Lighthouses of Indonesia: Southwest Java

The Republic of Indonesia has been independent since 1945 after having been the Dutch East Indies for more than 350 years. It is a huge country, stretching along both sides of the Equator for more than 46 degrees of longitude (roughly 5100 km or 3200 miles). Comprised of some 17,000 islands (more than 6000 inhabited islands), it has hundreds of major aids to navigation.

The island of Java (Jawa in Indonesian) is the heart of the country and home to 57% of the population. In fact, with more than 140 million residents it is the world's most populous island. The national capital, Jakarta, is on the northwestern coast of Java.

Indonesia is divided into 38 provinces (provinsi) and the provinces are subdivided into county units called regencies (kabupaten). This page includes lighthouses of the south coast of West Java Province. West Java Province has two coasts: a north coast facing the Java Sea and a south coast facing the Indian Ocean; the north coast is covered on the Northwest Java page.

More than 700 languages are spoken in Indonesia. The official national language, Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), was standardized from a form of Malay that served as a lingua franca across the archipelago. In Indonesian a lighthouse is a mercusuar or a menara suar. Tanjung is a cape, ujung is a headland or point of land, bukit is a hill, sungai is a river, kuala or muara is an estuary or river mouth, pulau is an island, karang is a reef, batu is a rock, laut is a sea, selat is a strait, teluk is a bay, pelabuhan is a harbor, and labuhan is a port.

The original Dutch names of historic lighthouses, if known, are shown in curly brackets {}.

Aids to navigation in Indonesia are operated and maintained by the Directorate of Marine Navigation within the Directorate General of Sea Transportation

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume Q of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

General Sources
Leuchttürme in Indonesien
Photos posted by Andreas Köhler.
Lighthouses in Indonesia
Wikimedia photos, including a collection of historic photos from the collection of the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam.
World of Lighthouses - Indonesia
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Online List of Lights - Indonesia - Java South Coast
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
World Lights - Indonesia
Historic postcard views from the collection of Michel Forand.
Leuchttürme Asiens, Australiens, und Ozeaniens auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.
Google Maps
Satellite view of Java's southwest coast.

Legok Light, Tasikmalaya Regency, July 2024
Google Maps street view
Pangandaran Regency Lighthouses
* Cikadang Fishery Port
2017. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square concrete tower rising from a 1-story concrete base. Hendri Yana has a May 2017 photo showing the lighthouse under construction and Google has a 2024 street view and a satellite view. Located at a small fishing port on the northeast side of Pangandaran. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1278.3.
* Pangandaran (Teluk Penanjung)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted white and mounted on a square platform supported by concrete piles. Satria Deriva has a 2024 photo, Dikdik Hernadi has a 2019 photo, Dony Lay has a 2012 photo, Faizal Amiruddi has a 2021 street view, and Google has a satellite view. Pangandaran is a beach resort town; it is connected by a narrow isthmus to a nature reserve on the Penanjung Pangandaran (Pangandaran Peninsula). Located just off the beach on the east side of the isthmus in Pangandaran. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1278.2; NGA 23869.
* Teluk Parigi (2)
Around 2020. Active; focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) square white skeletal tower mounted on a 1-story square equipment building. Equipment building painted white with blue trim. Google has the 2024 street view seen at right and a satellite view. This light replaced an approx. 10 m (33 ft) round white barbell-shaped tower; Hilman Taofik Hidayah has a 2018 photo. Located just off the beach at Parigi, about 25 km (15 mi) west of Pangandaran. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1278; NGA 23869.5.

Tasikmalaya Regency Lighthouses
* Legok (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 32 m (105 ft) 4-stage octagonal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Ricky Rianto has a 2018 photo, Luthfiyyah Azizah has a 2016 photo, and Google has the 2024 street viewseen at the top of this page and a satellite view. The original lighthouse was a skeletal tower. Located near a prominent cape in the Tasikmalaya Regency southwest of Pangandaran. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1277; NGA 23870.

Teluk Parigi Light, Parigi, July 2024
Google Maps street view
Pulau Manuk (Manuk Island)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery rising from a square 1-story equipment building. Lighthouse painted white. A 2019 photo is available, Apep Karo Lutfi has a view from the mainland, Adi Jayanto has a fuzzy distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Not to be confused with a much better known Pulau Manuk, a wildlife reserve farther west near the Sunda Strait. Located on an island just off the coast about 20 km (13 mi) southwest of Cijulang. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1277.5; NGA 23870.5.
Pulau Manuk West
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 6 s. 17 m (56 ft) square white skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available and the light is not shown in Google's satellite view. Oddly, NGA calls the light "Cilacap." Located about 9 km (5.5 mi) west of Pulau Manuk. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1277.8; NGA 23870.6.
Pantai Pamayang East Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); green flash every 3 s. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) round barbell-shaped green fiberglass tower. Isep Safari has a photo showing both breakwater lights and Google has an indistinct satellite view and a 2019 street view of the two lights. Located on the east breakwater at the Pamayang Beach. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1277.83.
Pantai Pamayang West Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 3 s. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) round barbell-shaped red fiberglass tower. Isep Safari has a photo showing both breakwater lights and Google has an indistinct satellite view and a 2019 street view of the two lights. Located on the east breakwater at the Pamayang Beach. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1277.85.
* Pantai Pamayang
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 18 m (56 ft) square skeletal tower covered with white panels. Next to the lighthouse is an observation tower with a stairway that spirals around the tower. A 2018 photo is available and Google has a 2019 street view (also seen at right) and a satellite view. Located across the street from the beach at Pamayang. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1277.9.

Pantai Pamayang Light, Tasikmalaya Regency, July 2019
Google Maps street view
Sindangkerta
Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 4 s. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower covered with white panels, mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Agung Herdin has a 2019 photo, Rahmat Suherman has a 2017 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located off the Sindangkerta Beach about 6 km (3.5 mi) west of Pamayang. Accessible only by boat but there's a good view from shore. Admiralty Q1277.95.
Karang Gajah Garut
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 4 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white, mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Pur Wanto has a closeup 2018 photo and Google has a distant 2019 street view and a satellite view. Located in the surf near a river entrance about 25 km (15 mi) east of Pantai Santolo. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1278.6.

Garut Regency Lighthouses
* Teluk Cilauteureun (Pulau Santolo, Tjilaoeteureum) (3?)
2019 (station established 1930). Active; focal plane about 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with an opne lantern and double gallery. Natallia Pranata's 2024 photo is at right, Satria Deriva has a 2025 closeup, Herdi Hermawan has a closeup street view, Ra'afi Rezkia Pratama has a 2019 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse was a round white fiberglass tower with a flared top; a photo and a second photo of the earlier light are available. Ecka Prasetya has a photo of the new tower under construction next to the old one in November 2018. Located on Pulau Santolo, an island on the south side of the harbor at Pantai Santolo (Santolo Beach). Site open, tower closed. DSI-2225; Admiralty Q1279; NGA 23871.
* [Rancabuaya]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (79 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) mast. Hamdan Firdaus has a distant drone view, Samuel Lauw has a 2021 drone view, and Google has a satellite view. Located atop a bluff behind the beach at Rancabuaya. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1279.2.

Santolo Light, Pantai Santolo, March 2024
Google Maps photo by Natallia Pranata

Cianjur Regency Lighthouses
* Pantai Jayanti (Cidaun East)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 5 s. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Usman Somantri has a photo, Rendra Dwiariaguna also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located in the surf at the Jayanti Beach east of the Cidaun area. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1279.3; NGA 23871.2.
* Sindangbarang
2017. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 5 s. 15 m (49 ft) round barbell-shaped white fiberglass tower mounted on a square platform supported by long piles. Edy Santoso has a closeup 2025 photo, Misman Jamaludin has a 2018 photo, Rizkiyana Syabania also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the beach at Sindangbarang. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1279.33.

Sukabumi Regency Lighthouses
[Pelabuhan Sumber]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) white mast. Google has a 2019 street view and the mast is seen in Google's satellite view. Located at the base of a commercial pier in Tegal Buleud. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1279.4.
Pulau Ujung Genteng (2)
2007. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 40 m (131 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white, mounted on a 2-story coast guard building. A 2020 photo by Ahmad Hafiz is at right, Jason Lim has a 2021 closeup, a 2022 photo and a view from the sea are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on an island just off a prominent cape in Sukabumi Regency at the western end of West Java Province. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. DSI-2226, Admiralty Q1279.5.
PLTU Pelabuhan Ratu
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) white mast. A distant street view across the harbor is availabke and Google has a satellite view. Located at the south end of the harbor basin of the PLTU power station about 5 km (3 mi) south of Pelabuhan Ratu. Site and tower closed. Admiralty Q1279.8.
* Pelabuhan Ratu (Pelabuhanratu) (3?)
Date unknown (station established 1914). Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Google has a 2019 street view and an indistinct satellite view. Palabuhan Ratu ("Queen's Harbor") is a fishing port and the capital of Sukabumi Regency. Note: There is some confusion concrning the Pelabuhan Ratu lights. NGA lists this light as Q1280. The Admiralty places Q1280 off the harbor entrance, but it is clear from satellite and street views that there is no tall tower offshore. Located beside the Pelita-Cipatuguran Road on the south side of the harbor. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1279.91; NGA 23871.5.

Pulau Ujung Genteng Light, Ciracap, May 2020
Google Maps photo by Ahmad Hafiz
Pelabuhan Ratu Entrance South
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); green flash every 5 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square white skeletal tower. Kang Marno has a photo and Google has a street view showing both entrance lights (this one is on the left), but the tower is hard to distinguish in Google's satellite view. Located on the south side of the narrow entrance to the inner harbor of Pelabuhan Ratu. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1279.94.
Pelabuhan Ratu Entrance North
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); red flash every 5 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square white skeletal tower. Najudin Nad has a distant view and Google has a street view showing both entrance lights, but the tower is hard to distinguish in Google's satellite view. Located on the north side of the narrow entrance to the inner harbor of Pelabuhan Ratu. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1279.95.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: Northwest: Western Java | East: Southern Java

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Posted April 13, 2006. Checked and revised November 19, 2025. Lighthouses: 20. Site copyright 2025 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.