Lighthouses of Belize

Belize is a Central American country located at the base of the Yucatán Peninsula and bordered to the north by Mexico and to the west and south by Guatemala. The coast of the country faces east on the Gulf of Honduras, the westernmost extension of the Caribbean Sea. Fringed by the Belize Barrier Reef and with a steady onshore trade wind, the coast is quite hazardous for mariners.

Settled by British pirates, privateers, and other seamen as early as the 1630s, Belize is the only English-speaking country of Central America. It was known as British Honduras from 1862 until it took the Mayan name Belize in 1973 and became independent in 1981. Belize is a Commonwealth realm recognizing the British monarch as head of state. For local government the country is divided into six districts. Belize City is the principal port.

The common Caribbean word cay for a small island is almost always spelled caye in Belize.

Aids to navigation in Belize are maintained by the Belize Port Authority.

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

General Sources
Online List of Lights - Belize
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. The Belize photos are by Rainer Arndt, Capt. Peter Mosselberger ("Capt. Peter") and Capt. Theodore Hinrichs ("Capt. Theo").
Lighthouses in Belize
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
World of Lighthouses - Belize
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Belize Map and Satellite Image
Maps from Geology.com.
GPSNavigationCharts
Navigation chart information for Belize.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart information for Belize.


Fort George Light, Belize, January 2024
Instagram photo by Belizean Traveller

Belize District Lighthouses
* Ambergris Caye
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 45 m (147 ft); flashing or occulting red light. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) triangular communications tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Joel Smith has a 2023 street view but the tower is hard to distinguish in Google's satellite view. This is an aircraft warning light as well as a landfall light for the island. Ambergris Caye is a barrier island about 40 km (25 mi) long. Developed intensively as a beach resort, it is accessible by short-hop planes or fast ferries from Belize City. The permanent population is a little over 13,000. The tower is located behind the police station in the center of town. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J5930.5.
* Fort George (Baron Bliss) (3?)
Late 1920s? (station established 1885). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); red flash every 5 s. 15 m (50 ft) strongly-tapered concrete pillar, with a gallery but no lantern. Tower painted white with a broad red band at the base; gallery red. A 2024 photo is at the top of this page, Donna McCraw has a good closeup photo, another photo is available, Trabas has Arndt's photo, Wikimedia has additional photos, Curt Deitz has a 2022 street view, and Google has a satellite view. This light was built as a memorial to Henry E.E.V. Bliss (1869-1926), an English financier and self-styled baron who was a major benefactor of what was then British Honduras. Bliss's tomb is adjacent to the base of the tower. The first light at Belize City was on the customs house flagstaff in 1863. A mast light on Fort George was in place in 1903. The current light may be endangered by deterioration of the seawaall that protects it. Located on a point of land at the harbor entrance in Belize City. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS BLZ-014; Admiralty J5954; NGA 16368.
Robinson Point
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); quick-flashing white light. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower painted white. Trabas has Arndt's photo and Google has a satellite view. Located at the west end of the Horseshoe Cayes about 16 km (10 mi) south of Belize Harbour. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BLZ-008; Admiralty J5950; NGA 16340.
English Caye (Eastern Channel Range Rear) (4?)
Date unknown (station established 1846). Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 2.5 s. 19 m (62 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. Collette Lain's 2023 photo is at right, Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, Lewis Melton contributed a 2005 photo, Rebecca Burow has a 2023 view, a closeup of the lantern is available, Paul Huber has a view from the sea, Wikimedia has a 1997 photo, and Google has a satellite view of the station. This is the approach range for Belize harbor. The front light is on a short concrete pillar. The light station includes the Belize pilot station, with several buildings and a pier for the pilot boats. The original light was on a 13 m (43 ft) mast. Located on a small island about 25 km (15 mi) southeast of Belize Harbour. Accessible only by boat, but visible from all ships entering the harbor. Site and tower closed. ARLHS BLZ-012; Admiralty J5943.1; NGA 16308.


English Caye Light, Belize, July 2023
Instagram photo by Collette Lain

Mauger Caye (Turneffe) (3?)
1868 (?) (station established 1816). Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 19 m (62 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed watch room. Entire lighthouse is white. Steve Melki's photo is at right, Wikimedia has Melki's view from the sea, Tony Rath has a 2014 photo, a 2022 photo is available, and Bing has an indistinct satellite view of the station. Mauger Caye is the northernmost islet of the Turneffe Atoll, an extensive reef system 75 km (47 mi) long and about 30 km (19 mi) east of Belize City. A 19 m (57 ft) skeletal tower was built here in 1868; could this be the present tower? Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BLZ-007; Admiralty J5940; NGA 16280.
Caye Bokel (4?)
Date unknown (station established 1868). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 10 m (33 ft) triangular skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Bing has a satellite view. A similar, shorter tower stands on another platform about 40 m (130 ft) north. The original light was "hung horizontally on a yard." In 1896 lights were placed on two 18 m (58 ft) masts, 45 m (150 ft) apart. Located on the reef south of Caye Bokel, marking the southern end of the Turneffe Atoll. ARLHS BLZ-001; Admiralty J5942; NGA 16284.
** Sandbore Caye (3)
Date unknown (station established 1886). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 10 s. 25 m (82 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with gallery, formerly painted white but now painted red with a white band at the top. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a satellite view of the station. Several web sites mention that the station is staffed and the keepers allow visitors to climb the tower. The original 20 m (66 ft) skeletal tower was replaced in 1931 by a 21 m (69 ft) skeletal tower. Located about 50 km (30 mi) east of Belize City on a small cay at the northern end of Lighthouse Reef, a coral atoll 35 km (22 mi) long that is famous as a diving site. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower open by arrangement with the keepers. . ARLHS BLZ-010; Admiralty J5934; NGA 16288.
#Half Moon Caye (3)
1931 (station established 1820). Collapsed in 2010, this was formerly a 24 m (79 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with enclosed base and upper portion, built on the brick foundation of the 1848 lighthouse. Christopher Titzer's 2008 photo is below right, Scott Schmidt has a good photo of both the old and new lighthouses, and Fabrizio Rizzo has a 2006 view from the modern tower. In recent years the tower was reported to be "falling to pieces" and "dangerous to climb". In 2006 the Belize Audubon Society contacted the World Lighthouse Society for assistance in planning a restoration of the lighthouse, but no work was done. The lighthouse collapsed during Tropical Storm Matthew in late September 2010; Jules Torti has a photo of the ruins. A 30.5 m (100 ft) skeletal tower was built here in 1848. Located on Half Moon Caye at the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Half Moon Caye Natural Monument. ARLHS BLZ-017.
Mauger Caye Light
Mauger Caye Light, Turneffe Cays, July 2010
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Steve Melki
** Half Moon Caye (4)
About 2000 (station established 1820). Active; focal plane 24 m (80 ft); four white flashes every 15 s. 24 m (79 ft) triangular skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Christopher Titzer's photo is at right, Trabas has a photo by Capt. Peter, Deven Chanda has a 2017 view (note the ruins in the surf), and Bruce Cheshire has a street view, but the white tower is hard to find in Google's satellite view. Located adjacent to the site of the historic lighthouse. Site open, and visitors often climb the tower. Site manager: Half Moon Caye Natural Monument. ARLHS BLZ-013; Admiralty J5936; NGA 16292.

Stann Creek District (Central Belize) Lighthouse
Colson Point
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) skeletal tower with gallery mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located about 1 km (0.6 mi) off Colson Point, about 45 km (28 mi) south of Belize City. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BLZ-004; Admiralty J5958; NGA 16376.
Glovers Reef North End
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) triangular skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Trabas has Capt. Theo's photo but the tower is not seen in Bing's fuzzy satellite view. Glover's Reef is an atoll about 32 km (20 mi) long located south of Lighthouse Reef. Located at the northeast end of the reef. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J5937; NGA 16296.

Old and new Half Moon Caye lighthouses, Lighthouse Reef, October 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Christopher Titzer
Glovers Reef South West Cays
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) triangular skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo (also seen at right) and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a small cay at the southwest end of the reef, not far from several resorts. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J5937.5; NGA 16300.

Toledo District (Southern Belize) Lighthouses
Bugle Caye (3)
Date unknown (station established 1885). Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 10 s. 19 m (62 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Small white keeper's house, probably staffed. Fiona MacFarlane has a good photo and Google has a satellite view. The original light was on an 18 m (58 ft) mast. Located on a small cay off the coast about 130 km (80 mi) south of Belize City. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS BLZ-002; Admiralty J5968; NGA 16384.
East Snake Caye (1) (?)
1915. Inactive. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. According to SouthernBelize.com, "East Snake Caye was first known as Lighthouse Caye ... A lighthouse was built on the island to help fishermen navigate their way after sunset. Today, two lighthouses are located on the caye. A new lighthouse was recently constructed beside the old one." Located on a small cay, the easternmost of a group of four, about 8 km (5 mi) off the southern coast of Belize. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS BLZ-005.
East Snake Caye (2)
Date unknown (station established 1915). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 3 s. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located next to the historic lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower status unknown. Admiralty J5972; NGA 16392.
Hunting Caye
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); one long white flash every 10 s. 17 m (56 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted white. Fiona MacFarlane has a 2009 photo, Trabas has a distant view by Capt. Theo, and Bing has a satellite view. Hunting Caye is at the southern end of the Sapodilla Cayes, about 65 km (40 mi) east of Punta Gorda; this is the southeasternmost point of Belizean territory. According to SouthernBelize.com, this is a staffed station and there is also a small military outpost on the cay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS BLZ-015; Admiralty J5974; NGA 16396.

Glovers Reef South West Cays Light, Glovers Reef
photo copyright Capt. Peter Mosselberger; used by permission

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouse:

Adjoining pages: North: Mexico Caribbean | South: Guatemala Caribbean

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Posted May 19, 2004. Checked and revised April 5, 2024. Lighthouses: 16. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.