Lighthouses of Northern Colombia

The Republic of Colombia occupies the northwestern corner of South America. Connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama, Colombia has coasts facing west on the Pacific Ocean and northwest on the Caribbean Sea. Colombia was colonized by Spain early in the 16th century and was ruled as part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada until the viceroyalty won its independence in a complex struggle in 1810-1819. The former viceroyalty, known as Gran Colombia, fell apart in 1831, creating the nations of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. Colombia continued to include the area of Panama until that country became independent in 1903.

Colombia is divided into 33 departments (departamentos). This page includes the lighthouses of the eight mainland departments of the Colombian Caribbean; there are separate pages for the Pacific Coast and for the Caribbean island department of San Andrés and Providencia.

The word for a lighthouse is faro in Spanish; smaller lighthouses are often called balizas (beacons). In Spanish isla is an island, cabo is a cape, punta is a promontory or point of land, péñon is a rock, arrecife is a reef, bahía is a bay, ría is an estuary or inlet, estrecho is a strait, río is a river, and puerto is a port or harbor.

Aids to navigation in Colombia are owned by the Autoridad Marítima Colombia and maintained by the Dirección General Marítima (DIMAR).

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. DIMAR numbers are from DIMAR's Lista de Luces de la República de Colombia. Admiralty numbers are from volume J of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals and U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 110.

General Sources
Online List of Lights - Colombia - North Coast
Photos by Capts. Peter Mosselberger and Theo Hinrichs and by Michael Boucher, posted by Alexander Trabas.
Faros antiguos en Cartagena
Posted by the Cartagena newspaper El Universal, this article by Jorge Sanduval Duque describes the early lighthouses of Cartagena.
Lighthouses in Colombia
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
World of Lighthouses - Colombia
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Leuchttürme Südamerikas auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart of the Colombian Caribbean coast.


Castillo Grande Light, Cartagena
photo copyright Capt. Peter Mosselberger; used by permission

Chocó Department Lighthouses
Bordering Panamá, the Chocó Department mostly faces west on the Pacific Ocean but also has a short coast on the Caribbean. Lighthouses of its Pacific coast are described on the Western Colombia page. The lighthouses of northern Chocó and Antioquia are on the Gulf of Urubá, an inlet of the Caribbean Sea about 75 km (46 mi) long and up to 35 km (22 mi) wide.
Cabo Tiburón
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 104 m (341 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A photo is at right and Bing has a distant satellite view. This lighthouse marks the Panamanian border and the west side of the entrance of the Gulf of Urabá. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-017; DIMAR-055; Admiralty J6144; NGA 16632.
* Acandí
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A distant photo is available Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Acandí is a town of about 10,000 residents at the northwestern corner of the Gulf of Urabá. Located on a small island at the northern entrance to Acandí. Site open, tower closed. DIMAR-058; Admiralty J6144.5; NGA 16635.

Antioquia Department Lighthouses
Antioquia is primarily an inland region encompassing the northern Andes mountains; its capital Medellín is Columbia's second largest city. Urabá Antioquia, a subregion of the department, extends narrowly to include the south end and west coast of the Gulf of Urabá.

Matuntugo
2001. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); three white flashes every 8 s. Approx. 35 m (115 ft) square skeletal communications tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located at Matuntugo on the west side of the Gulf of Urabá. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-030; DIMAR-052; Admiralty J6147.8 (ex-J6148); NGA 16639.
Isla de los Muertos
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white flash every 6 s. 19 m (62 ft) skeletal tower mounted on a small concrete equipment shelter. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a low promontory about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) east of Matuntugo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-027; DIMAR-054; Admiralty J6147; NGA 16636.
Bocas del Leoncito
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13.5 m (44 ft); two white flashes every 8 s. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands and mounted on a square concrete platform supported by piles. No photo available but Bing has a distant satellite view. Located at one of the mouths of the Río Leoncito delta, the southwest corner of the Gulf of Urabá. Site status unknown. DIMAR-053; Admiralty J6148.5; NGA 16650.
Faro Cabo Tiburón
Cabo Tiburón Light, Chocó
DIMAR photo
Bocas del Río Léon
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 8 s. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Bing has a fuzzy satellite view. This light guides ships to a new port being developed by Antioquia. Located on the east side of the entrance to the Río Léon, at the southeastern corner of the Gulf of Urabá. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. DIMAR-051; Admiralty J6149.5; NGA 16651.
Punta las Vacas (Turbo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 6 s. 16 m (52 ft) skeletal mast mounted on a small concrete equipment shelter. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. A photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. A city with about 175,000 residents, Turbo is the regional capital and the northern terminus of the Pan-American Highway in South America. Located a short distance southwest of a Colombian military base on the south side of Turbo, on the east side of the Gulf of Urabá. Site and tower closed. ARLHS COL-043; DIMAR-050; Admiralty J6149; NGA 16648.
Punta Yarumal
2001. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 5 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower, mounted on a square 1-story concrete equipment building. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the tip of a long spit on the north side of Turbo. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-049; DIMAR-051; Admiralty J6147.5; NGA 16638.
Punta Caimán
2001. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flaand trees hide the tower in Bing's satellite view. Located on a prominent cape on the east side of the Gulf of Urabá, about 25 km (15 mi) north of Turbo. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-035; DIMAR-048; Admiralty J6146.5; NGA 16652.
Punta Arenas Norte
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 9 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Bing has a fuzzy satellite view. Located on a prominent cape at the east side of the entrance of the Gulf of Urabá. Site status unknown. DIMAR-047; Admiralty J6146; NGA 16656.
Punta Caribaná (Cerro del Águila)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 84 m (276 ft); one long (1.2 s) white flash every 12 s. 4 m (13 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower. Jorge Vasquez has a 2019 photo, Miguel Idárraga has a 2021 closeup and a photo of the view from the lighthouse, and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a prominent cape at the east side of the entrance of the Gulf of Urabá. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-018; DIMAR-046; Admiralty J6145; NGA 16660.

Punta las Vacas Light, Turbo
DIMAR photo


Córdoba Department Lighthouses
Isla Tortuguilla
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white flash every 10 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Carolina Muñoz has the 2021 photo seen at right, Eymer Cordero has a photo, and the light is barely visible in Bing's satellite view. Located on a small island about 8 km (5 mi) offshore near Puerto Escondido. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-053; DIMAR-045; Admiralty J6151; NGA 16662.
** Isla Fuerte (2)
1968 (station established 1939). Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 10 s. 33 m (108 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Robinson Rua has a closeup 2020 photo, Alejandro Cock-Peláez has a 2008 closeup, Ulugh Muztagh has a photo, DIMAR has a photo, and Google has a distant satellite view. Isla Fuerte is an island about 10 km (6 mi) off the coast at the southern entrance to the Golfo de Morrosquillo. Resorts on the island are popular with scuba divers. Located on the east side of the island. Site open, tower open for climbing. ARLHS COL-025; DIMAR-044; Admiralty J6152; NGA 16664.

Sucre Department Lighthouses
Sucre Department has only a short mainland coast but it includes the Islas de San Bernardo, an archipelago of ten islands that has become a popular tourist destination.

Roca Morrosquillo (2)
Date unknown. Active (?); focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 3 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, mounted on a square concrete platform supported by piles. No photo available and the reef is not shown in Google's satellite view. NGA describes a 6 m (20 ft) tower. This light has been dropped from the Admiralty list. Located on a shoal at the southwestern extremity of the Islas de San Bernardo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-067; DIMAR-043; ex-Admiralty J6154.5; NGA 16678.
* Punta de Piedra
Date unknown. Inactive since 2013 and possibly removed. 4 m (13 ft) triangular skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, mounted atop a 10-story condo building. Giraldo Nelson has a good 2007 photo and Google has a 2014 street view and a satellite view. Located in the Punta de Piedra resort area, about 130 km (80 mi) south of Cartagena. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-061; ex-DIMAR-045; ex-Admiralty J6153.9; ex-NGA 16672.

Isla Tortuguilla Light, Córdoba, November 2021
Google Maps photo by Carolina Muñoz
Isla Ceycén
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 3 s. 18 m (59 ft) skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a small island at the southern end of the Islas de San Bernardo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-023; DIMAR-042; Admiralty J6156; NGA 16679.
* Isla Múcura
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A 2021 photo is available, Ricardo Lopera Jaramillo has a street view (the tower is behind the tree!), and the tower is barely visible in Google's satellite view. Isla Múcura is a small island resort in the Islas de San Bernardo, about 80 km (50 mi) southwest of Cartagena. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-029; DIMAR-040; Admiralty J6157; NGA 16680.

Bolivar Department (Cartagena Area) Lighthouses
Founded in 1533, Cartagena is one of the oldest cities of the Americas. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was the principal port shipping South American gold to Spain; this made it a common target for pirates and raiders from England and other European countries. Today it is Colombia's largest Caribbean port with a population of about one million; it is also an important tourist destination and a frequent port of call for cruise ships.

Isla Arena (Isla Arenas)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white flash every 15 s. 18 m (56 ft) square skeletal tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. Mark Rooney has a view from the sea and Kelvin Quintero Peña has a drone view, but the tower is not conspicuous in Google's satellite view. Located on a small island in the Islas del Rosario, just off the tip of the Barú Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. DIMAR-041; Admiralty J6159; NGA 16684.
Isla del Rosario
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower painted with red and white horizontal bands, standing on a square concrete pad. A photo is at right and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a rocky reef at the extreme western end of the Islas del Rosario. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. DIMAR-039; Admiralty J6159.7; NGA 16687.1.
Isla del Tesoro
Date unknown (station established 1922). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 34 m (112 ft) square skeletal tower painted with red and white horizontal bands, mounted on a square concrete platform supported by piles. Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant view and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a small island on the north side of the Islas del Rosario, about 25 km (15 mi) southwest of Cartagena. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-009; DIMAR-038; Admiralty J6160; NGA 16688.
Banco Salmedina (3?)
Date unknown (station established 1937). Inactive since 2018. Light mounted on a concrete platform supported by piles. This light marks the beginning of the approach to Cartagena. A 22 m (72 ft) tower was installed in 1978. However, the tall tower was removed and replaced by a light on a short stand; Trabas has a photo by Capt. Peter but the reef is not shown in Google's satellite view. Located on a low bank about 8 km (5 mi) off the coast and 16 km (10 mi) west of Cartagena. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-012; ex-DIMAR-036; ex-Admiralty J6164; ex-NGA 16728.
Isla del Rosario Light
Isla del Rosario Light, Islas del Rosario
DIMAR photo
Isla Tierra Bomba
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 107 m (351 ft); two white flashes every 3.5 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) square skeletal tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo seen at right and Google has a satellite view. Tierra Bomba is a large island sheltering the harbor of Cartagena. Located on one of the highest points of the island. Site and tower closed. ARLHS COL-037; DIMAR-037; Admiralty J6166; NGA 16700.
Bocachica Channel No. 2 (Range B Rear)
Date unknown. Inactive since 2012. 33 m (108 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This range guided vessels in the main channel into Cartagena harbor, south of Isla Tierra Bomba. Located just offshore at a petroleum tank farm. Site and tower closed. ex-DIMAR-189; ex-Admiralty J6166.67; ex-NGA 16708.1.
Puerto Mamonal (Port Mamonal) (Leading Light)
Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 25 m (82 ft); quick flash every 1 s, white, red or green depending on direction. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) square skeletal tower painted with red and white horizontal bands and carrying a daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a satellite view. This was originally the rear light of the entrance range for the commercial harbor of Cartagena; the front light was removed after the leading light was installed. Located at a coal terminal on the south side of Cartagena. Site and tower closed. Admiralty J6166.96.
Isla de Manzanillo (ENAP) Range Front (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); quick-flashing yellow light. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower painted red with a white horizontal band; in front of the tower is a triangular slatted daymark painted yellow with a black vertical stripe. The tower was mounted on one of the buildings of the Colombian Naval Academy; Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a satellite view. The building has been rebuilt and the current location of the light is uncertain. The range guides vessels northward inside Cartagena harbor. Site and tower closed. Site manager: Escuela Naval de Cadetes Almirante Padilla (ENAP). DIMAR-293; Admiralty J6167.65; NGA 16725.5.
Isla de Manzanillo (ENAP) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); quick-flashing yellow light. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower painted red with a white horizontal band and carrying triangular slatted daymark painted yellow with a black vertical stripe. The tower is mounted on one of the buildings of the Colombian Naval Academy. Trabas has Boucher's photo and Google has a satellite view. Site and tower closed. Site manager: Escuela Naval de Cadetes Almirante Padilla (ENAP). DIMAR-292; Admiralty J6167.66; NGA 16725.51.

Isla Tierra Bomba Light, Cartagena
photo copyright Capt. Peter Mosselberger; used by permission
Naval Base ARC Bolivar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); blue light, 1 s on, 1.5 s off. 35 m (115 ft) square skeletal tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. ARC is the common acronym for the Colombian Navy (Armada Nacional de la República de Colombia). Located in the naval base on the waterfront of Cartagena's inner harbor. Site and tower closed (military base). DIMAR-296; Admiralty J6167.4.
Castillo Grande (Cartagena)
1973. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 7 s. 22 m (72 ft) unpainted round concrete block tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted white. A 3rd (?) order Fresnel lens is in use. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo seen at the top of this page, Nihaar Gupta has a 2006 photo, Martin Mobers has a 2015 photo, Manuel Fernando Castro Martinez has a distant street view, and Google has a satellite view. Castillo Grande is an upscale neighborhood accessible to tourists. Located in the naval officer's club at the end of a peninsula sheltering the inner harbor of Cartagena. Site and tower closed (naval base) but the lighthouse can be seen at a distance. ARLHS COL-035; DIMAR-035; Admiralty J6167.6; NGA 16726.
* Punta Canoas (Punta Canoa)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 96 m (315 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on a steep bluff overlooking the Caribbean about 25 km (15 mi) north of Cartagena. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-036; DIMAR-034; Admiralty J6174; NGA 16736.
Galerazamba (Punta Galera) (3)
Date unknown (station established 1921). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) round fiberglass (?) tower colored with red and white horizontal bands. Luis Daniel Torres Acosta's 2023 photo is at right and Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. This tower replaced the 1968 lighthouse, an 18 m (59 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower mounted atop a square 1-story equipment building. Older light lists have a light about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of the present location, established in 1888. Located on a headland about halfway between Cartagena and Barranquilla. Site and tower closed. ARLHS COL-026; DIMAR-033; Admiralty J6176; NGA 16740.

Galerazamba Light, Cartagena, April 2023
Google Maps photo by Luis Daniel Torres Acosta

Atlántico Department (Barranquilla Area) Lighthouses
Barranquilla, the capital of the Atlántico Department, is the largest city of Colombia's coastline, with a population of more than 1.2 million and a metropolitan population of nearly 2.5 million. The city is located at the head of the delta of the Río Magdalena, about 8 km (5 mi) from the mouth of the river. The river is also the boundary between the Departments of Atlántico and Magdalena. Navigation on the river is guided by a numerous range lights; only the tallest ones are listed here.
Punta Hermosa (2)
1969 (station established 1925). Active; focal plane 134 m (440 ft); three white flashes, separated by 3 s, every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands, mounted on a 1-story square concrete equipment building. The equipment building is covered with tiles colored with blue and white vertical stripes. No photo available but Google has a satellite view of the light station. Located on a headland near Barranquilla. Site status unknown, tower closed. ARLHS COL-045; DIMAR-032; Admiralty J6180; NGA 16744.
Río Magdalena F-2 (West Breakwater)
Date unknown (station established 1937). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); red light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 22 m (72 ft) square skeletal tower, pyramidal below and cylindrical above, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Theo's photo (also seen at right), Adolfo Moreno has a 2016 street view, and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. This is the entrance light for the Magdalena estuary leading to the port of Barranquilla. The rubblestone west breakwater at the mouth of the estuary is nearly 8 km (5 mi) long. Located at the end of the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-049; DIMAR-014; Admiralty J6188; NGA 16748.
Río Magdalena E-8 (Range Rear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); blue light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 22 m (72 ft) square skeletal tower, mounted on a square platform. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Bing has a distant satellite view. This is the entrance range for the river. The front light is on a much shorter skeletal tower. Located in a lagoon just west of the Magdalena channel. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. DIMAR-204; Admiralty J6191.91; NGA 16788.
Río Magdalena E-6 (Range Front) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); blue light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round metal or fiberglass tower colored with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo of the original light, a skeletal tower. DIMAR-203; Admiralty J6191.9; NGA 16784.
San Nicolas Leading (Río Magdalena E-12 and E-14)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); a green light (E-12), 2.5 s on, 2.5 s off, is a leading light for southbound ships; a blue light (E-14), 3 s on, 3 s off, for general traffic. 22 m (72 ft) square skeletal tower, mounted on a square platform. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries two slatted daymarks painted white with a red vertical stripe. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Bing has a satellite view. This is a leading light for outbound vessels. Located on an embankment west of the Magdalena channel. Site open, tower closed. DIMAR-206 (E-12) and 207 (E-14); Admiralty J6192.1; NGA 16790.5.

Río Magdalena West Breakwater Light, Barranquilla
photo copyright Capt. Theo Hinrichs; used by permission

Magdalena Department Lighthouse
Santa Marta, the capital of the Magdalena Department, is the oldest city in Colombia, founded in 1525. Its historic district is a major tourist attraction. The port ships bananas and other agricultural products. The city's population is about 500,000.

Río Magdalena F-1 (East Breakwater)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); green light, 2 s on, 5 s off. 23 m (75 ft) square skeletal tower, lower half pyramidal and upper half cylindrical, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has an indistinct satellite view and a distant 2014 street view. Located at the end of the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. DIMAR-013; Admiralty J6190; NGA 16747.
Río Magdalena E-1 (Approach Range Common Front) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); blue light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round metal or fiberglass tower colored with red and white horizontal bands. Monica Andrea Lemos has a distant photo but the light is hard to distinguish in Google's satellite view. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo of the original front light, a skeletal tower. Located midway on the East Breakwater. Site open, tower closed. DIMAR-196; Admiralty J6191; NGA 16756.
Río Magdalena E-3 (Approach Range Rear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); blue light, 2.5 s on, 2.5 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a satellite view. The front light is on a much shorter skeletal tower. Located beside the east breakwater at the entrance to the Magdalena. Site open, tower closed. DIMAR-197; Admiralty J6191.1; NGA 16760.
Río Magdalena E-3A (Second Approach Range Rear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower also carries a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. The front light is on the same tower as the front light of the first approach range. Apparently vessels are making a proper approach if they see the front light between the two rear lights. Located beside the east breakwater at the entrance to the Magdalena. Site open, tower closed. DIMAR-198; Admiralty J6191.2; NGA 16761.
Puerto Barranquilla Leading (Río Magdalena E-7) (2)
2018. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white, red or green light, depending on direction, 2.5 s on, 2.5 s off. 23 m (75 ft) square skeletal tower painted red with a white horizontal band. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a satellite view. This was formerly the front light of a range; the range tower was replaced in 2018 by the current tower. The light guides vessels in the river past the Barranquilla waterfront. Located on the east bank of the Río Magdalena opposite the waterfront. DIMAR-217; Admiralty J6229.51; NGA 16818.
Santa Marta (Morro Grande, Isla del Morro) (2)
1971 (station established 1870). Active; focal plane 82 m (269 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 23 m (75 ft) hexagonal tower on a 2-story square base; the lighthouse is built of cement blocks with a frame of reinforced concrete. Lighthouse painted gray with white trim; the lantern has red and white vertical striping. Alberto Redondo has the 2022 photo seen at right, Trabas has a photo by Capt. Peter, Ronald Bellorin has a 2010 photo, William Pinzon Paez has a 2022 drone view, Lightphotos.net has a view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse. Located on a steep-sided island in the entrance to the harbor of Santa Marta. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower presumably closed. ARLHS COL-028; DIMAR-012; Admiralty J6256; NGA 16832.

Santa Marta Light, Santa Marta, April 2022
Google Maps photo by Alberto Redondo

La Guajira Department (Guajira Peninsula) Lighthouses
Projecting northwestward into the Caribbean Sea, the broad Guajira Peninsula is the northernmost region of the South American mainland. Most of the peninsula is in Colombia, but the southeastern coast is in Venezuela.

Puerto Brisa
Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction, 4 s on, 1 s off. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) white skeletal tower. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a satellite view. Puerto Brisa is primarily a coal terminal; it was developed by a consortium of public and private agencies. Located on the east side of the port facilities, about 80 km (50 mi) east of Santa Marta. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Zona Franca Brisa. DIMAR-104; Admiralty J6265; NGA 16835.
* Riohacha (Río de la Hacha) (2?)
1986 (station established 1857). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. João Gomez has the photo at right, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located on the waterfront on the west side of Riohacha, the capital of the La Guajira Department, about 150 km (90 mi) east of Santa Marta. Site appears open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-050; DIMAR-011; Admiralty J6262; NGA 16836.
* Riohacha (Río de la Hacha) (1)
1857. Inactive at least since 1986. Light formerly mounted on the tower of the cathedral of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located in downtown Riohacha. Site and church open, tower closed.
Puerto Manaure
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 18 m (59 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands and mounted on a square 1-story concrete equipment building. DIMAR has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on a headland on the east side of Manaure, a salt-mining town on the west side of the Guajira Peninsula. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-044; DIMAR-010 Admiralty J6260; NGA 16840.
* [Cabo de la Vela] (2)
1955 (station established 1928). Active; focal plane 88 m (289 ft); white flash every 10 s. 8 m (26 ft) square skeletal tower, painted red. A closeup photo is available, Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, Emilie Baird de Vargas has posted a distant view, Adolfo Moreno has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. Foundation ruins near the tower must be from the earlier lighthouse and/or keeper's house. Cabo de la Vela is a resort area and tourists can hike to the lighthouse to enjoy the spectacular view. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-016; DIMAR-009; Admiralty J6266; NGA 16844.
Punta Gallinas
1989. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white flash every 10 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. A 2016 photo is available, Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, Luis Fernando Acosta Bernal has a photo, Ilan Gutman has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. The ruined building nearby is presumably a former keeper's house. This tower is the northernmost lighthouse of South America, standing at latitude 12° 27.5' north. Located on the cape at the northern tip of the Guajira Peninsula, about 18 km (11 mi) north of Inosu. Accessible by 4WD. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-042; DIMAR-006; Admiralty J6267; NGA 16848.

Riohacha Light, Riohacha, September 2017
Google Maps photo by João Gomez
Chimaré
2001. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); one long (1.2 s) white flash every 12 s. 18 m (59 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's view from the sea and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located about 8 km (5 mi) west of Puerto Chimaré. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-038; DIMAR-005; Admiralty J6267.3; NGA 16848.2.
Puerto Estrella
2002. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 15 s. 18 m (59 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A 2022 photo by Josue Wilson Rico Hernandez is at right, Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, Yeiner Zabaleta Diaz has a view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory sheltering Puerto Estrella. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-033; DIMAR-004; Admiralty J6267.4; NGA 16848.3.
Chichibacoa
2001. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 10 s. 18 m (59 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's view from the sea and Google has a satellite view. Located near a point of land at Chichibacoa. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-024; DIMAR-003; Admiralty J6267.6; NGA 16848.4.
Punta Espada
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); one long (1.6 s) white flash every 20 s. 18 m (59 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant view and Google has a satellite view of the station. The lighthouse marks the easternmost point of the Guajira Peninsula. The light characteristic was changed in 2011. Located on a bluff above the cape. Site status unknown. ARLHS COL-040; DIMAR-002; Admiralty J6267.8; NGA 16849.
Castilletes
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 9 s. 30 m (108 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A 1-story border control station stands a short distance north of the lighthouse. DIMAR has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located about 600 m (3/8 mi) north of the Venezuelan border on the southeast side of the Guajira Peninsula. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-019; DIMAR-001; Admiralty J6268; NGA 16850.

Puerto Estrella Light, Guajira, April 2022
Google Maps photo by Josue Wilson Rico Hernandez

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Western Venezuela | South: Western Colombia | West: Northern Panama | Northwest: San Andrés and Providencia

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Posted February 13, 2004. Checked and revised May 6, 2024. Lighthouses: 51. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.