Puerto Rico offers many things to my people. Visitors flock to the island to take part in the local celebrations and experience the more urban attractions including shopping, dining out, and the vibrant nightlife. Some come to experience the outdoor recreation available inland in the natural areas left protected on the island. Still many come to island to experience water recreation in the form of swimming, fishing, kayaking, boating, snorkeling, diving, and more. Regardless of why someone has chosen to visit Puerto Rico, one of the best things to do whil there is visit one of the many lighthouses that can be found in all corners of the area.
Puerto Rico is located nearby a number of important international shipping lanes. The island has also had a long history during early European exploration of the area as being an important outpost. Because of these two reasons, there are a number of active and inactive lighthouses that can still be found dotting the mainland, as well as some of the outlying islands too. Visitors trekking to these lighthouses will be treating themselves to a combination of some of the best scenic views available in the area as well as a look into the important maritime history of the island and the people who have lived there.
Here is a look at the historic lighthouses of Puerto Rico.
Los Morrillos Light
Located in Cabo Rojo at the southwestern tip of Puerto Rico, and put into operation in 1882, Los Morrillos Light is an active lighthouse that has been restored and is open to the public. The limestone cliffs that the lighthouse overlooks provide for some amazing views of the local area.
Punta Higuero Light
photo by: larrymyhre
Punta Higuero Light, sometimes referred to as Faro de Punta Higuero, was built by the Spanish government in 1892 and then rebuilt by the United States Coast Guard in 1922. The lighthouse is round and made of concrete. The lighthouse sits in the community of Rincon which later built a popular park around it that is currently a wonderful location for fun on the beach, surfing, and whale watching.
Punta Borinquen Light
Punta Borinquen Light is located in Aguadilla and is part of the Ramey Air Force Base that is no longer in use. The current lighthouse is made of stone and was constructed in the early 1920s. It is active today and an important part of navigating towards the Panama Canal.
Arecibo Light
The Arecibo Lighthouse is located in the city of Arecibo and is known by some as Morrillo’s Lighthouse. Built in 1898, this was the last lighthouse in all of Puerto Rico to have been built by the Spanish government. This lighthouse is actually a rectangular shaped building with a small hexagon shaped tower fitted to the top which houses the light. The structure is currently part of the Arecibo Lighthouse and Historical Park which also contains a number of other featured attractions including a zoo, an aquarium, a children’s play area, and an Indian village. The lighthouse building itself houses a small but very interesting museum.
Port San Juan Light
Port San Juan Light, sometimes referred to as El Morro, sits atop the walls of the old Fort San Felipe del Morro in an area known as Old San Juan. This lighthouse has had an interesting history, having been destroyed by American artillery during the Spanish-American War and then later rebuilt by the United States Coast Guard. The surrounding grounds consisting of Fort San Felipe del Morro are open to visitors, but the actual lighthouse itself is not.
Cape San Juan Light
Located in Fajardo and sitting atop the highest point of Cape San Juan sits Cape San Juan Light which was originally constructed in 1880. This lighthouse made of stone is part of the Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve and is a popular attraction for those visiting the area. Included in the reserve are boardwalks, trails, a science center, a bioluminescence bay, a wide variety of plant life, beaches, coral reefs, mangroves, and lagoons among other things.
Guanica Light
Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, but almost completely in ruins is the Guanica Light. This lighthouse was first lit in 1893 and played an important role during the Spanish-American War. It was the lighthouse keeper here that first spotted the incoming American forces who were part of the landing party of the Puerto Rican Campaign of the war. The ruins are accessible to the public.
Cardona Island Light
Cardona Island Light, sometimes referred to as Cayo Cardona Light, sits on a small island just west of the entrance to the harbor of the city of Ponce. This lighthouse was first lit in 1889 and remains active today. The lighthouse is not open to the public and the island itself are only accessible by private boat. The Cardona Island Light can however be viewed from the La Gauncha boardwalk.
Caja de Muertos Light
Caja de Muertos is an uninhabited island that sits off the coast of the city of Ponce. This island is a popular destination for snorkelers coming for the day. The Caja de Muertos Light sits at the highest point of the island and was built in 1887. Architecturally, this is one of the most unique lighthouses in all of Puerto Rico.
Punta Figuras Light
Located in the community of Arroyo, the Punta Figuras Light was first lit in 1893. The lighthouse saw an amazing amount of looting and vandalism over the years, eventually being abandoned in the late 1960s. In 2003, the lighthouse was restored and it currently sits at the entrance of the Balneario Punta Guilarte resort which is managed and anministered by the Puerto Rico National Parks Company.
Punta Tuna Light
Just southeast of the community of Maunabo sits the Punta Tuna Light. This historic lighthouse was constructed in the 1890s and remains active to this day. It is made of brick and stone and sits above a rocky cliff looking out over the sea. It has been somewhat restored and is currently open to the public.
Mona Island Light
One of the more interesting lighthouse structures in all of Puerto Rico is the Mona Island Light. The lighthouse sits on the island of Mona in the Mona Passage that separates Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic. The light here was first lit in 1900 and the structure itself was designed by none other than Gustav Eiffel, the designer of Paris’ Eiffel Tower. This is the only all metal lighthouse in all of Puerto Rico. A great deal of attention has been placed on this historic lighthouse in recent years as years of exposure to the humid sea has caused a great deal of rusting to the metal skeleton of the tower.
Punta Mulas Light
On the western shore of the island of Vieques sits Punta Mulas Light. This lighthouse was first lit in 1896 and was deemed highly needed for the complex navigation through the San Juan Passage. There is a museum housed in the lighthouse structure today that contains some great exhibits detailing the maritime history of both Vieques and all of this part of the Americas too.
Puerto Ferro Light
The stone built Puerto Ferro Light was the first lighthouse built on the Viegues and was first lit in 1896. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1926, but the surrounding area remained in use by the United States military for a number of purposes up through 2003. The structure is in very poor condition but is still architecturally interesting. Today it is part of the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge.
Culebrita Island Lighthouse
Just off the east coast of the island of Culebra sits a small island named Isla Culebrita, or Little Culebra. This is a nature reserve that is popular with divers and is only accessible by private boat. Little Culebra is also home to the Culebrita Island Lighthouse which is one of the oldest lighthouses in the entire Caribbean. This lighthouse was completed in 1886 and was used by Spain as further claim of its ownership over the main island of Culebra. Its main purpose was to help guide ships through the Virgin Passage and the Vieques Sound. The lighthouse today sits in a grave state of disrepair following years of lack of maintenance and damage suffered from multiple hurricanes. The United States Coast Guard has replaced the function of the lighthouse with a light beacon that is solar powered.
Cabras Island Lighthouse
The only lighthouse in Puerto Rico that was built and planned solely by the United States Government was the Cabras Island Lighthouse. The lighthouse was constructed on Cabras Island which is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The stone structure has received a great deal of damage at the hands of nature, but is still an active aid to navigation in the area. The original light was replaced in 1965 by what is called a range light which is still in use. This is architecturally one of the more interesting lighthouses in Puerto Rico, using a square building and turret style design.
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Lighthouses Bicycle Tour
Lighthouses have captivated and attracted a great many travelers over the years. There are a great many reasons that people seek out lighthouses when they travel. They often offer some of the most unique history that can be told of the area. Because of their need to be seen for miles over the surrounding sea, they also usually offer some of the most visually stunning scenic views that can be found. Finally, the appearance of most lighthouses are architecturally very pleasing to most people. In many cases these structures also at least represent a great deal of solitude and remoteness in a highly natural surrounding. Because of its location near many popular shipping lanes, Puerto Rico is home to a great many significant lighthouses. Though some are not accessible to the public, most are and provide a great experience to all vacationers coming to the island to take part in.
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