurricane. The tower is not seen in Google's distant satellite view. Cayo Lobos is at the extreme south end of the reef. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4456.7; NGA 15792.

Information available on lost lighthouses

Notable faux lighthouses:

  • Hotel Cozumel Marina, near the airport, has a large lighthouse-like tower; it is not an aid to navigation.

Adjoining pages: North: Mexico Gulf Coast | South: Belize

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Posted December 2004. Checked and revised August 9, 2012. Lighthouses: 52. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.