Lighthouses of Colombia: San Andrés and Providencia

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 is for lighthouses of Colombia's island territories in the southwestern Caribbean Sea, including the inhabited islands of San Andrés and Providencia and a wide scattering of uninhabited banks, reefs, and cays. The islands are organized as the Department of the Archipiélago de San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina.

The islands of San Andrés and Providencia were settled by English sailors (including pirates) and English as well as Spanish is still spoken commonly in the islands. The islands have a population of about 60,000. They were formerly isolated and poorly known but in recent years they have become a regular stop on the Caribbean cruise ship circuit.

Nicaragua formerly claimed all these islands but surrendered its claims in 1928 in return for Colombia's recognition of Nicaragua's sovereignty over the Islas del Maíz (Corn Islands) and the Mosquito Coast of the mainland. Later Nicaragua attempted to renounce this agreement but in 2007 the International Court of Justice upheld the 1928 treaty establishing Colombian sovereignty.

The Quitasueño, Serranilla, Serrana, Bajo Nuevo, and Roncador Banks were formerly claimed and occupied by the United States. The U.S. gave up its claims to the Quitasueño, Serrana and Roncador Banks in a 1981 treaty with Colombia. The U.S. claims to Serranilla and Bajo Nuevo are technically still in force although the U.S. is unlikely to pursue them.

In November 1993 Colombia and Jamaica signed a maritime agreement establishing a zone of joint control around Bajo Nuevo and Serranilla but recognizing Colombian sovereignty over the two reefs themselves. Honduras gave up its former claims to Bajo Nuevo and Serranilla in a 1999 treaty with Columbia. Finally, on 19 November 2012 the International Court of Justice issued a final judgment in the dispute between Colombia and Nicaragua, establishing a maritime boundary between those countries and confirming once again Colombia's sovereignty over the disputed islands. This brings us very close to a complete resolution of the territorial disputes.

The Spanish word for a lighthouse is faro. In Colombia this word is used for the larger light towers, while a smaller light is called a baliza (beacon). 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 - Islands
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. The photos for the islands are by Capt. Peter Mosselberger ("Capt. Peter") and Capt. Theodore Hinrichs ("Capt. Theo").
San Andrés Providencia y Santa Catalina
Photos from the islands.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for the islands.

Faro Serranilla
Serranilla Light, Banco Serranilla
DIMAR photo

Northern Banks Lighthouses
Bajo Nuevo (2)
2008 (station established 1982). Active (?); focal plane 22 m (72 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 21 m (69 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A DIMAR photo is at right and Bing has a distant satellite view. Bajo Nuevo is a complex of two reefs far out in the Caribbean southwest of Jamaica. The Admiralty lists the light under Honduras, but Honduras gave up its claims to Bajo Nuevo and Serranilla in a 1999 treaty with Columbia. Located on Low Cay, the largest islet of the reef. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (special permission required for landing). ARLHS SAP-001; DIMAR 399; Admiralty J6020; NGA 15818.
Serranilla (2)
1996 (station established 1977). Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 33 m (108 ft) tower, including a square pyramidal skeletal tower mounted atop a 3-story concrete crew quarters. The crew building is now painted in the colors of Columbia's flag: upper half gold, lower half with one blue and one red horizontal band. The skeletal tower is painted with red and white horizontal bands. A DIMAR photo is at the top of this page, Ali Aguiño has a closeup, and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. The lighthouse was designed by Guillermo Fonseca Truque. Banco Serranilla is a reef about 110 km (70 mi) west of Bajo Nuevo and about 350 km (220 mi) northeast of the Honduran coast. Located on Beacon Cay, the largest islet of the reef. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (special permission required for landing). ARLHS SAP-013; DIMAR 400; Admiralty J6024; NGA 15816.
Quitasueño Norte (Banco Quita Sueño Norte) (2)
1977 (station established by the U.S. in 1919). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 23 m (75 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Trabas has a photo by Capt. Peter and a 2010 Colombian postage stamp shows both Quitasueño lighthouses, but Google's satellite view does not show this reef at all. Banco Quita Sueño is a reef about 110 km (70 mi) north northeast of Isla Providencia and 70 km (45 mi) west of Banco Serrana. The reef has no dry land. Located at the north end of the reef. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (special permission required for landing). ARLHS SAP-009; DIMAR 401; Admiralty J6028; NGA 15820.
Quitasueño Sur (Banco Quita Sueño Sur) (2)
2008. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white light, 2 s on, 10 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and a white horizontal band and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Trabas has a photo by Capt. Peter and a 2010 Colombian postage stamp shows both Quitasueño lighthouses. Located at the south end of the reef. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (special permission required for landing). DIMAR 402; Admiralty J6030; NGA 15821.
Bajo Nuevo Light
Bajo Nuevo Light, Bajo Nuevo
DIMAR photo
Serrana (2)
1977 (station established by the U.S. in 1919). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 10 s. 25 m (82 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Concrete keeper's quarters. Victor Sepulveda has a photo, Trabas has a photo by Capt. Theo, and Google has a distant satellite view. Banco Serrana is an atoll about 360 km (225 mi) east of Nicaragua. Located on Southwest Cay, a well-vegetated island about 500 m (0.3 mi) long. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (special permission required for landing). ARLHS SAP-012; DIMAR 403; Admiralty J6034; NGA 15824.
Roncador (2)
1978 (station established by the U.S. in 1919). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 11 s. 24 m (79 ft) square skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Trabas has a photo by Capt. Theo, Kevin Romero Roa has an aerial view, and Wikipedia has a distant view, but Bing has only a fuzzy satellite view of the cay. Wolfgang Schippke claims the original (U.S.?) lighthouse stands abandoned nearby, but there's no sign of this in available photos. Banco Roncador is about 215 km (135 mi) northeast of San Andres. Located on a tiny cay at the northernmost point of the reef. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (special permission required for landing). ARLHS SAP-010; DIMAR 404; Admiralty J6038; NGA 15828.

Isla Providencia Lighthouses
Isla Providencia, known historically as Old Providence, is a mountainous island about 7 km (4 mi) long and 4 km (2.5 mi) wide; it has a population of about 5000. Henry Morgan, the English privateer, raider or pirate (take your choice), occupied the island in 1670 as his base for raids against Spanish settlements on the nearby mainland. An English-based Creole language is commonly spoken on the island.

Low Cay (2)
2021. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) round tower colored with red and white horizontal bands. A closeup photo is at right but Google's satellite view does not show the cay. The new lighthouse replaced a square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands, that was damaged by Hurricane Iota in November 2020. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo of the previous light and Luis Quintana Barney has posted a good 2006 photo. Located on a low reef about 14 km (9 mi) north northeast of Isla Providencia. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SAP-006; DIMAR 405; Admiralty J6041; NGA 15832.7.
Cayo Palma
1993. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); one long (1.5 s) white flash every 10 s. 18 m (59 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. The tower also carries a radar antenna. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on an islet off the northernmost point of Isla Providencia. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SAP-007; DIMAR 406; Admiralty J6041.5; NGA 15832.5.

Low Cay Light, Providencia, September 2021
DIMAR photo posted by San Andrés El Heraldo

Isla Providencia
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 67 m (220 ft); two white flashes, separated by 4 s, every 14 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the heights at the southern tip of Providencia. Site status unknown. ARLHS SAP-005; DIMAR 407; Admiralty J6042; NGA 15832.

Isla San Andrés Lighthouses
Located about 50 km (30 mi) south of Providencia, San Andrés is a long and narrow island with a population of nearly 75,000. Unlike Providencia it is relatively flat. The island is accessible by air and is a popular destination for cruise ships. Both Spanish and an English-based Creole are spoken.

* Punta Sur (Hoyo Soplador)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 9 s. 20 m (66 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Hoyo soplador (blowhole) refers to a nearby occurrance of that phenomenon. Located at the southern tip of the island. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SAP-008; DIMAR 395; Admiralty J6043.6; NGA 15835.
* El Cove (Cove Rojo) (2)
Date unknown (2021?). Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); red flash every 5 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round barbell-shaped fibergalss tower colored with red and white horizontal bands. Wilson Diosa has the 2022 photo seen at right and Google has an indistinct satellite view. This light replaced a square skeletal tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands; Google has a 2013 street view of that light. El Cove (The Cove) is a section of the southwestern coast of San Andrés where there is deep water close to shore and larger vessels can anchor. Located on the beach about 8 km (5 mi) north of Punta Sur. Accessible by road but no parking is provided. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-039; DIMAR 394; Admiralty J6043.7; NGA 15835.5.
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El Cove Light, San Andrés, January 2022
Google Maps photo by Wilson Diosa

* Punta Evans (Cove Verde)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); green flash every 3 s. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Rosalie Beasley's photo is at right, a closeup is available, Ricardo Cortes Parra has a 2019 photo, and Google has a street view and an indistinct satellite view. Located on the beach at a promontory about 2 km (1.2 mi) north of the El Cove light. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS COL-041; DIMAR 396; Admiralty J6043.8; NGA 15835.7.
Haynes Cay (Cayo Cordoba) (2)
2020 (station established 1990). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); yellow flash every 5 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) round barbell-shaped fiberglass tower colored with red and white horizontal bands. Kevin Bayona has a 2022 photo and another 2022 photo is available. This light replaced a square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Diego Azuaga has a good 2007 photo, Evaristo Ariza has a street view from the beach, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located on the highest point of Haynes Cay, off the east coast of Isla San Andrés. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SAP-002; DIMAR 392; Admiralty J6043.5; NGA 15834.

Southern Banks Lighthouses
Cayos del Este Sudeste (Courtown Cays, Cayo Bolívar)
1968. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 15 s. 29 m (95 ft) tower, presumably skeletal, painted orange. Trabas has a photo by Capt. Theo but Bing has only a very distant satellite view of the reef. Located on Cayo Bolívar, one of several small cays in the Cayos del Este Sudeste (East Southeast Cays) about 22 km (14 mi) east southeast of Isla San Andrés. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SAP-004; DIMAR 393; Admiralty J6044; NGA 15840.
Cayos de Albuquerque
1980. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 29 m (95 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. This is a staffed naval station with several 1-story station buildings. A distant aerial view is available and Bing has a satellite view of the station. Albuquerque is a reef about 35 km (22 mi) southwest of Isla San Andrés. The lighthouse is on Cayo del Norte, the larger of two small cays at the south end of the reef. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS SAP-003; DIMAR 398; Admiralty J6045; NGA 15844.
Punta Evans Light
Punta Evans Light, San Andrés, November 2008
photo copyright Rosalie Beasley; used by permission

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: Northeast: Jamaica | Southeast: Northern Colombia | West: Nicaragua

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Posted February 13, 2004. Checked and revised March 21, 2023. Lighthouses: 16. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.