Lighthouses of Bermuda

Bermuda is a self-governing British Overseas Territory located on a small group of islands isolated in the western Atlantic about 1035 km (643 mi) east of the coast of North Carolina. The islands are named for their Spanish discoverer Juan de Bermúdez, but they were uninhabited until they were settled by the British in 1612. Bermuda has always been a British territory and Bermudians rejected independence by a large majority in a 1995 referendum. The country has a population of about 65,000. It is a very popular resort, especially for North Americans. Regular air service is available from many locations in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Bermuda's two 19th century lighthouses, St. David's and Gibbs Hill, are among the islands' best-known tourist attractions.

Aids to navigation in Bermuda are operated by the Aids to Navigation Section of the Department of Marine and Ports Services.

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 numbers are from Publication 110.

General Sources
Online List of Lights - Bermuda Islands
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. The Bermuda photos are by Capt. Peter Mosselberger ("Capt. Peter").
Bermuda Lighthouses
Photos and accounts of a 2000 visit to the two major lighthouses by Gary Richardson and Anna Klein.
Lighthouses in Bermuda
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
World of Lighthouses - Bermuda
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Leuchttürme Mittelamerikas und der Karibik auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.
GPSNavigationCharts
Navigation chart information for Bermuda.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for Bermuda.

St. David's Light
St. David's Light, St. George, July 2010

Flickr Creative Commons photo by Brian Gratwicke

Outer Reef Lighthouses
Chubb Heads
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); nine quick white flashes every 15 s. 18 m (59 ft) round fiberglass beacon mounted on a triangular pier supported by three piles. Beacon painted yellow with a black horizontal band. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a reef at the extreme western end of the Bermuda archipelago. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BER-017; Admiralty J4546; NGA 11742.
Eastern Blue Cut
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); three white flashes, two short and one long (Morse code "W") every 10 s. 18 m (59 ft) round fiberglass beacon mounted on a triangular pier supported by three piles. Beacon painted with black and white horizontal bands. Andrew Stevenson has a drone view, Mike Fitzpatrick has a distant view, Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef on the northwestern side of the Bermuda archipelago. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BER-011; Admiralty J4547; NGA 11686.
North Rock (3)
Date unknown (station established 1912). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 15 m (49 ft) round 2-stage fiberglass tower mounted on a concrete base. Lower half of tower painted yellow, upper half black. Cliff Vachon's photo is at right, another photo (near the bottom of the page) is available, Andrew Stevenson has an aerial photo, a postage stamp also shows the structure (stamp on the right), and Google has a satellite view. The base originally supported a concrete light tower; later it supported a skeletal tower. Located on an isolated limestone reef at the northernmost point of the Bermuda archipelago, about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of St. David's Light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BER-015; Admiralty J4471; NGA 11684.
Northeast Beacon (North East Breaker)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 2.5 s. 14 m (46 ft) round barbell-shaped red fiberglass tower, raised high on a concrete tripod. A distant view is available and Bing has a distant satellite view. Located at the extreme northeastern tip of the Bermuda reef system, 13 km (8 mi) north northeast of St. David's Light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BER-018; Admiralty J4471.3; NGA 11620.
 

North Rock Light, Bermuda Reef, July 2009
Google Maps photo by Cliff Vachon
 
Kitchen Shoal
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 14 m (46 ft) round barbell-shaped fiberglass tower, colored with red and white horizontal bands, raised high on a concrete tripod. A photo (third photo on the page) is available, Trabas has Capt. Peter's distant view, and ARLHS has G. Couper's fuzzy photo, but the light is not seen in Bing's satellite view. Located at the eastern edge of the Bermuda reef system, 7 km (11 mi) northeast of St. David's Light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BER-014; Admiralty J4471.5; NGA 11624.

St. George's Island (Town Cut) Lighthouses
* Town Cut Channel (Outer)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); continuous red light. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower mounted on a square concrete foundation. Lighthouse painted red with a broad white horizontal band. One of Capt. Peter's photos is at right, Trabas has another photo by Capt. Peter, Wikimedia has David Broad's photo, and Google has a sea view and an indistinct satellite view. Town Cut is the dredged entrance to Bermuda's harbor at the northern end of the islands. Located on the north side of the channel, off the end of Cut Road. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4477; NGA 11632.
Town Cut Channel Inner (Chalk Wharf)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); continuous red light. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower. Upper half of the lighthouse painted red, lower half white. The light previously carried a black and white checkered daymark. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a sea view and a distant satellite view. Located on the north side of the channel, about 300 m (330 yd) west of the outer light. Site status unknown (probably on private property). Admiralty J4478; NGA 11636.
Horseshoe Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); continuous green light; Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower carrying a large daymark colored white with red horizontal bands. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a sea view and a distant satellite view. Located on Horseshoe Island, on the south side of the entrance to the Town Cut. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty J4476.5; NGA 11644.
#Higgs Island
Date unknown. Removed but still listed with focal plane 15 m (49 ft); continuous green light. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower. Lighthouse painted white with a green top. The light is absent from Capt. Peter's photo, Google's sea view, and Google's satellite view. Formerly located on the south side of the outer entrance to the Town Cut, at the northeast corner of Higgs Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BER-004; Admiralty J4476; NGA 11640.
Town Cut Channel Outer Light
Town Cut Channel Outer Light, St. George
photo copyright Capt. Peter Mosselberger; used by permission

St. David's Island Lighthouse
*** St. David's
1879. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); two white flashes every 20 s; tower also carries flashing red and green lights that cover nearby shoals. 22 m (72 ft) octagonal limestone tower with lantern and double gallery; 2nd order Fresnel lens. Brian Gratwicke's photo is at the top of this page, Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, Christine Comerford has a 2022 photo, Erik Phillips has a photo, Edwin Hoogerbeets has a good 2007 photo, Tim Conway has a 2008 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Formerly all white, the lighthouse is now painted white with a broad red band in the center. The keeper's house is occupied by resident caretakers. Recently renovated. Located on a hilltop on St. David's Island, in St. George Parish, near the northeastern tip of the islands. Site open; tower open daily May through September. Operator/site manager: Bermuda Department of Marine and Ports Services. ARLHS BER-009; Admiralty J4472; NGA 11616.

Hamilton Island Lighthouses
**** Gibbs Hill
1846. Active; focal plane 108 m (354 ft); white flash every 10 s; tower also carries a flashing red aviation hazard light atop the lantern. 40.5 m (133 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery; revolving 1st order Fresnel lens (1904). Entire building painted white. D.B. King's photo is at right, Kate Webster has a photo, a view of the station is available, Wikimedia has photos, Tim Conway has a 2008 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This is not the oldest cast iron lighthouse in the world, as is claimed in Bermuda, but it is the second oldest cast iron lighthouse in the Americas (Jamaica's Morant Point Light was built in 1841). The 1-story keeper's house is occupied by a resident caretaker. There is a tea room and gift shop in the neighboring building, a former British Army signal station. The light station is a very well known tourist attraction. Lighthouse Digest has a September 1999 feature article on the light station and second article in July 2006. In September 2003 the lighthouse was damaged by Hurricane Fabian. The Fresnel lens was taken out of service, removed in February 2004, and returned in May after restoration and replacement of the mercury flotation with ball bearings. In 2005 the tower was reported to be in need of renovations and visitors were banned from the gallery due to safety concerns. In September 2012 the government announced it would soon begin a restoration of the lighthouse, and after some delays the repainting and refurbishment was carried out in the spring of 2014. In October 2014 Hurricane Gonzalo heavily damaged the roof of the signal station building, but it was repaired and reopened in March 2015. Located on the highest point of the island in Southampton Parish, southwest of Hamilton. Site and tower open daily year round except closed in February. Operator: Bermuda Department of Marine and Ports Services. Site manager: Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. . ARLHS BER-010; Admiralty J4550; NGA 11668.
* Hamilton Princess Marina Southwest Corner
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round tower mounted atop a 1-story storage structure. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a street view and an indistinct satellite view. Located at the elbow of the breakwater protecting the Hamilton Princess Marina. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Hamilton Princess. Admiralty J4501.7.
[Hogfish Beacon]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 5 m (16 ft); two yellow flashes every 10 s. 5 m (16 ft) masonry tower, painted white with a black band at the top. The tower also carries a decorative weather vane. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, another photo is available, a postage stamp shows the structure (stamp on the left), and Google has a satellite view. This beacon marks the northwest end of a dangerous reef a short distance east of Bermuda's main entrance channel. Located in Great Sound about 5 km (3 mi) north of Gibb's Hill Light. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS BER-013; Admiralty J4494; NGA 11704.
Gibbs Hill Light
Gibbs Hill Light, Warwick, July 2009
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by D.B. King

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

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Posted March 22, 2007. Checked and revised November 8, 2023. Lighthouses: 12. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.