Lighthouses of the Mexican West Coast

This page lists of lighthouses of the west coast of mainland Mexico. Lighthouses of Baja California are on a separate page. The lighthouses are listed from north to south, from Sonora to Chiapas.

There are very few tall lighthouses along this coast. Tall towers aren't needed, because in most places the coastline is high, and navigational lights can be mounted high on the bluffs and headlands.

Tourism is a major industry on much of this coast, but only a few of the lighthouses are tourist attractions. As a result, photos and visitor information are rather scarce on the Internet. If you have information on any of the lighthouses of Mexico, or photos you would be willing to share, please let me know.

Mexico is a federal republic comprised of 31 states, and the lighthouses are listed below by state. 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 G of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 111.

General sources
Leuchttürme Mittelamerikas auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.

Faro de Puerto Peņasco
El Faro de Puerto Peñasco, August 2006
anonymous Creative Commons photo

Sonora Lighthouses
* Punta Borrascosa
Date unknown. Inactive. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, original painted with red and white horizontal bands. A 2007 photo shows the lighthouse abandoned. Located on the north shore of the Sea of Cortés about 50 km (30 mi) west northwest of Puerto Peñasco. Accessible by a lengthy 4WD expedition. Site pen, tower closed. Admiralty G3540.3; NGA 14772.
* Puerto Peñasco
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 97 m (318 ft); white flash every 8 s. 9 m (30 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery but no lantern. Entire lighthouse painted white. A photo appears above, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Puerto Peñasco is at the northern end of the Sea of Cortés, accessible by a 1-hour drive via paved road (hwy 8) from Sonoita at the U.S. border. Located on a hill above the harbor of Puerto Peñasco. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-046; Admiralty G3540; NGA 14778.
Río de la Concepción
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. The tower appears to be attached to a 1-story equipment building. Located about 3 km (2 mi) northwest of the mouth of the Río de la Concepción at Desemboque. Site status unknown, but probably accessible by 4WD. ARLHS MEX-064; Admiralty G3539.5; NGA 14787.
* Cabo Tepoca (2)
Date unknown (recent). Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. Approx. 18 m (60 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Will Heckman has contributed the photo at right, Gabriel Salazar has distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Mark Stephens has a photo of an earlier lighthouse, a round cylindrical concrete tower. The cape shelters the Bahía Tepoca, an anchorage about 130 km (80 mi) southeast of Puerto Peñasco and a few miles south of the village of Puerto Lobos. The site is a popular goal of 4WD expeditions. Located on a bluff at the point of the cape. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-104; Admiralty G3539.2; NGA 14786.
Cabo Haro (2)
Date unknown (station established 1886). Active; focal plane 107 m (351 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 7 m (23 ft) square concrete tower rising from a 1-story keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. Fausto Ramon has a distant view, Cap. Gómez has a second view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. This historic light station is the landfall light for Guaymas, the major port of Sonora. Located high on the point of the cape, which projects into the Sea of Cortés about 5 km (3 mi) south of Guaymas. The intervening territory is quite rugged, so reaching the site requires 4WD and a local guide. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-023; Admiralty G3528; NGA 14824.

Faro de Cabo Tepoca
photo copyright Will Heckman; used by permission
Isla Pajaros (Guaymas)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); red flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal white concrete tower with gallery. Cap. Gómez has a view from the sea, a distant photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Isla Pajaros is a fishhook-shaped island lying across the entrance to the harbor of Guaymas. Huelse has a historic postcard view of an earlier Guaymas lighthouse. Located on the southwestern tip of the island, marking the entrance to the harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-011; Admiralty G3530; NGA 14828.
* Yavaros (Bahía de Yavaros)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A distant photo shows the lighthouse in silhouette against the sunset. Yavaros is a small port in southern Sonora, about 12 km (7.5 mi) south of Huatabampo. Located on a sandy ridge on the west side of the entrance to the Bahía de Yavaros. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G3520; NGA 14896.

Sinaloa Lighthouses
Río San Lorenzo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 16 m (52 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Daniel Karpas has a closeup photo, Karolina Beltrán has a second closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the beach about 8 km (5 mi) southwest of El Dorado. Accessible by 4WD. Site open, and nothing prevents visitors from climbing the ladder on the tower. Admiralty G3513.2; NGA 14953.
Punta Piaxtla
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A 2008 closeup, a distant view, a distant view, and another small and distant photo (second photo on page) are all available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rocky headland about 50 km (30 mi) north of Mazatlán. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-126; Admiralty G3512; NGA 14960.
*** Isla Crestón (Mazatlán)
1879. Active; focal plane 157 m (515 ft); white flash every 7 s. 11 m (36 ft) square masonry tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a 1-story service building; 2° clamshell Fresnel lens in use. Building painted with blue and white horizontal bands; lantern painted red. This is a staffed light station. In addition to Antonio Lerma Garay's photo at right, another closeup is available, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This is one of the best known lighthouses of Mexico, famous for its spectacular setting, high atop a gigantic rock often compared to the Rock of Gibraltar. The view is extraordinary. Navigational lights were displayed from this height as early as 1571. In Mazatlán, the lighthouse is often said to be the second highest (or even highest) in the world, claims that unfortunately do not hold true even for Middle America (the lighthouses at Lovers Leap in Jamaica, Chacachacare in Trinidad, and Cap Moule á Chique in St. Lucia are all much higher). Located south of downtown Mazatlán at the summit of the rock, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway. Accessible by a climb (about 45 minutes each way) from the end of Paseo Centenario. Site and tower open. ARLHS MEX-027; Admiralty G3504; NGA 14964.

Faro de Mazatlan
photo copyright Antonio Lerma Garay; used by permission

Nayarit Lighthouses
Teacapán
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 6 s. 17 m (56 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. The tower is mounted on or adjacent to a white equipment shelter seen in a Google satellite view. No photo available. Located near the end of the sandy spit sheltering the harbor of Teacapán. The spit is the extreme northwestern tip of Nayarit; the town, a popular resort, is in Sinaloa. Admiralty G3502.5; NGA 15006.
* San Blas (Isla del Rey)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery but no lantern, painted with red and white bands. The adjacent concrete keeper's house is in ruins. Emily Boyer's photo is at right, another closeup photo and a 2008 photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. San Blas is the principal port of Nayarit. The lighthouse is located on a peninsula (not actually an island) on the west side of the harbor entrance; boat rides are available from the town waterfront. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-095; Admiralty G3494; NGA 15012.

Faro de San Blas, January 2008
Creative Commons photo by Emily Boyer

Jalisco Lighthouses
* Puerto Vallarta Anterior (Range Front)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) square pyramidal tower with gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. A photo and a second photo are available. Note: the well known Marina lighthouse in Puerto Vallarta is not an official aid to navigation. Located just off the main street in downtown Puerto Vallarta. Site open; tower closed, but visitors can climb to the gallery by an external ladder. ARLHS MEX-186; Admiralty G3484; NGA 15064.
* Puerto Vallarta Posterior (Range Rear)
Date unknown. Inactive since 2006 or earlier. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal tower with gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. A 2006 photo is available; in this photo it appears that the light had already been removed. Located 140 m (460 ft) northeast of the front light. Site open; tower closed, but visitors can climb to the gallery by an external ladder. ARLHS MEX-187; Admiralty G3484.1; NGA 15068.
Cabo Corrientes
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 93 m (305 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 18 m (60 ft) octagonal cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from 1-story keeper's house. Buildings painted white; lantern painted red. A closeup photo, a photo of the dramatic site and a 2008 view are available, and Google has a satellite view. The cape, about 65 km (40 mi) west of Puerto Vallarta, is one of the most important headlands of Mexico's Pacific coast. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-022; Admiralty G3482; NGA 15080.
Punta Farallón
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 22 m (72 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower. Two 1-story keeper's houses. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Punta Farallón is in southern Jalisco about 135 km (85 mi) southeast of Cabo Corrientes. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-124; Admiralty G3481.4; NGA 15088.
* Chapala
Date unknown. Active; characteristics unknown. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) concrete post projecting through the end of a pier; at pier level the tower is surrounded by a round pavilion supported by six posts. Steven Miller has a good 2007 photo, and Google has a satellite view. This is Mexico's best known (and possibly only) inland lighthouse. The Lago de Chapala, Mexico's largest freshwater lake, is located on the southern border of Jalisco. The lake is 80 km (50 mi) long and as much as 18 km (11 mi) wide. The lighthouse is located at the end of a long pier projecting into the lake at Chapala, a town on the north side of the lake about 40 km (25 mi) south of Guadalajara. Site open; the lighthouse is accessible by walking the pier.

Faro de Cabo Corrientes, November 2005
anonymous Wikipedia Creative Commons photo

Colima Lighthouses
* San Pedrito Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 3 s. Approx. 28 m (92 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. The top of the tower carries a rectangular daymark colored red with a yellow vertical stripe. Alexander Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo, and Google has a satellite view. This is the entrance range for Manzanillo's commercial harbor. NGA lists the focal plane as 14 m (46 ft), but it's clear from the photo that the tower was doubled in height by the addition of a pyramidal upper section. Located beside the Boulevard Miguel de la Madrid. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G3480.4; NGA 15132.
* San Pedrito Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 44 m (144 ft); white flash every 3 s. Approx. 28 m (92 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white, mounted on a square concrete equipment room. The top of the tower carries a rectangular daymark colored red with a yellow vertical stripe. Alexander Trabas has Capt. Peter Mosselberger's photo. NGA lists the focal plane as 23 m (75 ft), but it's clear from the photo that the tower was doubled in height by the addition of a pyramidal upper section. Located on a bluff above the Calle Acambaro. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G3480.41; NGA 15136.
* Punta Campos (Manzanillo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 109 m (358 ft); white flash every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-story keeper's house. Entire building painted white. A Manzanillo tourist site mentions the lighthouse, the tower is at the far right of a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located atop the point south southeast of Manzanillo, marking the eastern entrance to the Bahía de Manzanillo. Accessible by 4WD, although the access road is narrow and winding. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-052; Admiralty G3476; NGA 15140.

Michoacán (Costa Alegre) Lighthouses
Punta San Telmo (Faro de Bucerias)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 70 m (230 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with keeper's house. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. A photo is available, J. Ernesto Ortiz Raso has a view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. The beach below the lighthouse is a well known turtle sanctuary. Located on a high bluff in western Michoacán, about 1.5 km (1 mi) off the coast road (hwy 200). Accessible from the beach via a long stairway. Site and tower open. ARLHS MEX-062; Admiralty G3472; NGA 15152.
Caleta de Campos (Bufadero Bluff)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. 1-story keeper's house and other buildings. A good photo appears at right, David Haggard has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is accessible from the coastal road (hwy 200) in Caleta de Campos, about 50 km (30 mi) west of Playa Azul. Site status uncertain, but the lighthouse can be seen from nearby. ARLHS MEX-140; Admiralty G3471; NGA 15156.
Lázaro Cárdenas
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 7 s. 36 m (118 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white bands. No photo available, but Google has an excellent satellite view. Named for a former President of Mexico, Lázaro Cárdenas is a newly developed seaport in southernmost Michoacán. Located in an industrial area on the west side of the harbor entrance. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-142; Admiralty G3469; NGA 15160.

El Faro de Caleta de Campos, Michoacán
photo courtesy of Villa Tropical

Guerrero Lighthouses
Punta Garrobo (Zihuatenejo)
1939. Active; focal plane 115 m (377 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 13 m (42 ft) square cylindrical white tower without lantern attached to a 2-story keeper's house. A good photo is available (halfway down the page), there's a view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the point, a very sharp promontory at the east side of the entrance to the Bahía de Zihuatenejo. Accessible by walking trails from the Playa las Gatas, a beach on the east side of the town; boats run frequently to Playa las Gatas from the pier downtown. Site open, tower status uncertain. ARLHS MEX-054; Admiralty G3466; NGA 15180.
Punta Norte de la Roqueta (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 2 s. Approx. 20 m (65 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted white with two narrow black horizontal bands. No photo available; Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the north point of the Isla de la Roqueta marking the entrance to the channel to the port of Acapulco. Site status uncertain. ARLHS MEX-143; Admiralty G3460; NGA 15204.
* Isla de la Roqueta (Acapulco)
Date unknown (station established 1858). Active; focal plane 115 m (377 ft); white flash every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with four large ribs. Entire lighthouse painted white. This is a staffed naval light station. Deta Rogillio's photo is at right, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has posted a postcard image of the original lighthouse, a square pyramidal tower. Despite the popularity of the Acapulco resort area, this lighthouse is not very well known. Located at the highest point of the island, at the southwestern entrance to the Bahía de Acapulco. Accessible by passenger ferry from Playa Caletilla and a hiking trail. Site and tower generally closed, although a Navy guard allowed Rogillio to photograph the lighthouse. ARLHS MEX-069; Admiralty G3460; NGA 15208.
* Acamama
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower is white, lantern red. No photo available, but Google has an indistinct satellite view. A contract to restore the lighthouse was awarded in 2006. Located on a headland near the beach called Playa Ventura, in eastern Guerrero, about 20 km (13 mi) southeast of Copala. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-185; Admiralty G3452.5; NGA 15236.
* Punta Maldonado
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (130 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower, rising from the seaward end of a keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Punta Maldonado is the southernmost town of Guerrero, and the lighthouse stands on or close to the boundary between Guerrero and Oaxaca. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-060; Admiralty G3456; NGA 15240.

Faro de la Roqueta, January 2009
photo copyright Deta Rogillio; used by permission

Oaxaca Lighthouses
Punta Galera
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 12 m (39 ft) square concrete tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands, attached to a 1-story keeper's cottage. Danny Sokal has a closeup, a 2008 photo and another photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland on the west side of the entrance to the Lagunas de Chacahua. Ste open, tower closed. Site manager: Lagunas de Chacahua National Park. Admiralty G3448; NGA 15244.
* Puerto Escondido
1936. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery and lantern; lantern roof is red. G. Sanial has a 2008 photo, another photo and a third photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the edge of the cliffs at the western entrance to the harbor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-044; Admiralty G3446; NGA 15252.
Puerto Ángel
1900. Active; focal plane 56 m (184 ft); white flash every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) octagonal tower with keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. No photo available, but Google has a good satellite view. Puerto Ángel is at the southernmost point of Oaxaca, at the western end of the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-119; Admiralty G3444; NGA 15256.
* Huatulco
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); three white flashes every 18 s. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with gallery and lantern. Lighthouse painted white with black gallery and one black band in the middle of the tower. A 2009 closeup and another good photo are available, also a 2007 closeup and a photo from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Huatulco is about halfway between Puerto Angel and Salina Cruz on the Gulf of Tehuantepec. The lighthouse stands above a frequently visited "blowhole" where the sea shoots upward through a narrow opening. Located on a rocky point at the southwestern entrance to the Bahía de Huatulco. Accessible by a paved road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-106; Admiralty G3442; NGA 15260.
Morro Ayutla
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, rising from a 1-story keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Morro Ayutla is a promontory projecting from an otherwise featureless coast about 40 km (25 mi) east northeast of Huatulco. The light is in a remote area, perhaps accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-038; Admiralty G3440; NGA 15264.
* Morro de Salinas (Salina Cruz)
1896. Active; focal plane 83 m (272 ft); white flash every 8 s. 14 m (46 ft) octagonal masonry tower with 1-story stone keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. A small photo is at right, a 2007 photo is available, Leoncio Salinas Romero has a distant view, and Google has a good satellite view. The lighthouse is named for the explorer and conqueror Hernán Cortés, who arrived here in 1527. It appears to have been refurbished and repainted recently, and it bears the logo of the local port authority. Located atop a bluff (morro) on the west side of the harbor of Salina Cruz. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Administración Portuaria Integral de Salina Cruz (APISA). ARLHS MEX-039; Admiralty G3432; NGA 15272.
* La Ventosa ("Faro de Cortés")
Date unknown. Active; characteristics unknown. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) square cylindrical rubblestone tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted; the small lantern is red. Leoncio Salinas Romero has a photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. This is apparently a new light not included on international lists. It stands next to a smaller stone beacon (the original Faro de Cortés) said to have been built in the 16th century. The rubblestone design of the new light matches that of the old. Another photo of the two beacons is available. Located on a promontory about 800 m (1/2 mi) south of La Ventosa and 5 km (3 mi) east of Salina Cruz. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Administración Portuaria Integral de Salina Cruz (APISA).
San Francisco del Mar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted red with yellow bands. No photo available. The lighthouse guides vessels toward the entrance to the Laguna Inferior, a large lagoon. Located on a long sand spit about 40 km (25 mi) east of Salina Cruz. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-073; Admiralty G3431; NGA 15292.

Faro de Salina Cruz
APISA photo
San Dionisio del Mar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (55 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Fernando Estudillo has a 2009 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the point of a spit projecting into the Laguna Inferior about 10 km (6 mi) south of San Dionisio del Mar. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-130; Admiralty G3431.5; NGA 15296.
La Chichi
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located just off the barrier beach about 35 km (22 mi) east of the entrance to the Laguna Inferior. Best accessed by boat across the lagoon. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-114; Admiralty G3430; NGA 15300.
La Soledad
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical tower, white with red bands. Entire lighthouse is white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located just off the barrier beach about 30 km (19 mi) west of Paredón. Best accessed by boat across the lagoon. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-115; Admiralty G3429; NGA 15304.

Chiapas Lighthouses
* Puerto Arista
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 22 m (74 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, three galleries, and four buttresses, adjoining a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white; lantern painted white with a red roof. Howard Pine has contributed the photo at right, and a 2007 photo is available. The three galleries record two successive extensions of the tower. The buttresses were added with the last extension; Alex Kano has an undated photo of the previous version. The keeper's house now houses a Navy post, due to increased drug smuggling along the coast. In older and quieter times the keeper also served as the town mailman. Located on the main street in Puerto Arista. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-042; Admiralty G3428; NGA 15308.
Barra San Juan
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 12 m (39 ft) round white cylindrical tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located behind the beach about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Puerto Arista. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-099; Admiralty G3425; NGA 15316.
* Puerto Madero
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 5 s. 22 m (74 ft) round cylindrical tower, white with red bands. No photo available, but Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located on the west side of the harbor entrance of Puerto Madero. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-045; Admiralty G3422; NGA 15320.
* Puerto Madero Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 21 m (69 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, apparently mounted on a square concrete base. No photo available, but Google has a good satellite view. The front light is on a 12 m (39 ft) skeletal tower 250 m (820 ft) southwest. Located northeast of the harbor area of Puerto Madero. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G3424.41; NGA 15340.


Faro de Puerto Arista
photo copyright Mario Calderon, courtesy of
 Howard Pine; used by permission

* El Gancho Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white flash every 3 s. 18 m (59 ft) white round concrete tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the south side of El Gancho, a town about 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of the Guatamala border. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G3404; NGA 15350.
* El Gancho Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white ight, 1 s on, 1 s off. 24 m (79 ft) white round concrete tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) east southeast of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G3404.1; NGA 15351.

Notable faux lighthouses:

  • Acapulco has a prominent waterfront lighthouse, but it is not recognized as an aid to navigation.
  • The Puerto Vallarta Marina lighthouse is also not an official aid to navigation.

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Posted 2003. Checked and revised June 27, 2009. Lighthouses: 44. Site copyright 2009 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.