Gulf of Mexico Facts Gulf of Mexico Facts The total area of the Gulf is about 600,000 square miles. The greatest distance across the Gulf is approximately 1,000 miles going east to west. The shortest distance across the Gulf is about 500 miles between the Mississippi Delta and the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. The United States and Mexico form the Gulf’s mainland shore, which extends more than 4,000 miles from the Florida Keys to Cabo Catoche, at the northwestern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. Like the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf is a semi-enclosed, partially land-locked, intercontinental, marginal sea. At a depth of more than 12,000 feet, Sigsbee Deep is the deepest part of the gulf. It is more than 300 miles long and is sometimes called the “Grand Canyon under the sea.” Its closest point to the Texas coast is 200 miles southeast of Brownsville. The Gulf’s geologic origin remains uncertain.

Proposed theories speculate that it is: a foundered and ocean-flooded continental crust; an ocean basin that has been subjected to rifting; or an ancient sea that has existed since the various continents formed a single land mass. The Gulf of Mexico links the ports of five southern U.S states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas) and six Mexican states (Tamaulipas, Vera Cruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo) with the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary contains the northernmost tropical coral reefs in the U.S. 60% of the continental United States drains into the Gulf of Mexico, including outlets from 33 major river systems and 207 estuaries. Additional freshwater inputs originate in Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and Cuba. The Gulf’s coastal wetlands encompass over five million acres (about half of the U.S. total), serving as an essential habitat for 75 percent of migratory waterfowl traversing the United States, numerous fish and other wildlife species. Population The US Gulf coastal population rose 150% between 1960 and 2008.

It is projected to rise nearly 40% from 1995 to 2025. Environmental Concerns Re-engineering the Mississippi River has unintentionally reduced the flow of land-building sediment to the Gulf coast by half and sends much of that past the wetlands to deep water. Diversion projects could reverse the decline of coastal wetlands by making use of what we have left. It is estimated that 50 percent of the Gulf of Mexico’s inland and coastal wetlands have been lost and that up to 80% of the Gulf’s sea grasses have been lost in some areas. The Gulf of Mexico is home to 24 endangered and threatened species and critical habitats. Relative sea level rise along most of the Gulf coast has been substantially higher than the global average due to local land subsidence combined with the increasing volume of water in the sea. Padre Island has been inundated by as much as one ton of debris per mile. Lighthouses of Mexico: Southern Gulf Coast Lighthouses of Mexico: Southern Gulf Coast This page includes lighthouses of the Mexican states of Tabasco, Campeche, and Yucatán.

Tabasco is located on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec , while Campeche and Yucatán are located on the Yucatán Peninsula . All three states face the Gulf of Mexico and its southern embayment known as as the Bay of Campeche. Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche city, and Progreso are the major ports. Some of Mexico's most impressive and historic lighthouses are located on this coast. While the U.S. Coast Guard is rapidly pulling out of the lighthouse business, in Mexico lighthouses still play an important role in coastal navigation, and new towers are still being built from time to time. More information and photos are needed for many of lighthouses on this page. If you can add to our online knowledge, please let me know . Mexican lighthouses are managed by the merchant marine directorate ( Dirección General de Marina Mercante ) within the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes , the cabinet agency that also manages the country's airports and seaports. Many of the larger light stations are staffed by resident civilian keepers. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights .

Admiralty numbers are from volume J of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. Light List numbers are from NGA Publication 110 for Caribbean lights and Publication 111 for Pacific lights. General Sources The Mexican light list can be downloaded in two volumes, Atlantic and Pacific. Punta Palmas Light (El Palmar), Celestún, May 2004 Panoramio photo copyright Xixim; permission requested Lighthouses of Tabasco Paraíso Lighthouses Tupilco (3) About 1974 (station established 1908). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 23 m (75 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Osorio has a closeup photo , and Google has a street view and a satellite view . The original lighthouse, a 20 m (66 ft) masonry tower, was replaced before 1953 by a skeletal tower having the same height. That lighthouse was undermined and toppled by Hurricane Brenda in 1973.

The new tower was built farther inland, but recently it has also been threatened by beach erosion. The lighthouse is accessible by the unpaved coastal road (4WD required). Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-135; CF-27-085; Admiralty J4352; NGA 15496. Chiltepec (Puerto Chiltepec) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower with double gallery, attached to one end of a 1-story keeper's house. Entire light station is white. Osorio has a closeup photo , a sunset view across the estuary is available, and Google has a satellite view . The lighthouse is positioned so that from the sea it appears in the center of the entrance to the Río Chiltepec. Located on the southwest side of the river entrance on the east side of Puerto Chiltepec. Site status unknown.

ARLHS MEX-172; CF-27-090; Admiralty J4353; NGA 15500. Centla Lighthouse Frontera (Río Grijalva, Tabasco River) 1882. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 6 s. 29 m (95 ft) octagonal cylindrical skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story octagonal cylindrical concrete base. Access to the lantern is by an exposed spiral staircase. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. An excellent photo is available, Osorio has a photo , and Google has a satellite view . This lighthouse marks the entrance to the Río Grijalva, a major river that has created a small delta called Punta Frontera. The historic tower is similar in design to the 1879 lighthouse at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic . Its focal plane was listed as 77 ft (23.5 m) as late as 1920, so apparently the tower was raised onto the concrete base in the 1920s.

Located on the east side of the entrance, about 8 km (5 mi) northwest of the city of Frontera. Site status unknown, possibly open. ARLHS MEX-173; CF-27-005; Admiralty J4354; NGA 15504. Lighthouses of Campeche Ciudad del Carmen Area Lighthouses Note: Ciudad del Carmen is a city of about 200,000 built on a barrier island that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna de Términos. The city is an important fishing port and also supports the oil rigs operating in the Bay of Campeche. * Xicalango (Jicalongo) Range Front Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white light, 1 s on, 2 s off. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with gallery. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view . Located on the beach 185 m (600 ft) north of the lighthouse (next entry). Site open, tower closed.

CF-04-235.1; Admiralty J4372; NGA 15512. * Xicalango (Jicalongo) (Range Rear) (2) Date unknown (station established 1853). Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 6 s. 28 m (92 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery painted with red and white horizontal bands, attached to a 1-story red-roofed keeper's house. Fernando Yates has a 2013 photo , a 2010 photo and a 2007 photo are available, Jorge Baños Hernandez has a photo , and Google has a 2016 street view and a satellite view . The range guides vessels into the western entrance to the Laguna de Terminos west of Ciudad del Carmen. The front light is on a 12 m (39 ft) skeletal tower at the beach due north of the lighthouse. Located beside highway 180 about 6 km (3.5 mi) west of the bridge crossing the inlet from Ciudad del Carmen. Site open, tower closed.

ARLHS MEX-138; CF-04-235; Admiralty J4372.1; NGA 15516. * Punta Atalaya (Ciudad del Carmen) (2) Date unknown (station established 1905). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); three flashes, alternating white and red, every 12 s. 21 m (66 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with one very narrow black horizontal band. A 2007 photo and another recent photo are available, and Google has a street view and a satellite view . Michel Forand contributed a postcard image of the original lighthouse to Lighthouse Digest, and Huelse has an older postcard view . Located on the west end of Isla del Cármen, marking the east side of the western entrance to the Laguna de Términos, west of Ciudad del Cármen. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-010; CF-04-100; Admiralty J4374; NGA 15520.

*** Isla Aguada (Punta del Tigre, Faro del Tigre) (1) 1908. Inactive (a decorative light is displayed). 20 m (66 ft) square concrete tower with lantern and double gallery, rising from one corner of a 2-story concrete keeper's house. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is at right, and Google has a closeup street view and an indistinct satellite view . The lighthouse was long abandoned, but in 2010 the state port authority restored it thoroughly and opened a museum in the light station. This is the first of several tourist developments planned for the state's lighthouses. The town of Isla Aguada, on the east side of the northeastern entrance to the Laguna de Términos, is about 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Ciudad del Cármen. Located on the main street of Isla Aguada, two blocks north of the former ferry terminal and one block east of highway 180. Site and museum open, tower status unknown.

*** Punta del Tigre (Faro del Tigre, Isla Aguada) (2) (Range Rear) Date unknown (station established 1908). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); four white flashes every 15 s. 20 m (66 ft) slender round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with narrow red and white horizontal bands, although it was formerly painted all white. A tourist site has a photo , and Google has a good 2012 street view and an indistinct satellite view . Located about 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Ciudad del Cármen. Site and museum open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-174; CF-04-085.1; Admiralty J4384.1; NGA 15540. 1908 Isla Aguada Light, November 2010 Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Bea Lozano #Sabancuy (1) Date unknown. Inactive. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands.

The light is displayed from the top of a square skeletal mast placed on top of the lighthouse. Manuel Palomo has a photo , Köhler has a photo , and another photo is available. Google's satellite view confirms that the lighthouse has been demolished. Located on the east side of the dredged channel through the barrier beach at Sabancuy. Site open, tower closed. * Sabancuy (2) Date unknown (around 2009). Active; focal plane 21 m (62 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Köhler has a photo , Google has a street view , and Google has a satellite view . Located on the east side of the dredged channel through the barrier beach at Sabancuy. Site open, tower closed. CF-04-070; Admiralty J4386; NGA 15544. Champotón Lighthouse * Champotón (Río Champotón) (3) Date unknown (station established 1897).

Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 5 s. 22 m (72 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with gallery; the light is displayed in a small lantern on a short mast. Lighthouse painted white, gallery black, lantern red. Trabas has a photo by Arno Siering, Köhler has a photo , Vladimir Herman Miguel has a 2007 photo , Harry Alberto Moreno Torres has a closeup , and Google has a closeup street view , but the tower is hard to find in Google's satellite view . The lighthouse marks the river entrance in Champotón about 60 km (40 mi) south southwest of Campeche. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-093; CF-04-065; Admiralty J4388; NGA 15548. San Francisco de Campeche Lighthouses Note: San Francisco de Campeche , commonly called Campeche, is the state capital and a city of about 225,000 residents.

It is one of Mexico's oldest and most historic cities, founded in 1540 atop the Maya city of Can Pech. Punta Morro 1896. Active; focal plane 54 m (177 ft); three white flashes every 6 s. 16 m (52 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. 2-story keeper's house. Miguel S. Espinosa Villatoro has a photo , a 2012 closeup photo of the tower is available, Rodolfo Israel has a view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view . The lighthouse marks a steep headland about 30 km (20 mi) southwest of Campeche. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-090; CF-04-060; Admiralty J4392; NGA 15552. * Cerro de San Bartolo (San Bartolo Hill, Faro de San Miguel) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 78 m (256 ft); two white flashes every 12 s.

12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a square keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. Köhler's photo is at right, and Google has a street view and a satellite view . The scarcity of photos of this prominent lighthouse is surprising. Located atop a high hill just off the Avenida Escénica about 3 km (2 mi) southwest of downtown Campeche. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS MEX-094; CF-04-010; Admiralty J4400; NGA 15564. * Campeche (Templo de San José) 1865. Inactive. 25 m (82 ft) square cylindrical tower with octagonal gallery and watch room. The lighthouse is one of the two steeples of an 18th century church, the Templo de San José, converted to a light tower. Köhler has a photo , a good closeup and another closeup are available, and Google has a street view and an indistinct satellite view .

The building has not been used as a church since 1914; in 1934 it became the city's archaeological museum, and today it serves as a cultural center. The lighthouse was deactivated in favor of the San Bartolo lighthouse (previous entry). Tower painted white, lantern roof black. Located at the corner of 10 o del Comercio and 63 o de Zaragoza in the center of the city. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-105. Calkiní Lighthouse Offshore Lighthouses of the Bay of Campeche Cayos Arcas Range Front Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white light, 1 s on, 2 s off. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with gallery. No photo available, and the tower makes only a spot in Google's satellite view . Located on the beach 80 m (260 ft) west of the lighthouse (next entry). Site open, tower closed. CF-04-055; Admiralty J4358; NGA 15571.

Cayos Arcas (Range Rear) (2) Date unknown (station established 1898). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) round concrete tower with gallery and a small lantern. Lighthouse painted white. 1-story keeper's house and other station buildings. The lighthouse is seen in Joaquin Perez Mata's aerial photos of the cays, a distant view (3/4 the way down the page) is available, and Google has a satellite view . The Cayos Arcas reef is located in the Bay of Campeche about 130 km (80 mi) west of Campeche city; it is administered under the municipality of Champotón. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-025; CF-04-055.1; Admiralty J4358.1; NGA 15572. Isla de Triángulos (West Triangle Reef) Date unknown (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); three white flashes every 20 s.

22 m (72 ft) rectangular cylindrical tower, painted red. Trabas has a good photo by Capt. Theo Hinrichs (also seen at right), but the cay is only a blur in Google's satellite view . This is a supposed to be a staffed station, but when Dick Wedge visited this site on 23 January 2001, he found the lighthouse operating but unmanned and "damaged." The reef is located in the Bay of Campeche about 190 km (120 mi) west of Celestún. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-079; CF-04-050; Admiralty J4364; NGA 15576. Cayo Arenas (2) Date unknown (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white light, 2 s on, 10 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square concrete tower with double gallery. Lighthouse painted white. Trabas has Capt.

Theo Hinrichs's photo , an excellent closeup and an aerial photo are available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view . The cay is far out in the Gulf about 200 km (125 mi) northwest of El Palmar, the northwesternmost point of the Yucatán Peninsula. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-004; CF-04-045; Admiralty J4368; NGA 15580. Isla de Triángulos (West Triangle Reef) Light photo copyright Capt. Theo Hinrichs; used by permission Lighthouses of Yucatán Western Coast (Litoral Poniente) Lighthouses * Celestún Range Front Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white light, 1 s on, 2 s off. 13 m (43 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with gallery. Google has a satellite view and a distant street view . This is the entrance range for Celestún's small boat harbor. Located on the south side of the entrance. Site open, tower closed.

CF-031-315; Admiralty J4404.2; NGA 15588.3. * Celestún Range Rear Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 17 m (56 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with gallery. Google has a distant street view , but the tower is not seen in Google's satellite view . Located about 275 m (900 ft) east southeast of the front light. Site open, tower closed. CF-031-315.1; Admiralty J4404.3; NGA 15588.4. * Celestún (2? 3?) Date unknown (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 12 m (40 ft) cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern roof is black. A photo is at right, Köhler has a photo , another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view .

The photos also show a square stone tower, leaning precariously. This is perhaps an older, abandoned lighthouse, but light lists do not mention any such tower. A cast iron skeletal tower was built here in 1905. Located on the beach in the center of Celestún, which is accessible by a paved road (RF 281) from Mérida. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS MEX-007; CF-031-0310; Admiralty J4404; NGA 15588. Punta Palmas ("El Palmar") Date unknown (around 1950?). Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 39 m (128 ft) masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from 1-story keeper's house. The photo at the top of this page was taken by staff of a nearby resort now called Xixim . Edgardo Gutierrez has a photo , a closeup and an aerial view are available, and Google has a satellite view .

This is Mexico's tallest traditional lighthouse (the modern Gran Puerto de Cancún tower is taller). In fact, it is the tallest lighthouse of Middle America, so it deserves much better recognition; its remote location has kept it relatively unknown. It is generally known by its nickname, El Palmar. Located at the end of federal highway 281, near the northwestern corner of the peninsula, north of Celestún. Accessible by boat or by 4WD vehicle over dirt roads from Celestún. Site and tower open. ARLHS MEX-125; CF-031-305; Admiralty J4406; NGA 15592. Celestún Light, Celestún, July 2003 Flickr Creative Commons photo by NCReedplayer Progreso Metropolitan Region Lighthouses Note: Progreso is the principal seaport of Yucatán state; it is a fishing port, a containship terminal, and also a frequent port of call for cruise ships bringing tourists to view nearby Maya ruins.

The population of Progreso is only about 40,000, but the port serves the state capital of Mérida, a city of about one million residents. Sisal Date unknown (station established 1852). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on the walls of a colonial fort, the Fuerte de Sisal . Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands; lantern painted black. Köhler has a photo , Wikimedia has a photo , F. Robles also has a photo , and Google has a street view and a satellite view . NGA has lowered the focal plane of this light from 22 m, so the light may have been relocated to a lower tower. More information is needed on this site. Located in Sisal, the historic seaport of the Yucatán, about 40 km (25 mi) northwest of Mérida. Site open, tower closed.

ARLHS MEX-019; CF-031-445; Admiralty J4409; NGA 15604. Isla Pérez (Scorpion Reef, Arrecife Alacrán) (2) Date unknown (station established 1901). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); two white flashes every 8 s. 18 m (59 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Several 1-story keeper's houses. This is a staffed station. A photo is at right, Desiderio Caamal Hoyos has a fine closeup and a more distant view , Trabas has Capt. Theo Hinrichs's view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view . In Felipe Concha-Alonzo's 2004 photo the lighthouse is painted all red, but it is red and white in a 2007 photo . The original lighthouse was one of nine cast iron towers given to Mexico by the British government and built by the British firm Chance Brothers.

The original wood keeper's house survives in poor condition; there is interest in Progreso in restoring it. The cay, at the south end of the Arrecife Alacrán (Scorpion Reef) is in the Gulf about 50 km (30 mi) northeast of Progreso. Accessible only by boat; transportation from Progreso can be hired. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-085; CF-031-265.1; Admiralty J4414; NGA 15596. Isla Pérez Light, August 2007 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Yodigo * Yucalpetén (Yukalpetén) Range Front Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white light, 1 s on, 2 s off. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with gallery. The front of the tower is covered with a red slatted daymark. Google has a street view and an indistinct satellite view . This is the entrance range for Progreso's harbor and the Laguna de Yucalpetén.

Located on the docks on the west side of the harbor. Site open, tower closed. CF-031-175; Admiralty J4411; NGA 15617. Yucalpetén (Yukalpetén) Range Rear Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 16 m (52 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with gallery. The front of the tower is covered with a red slatted daymark. Ricardo Villanueva has a photo , and Google has a street view and a satellite view . Located in a drydock area 195 m (640 ft) south of the front light. Site status unknown. CF-031-175.1; Admiralty J4411.1; NGA 15617.1. ** Progreso (2) 1893 (station established 1874). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 6 s.

33 m (108 ft) tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern roof is black. A photo by Pedro Sanchez appears at right, Köhler has a nice closeup , Michael Vinson has a 2007 closeup , Jon Lebkowski has a 2009 photo , and Google has a street view and a satellite view . Progreso is the modern seaport of the Yucatán, about 32 km (20 mi) north of Mérida. Located in the downtown section of the city, two blocks from the ocean. Site open, tower open with keeper's permission. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-086; CF-031-435; Admiralty J4416; NGA 15620. Central Coast (Litoral Centro) Lighthouses * Telchac Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three white flashes every 8 s. 12 m (39 ft) concrete tower with four ribs, lantern and gallery.

Köhler has a photo , a 2008 closeup and a sunset view are available, Tim Sexton also has a photo , Google has a beach view , and the tower rises between buildings in Google's satellite view . Located just off the beach at Telchac Puerto about 55 km (33 mi) east of Progreso. Site open. ARLHS MEX-150; CF-031-430; Admiralty J4418; NGA 15632. * Dzilám de Bravo (2) Date unknown (station established 1960s?). Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with lantern, gallery, and four ribs. A 2008 photo is available, Wikimedia has a photo , the Mexican ecological protection agency Conobio also has a photo , and Google has a street view and a satellite view .

Located about 700 m (0.4 mi) west of the harbor entrance at Dzilám de Bravo, about 25 km (15 mi) east of Telchac. Site open, tower closed. CF-031-455; Admiralty J4419; NGA 15636. Progreso Light, Progreso, July 2006 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Pedro Sanchez Eastern Coast (Litoral Orente) Lighthouses Yalkubul (2) Date unknown (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); four white flashes every 16 s. 20 m (66 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Two 1-story keeper's houses. The shadow of the lighthouse is conspicuous in a Google satellite view . The lighthouse is gravely endangered by beach erosion, and the government announced a beach stabilization project designed to protect it. Apparently, this project was carried out by the U.S.-based Reef Ball Foundation , which has several photos of the effort.

However, it's clear that the lighthouse is still standing in the surf. The light station is located in a nature reserve, the Parque Natural San Felipe. Located on the beach about 120 km (75 mi) east of Progreso and 15 mi (25 km) west of Río Lagartos. The station is probably accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS MEX-092; CF-031-450; Admiralty J4420; NGA 15640. * Río Lagartos Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Keeper's house. A photo is at right, Trabas has a photo , Rodney Shupe has a photo , Luis Arceo has a 2010 closeup , Köhler has a photo , and Google has a street view and a satellite view . Located on the tip of a peninsula in Río Lagartos. Site open, tower closed.

ARLHS MEX-129; CF-031-390; Admiralty J4421; NGA 15644. *** El Cuyo (Monte de Cuyo) (2) Date unknown (station established 1907). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. Approx. 12 m (40 ft) cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands, built atop a Mayan ruin. Köhler has a photo , Martin Hunter has a 2008 photo , another closeup is available, the Villa Xamen-nah resort has additional photos (halfway down the page), and Google has a street view and a satellite view . The lighthouse was repaired after being damaged by Hurricane Wilma in October 2005. Located on the main street in El Cuyo, a beach town about 30 miles west of Cabo Catoche. Site open; keys to the lighthouse are available from the port captain's office.

ARLHS MEX-116; CF-031-005; Admiralty J4422; NGA 15648. Río Lagartos Light, Río Lagartos, April 2008 Panoramio photo copyright markusz; permission requested Information available on lost lighthouses Notable faux lighthouses: Famous Landforms in Mexico | USA Today Famous Landforms in Mexico The coastline along the Yucatan peninsula is lined with white sand and coral reefs. (Photo: Medioimages/Photodisc/Digital Vision/Getty Images ) What Are Major Holidays or Festivals of Mexico? Like its North American neighbor the United States, Mexico is divided into states that vary widely in climate and geography. Mexico's landscape includes tropical rain forests, deserts and seashores, and much of the country is covered by high plateaus and rugged mountains. Many of its canyons, such as Copper Canyon in the state of Chihuahua, are deeper than America's Grand Canyon, and are so difficult to reach that they have yet to be explored.

Central Plateau Mountains run along both Mexico's Pacific coast and the Gulf coast -- the Sierra Madre Occidental range on the west and the Sierra Madre Oriental range on the east. Between these mountains lies a heavily populated central plateau called the altiplano. At the northern edge of the plateau is Mexico's longest river, the Rio Grande, which runs some 1,300 miles along the U.S. border. To the south is the neo-volcanic Cordillera, which contain most of Mexico's volcanoes. An inactive volcano called Orizaba is the country's highest peak, reaching 18,700 feet. The southern highlands of the plateau hold Mexico's largest freshwater lake, Lake Chapala, which covers 417 square miles. Northwestern Deserts Mexico's isolated northwestern region, consisting of the Baja California peninsula and the Sonora and Sinaloa states, features a desert landscape. With the exception of some vegetation around the Gulf of California and occasional oases fed by underground springs, the area is dry and barren. Although some deserts here support plant life, others like the Algodones Dunes are inhospitable.

Tropical Lowlands Along the eastern coast from Tamaulipas state to Veracruz state lies Mexico's tropical lowlands. This flat plain between the Gulf of Mexico and the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains has a tropical climate suitable to many different kinds of plants and animals. Southern Mountain Ranges The sparsely populated southern region of Mexico features the Sierra Madre del Sur, the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca and the Sierra de Soconusco mountain ranges. Some northern sections of this area are covered with dry deciduous forests, while the southern section is covered with thick rain forest. Yucatan Peninsula The easternmost territory of Mexico is the Yucatan Peninsula, which projects into the Gulf of Mexico. The Yucatan region is covered with tropical forest on a flat, low-lying limestone shelf. A characteristic feature of the soft limestone landscape here is the sinkhole, which forms when the ground above the Yucatan's numerous caverns and underground rivers collapses. Coastlines Mexico has more than 6,000 miles of shoreline. In the northwest, the coastal area is desert land; the country's western shore meets mountains. On the eastern side of Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico creates lagoons on the coastal area.

The southeast Yucatan peninsular coast features the white sands and coral reefs characteristic of the Caribbean. At one spot in Mexico, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the state of Oaxaca, the coastlines of Mexico's two great oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific, lie only 130 miles apart. References "Mexico: The Geography"; Laura Conlon; 1994 "Mexico: The Land"; Bobbie Kalman; 1993 Mexico | history - geography | Britannica.com Relief Geologic origins Mexico is located in one of the Earth’s most dynamic tectonic areas. It is a part of the circum-Pacific “ Ring of Fire ”—a region of active volcanism and frequent seismic activity. Among its towering volcanic peaks are Citlaltépetl (also called Orizaba), which forms the highest point in the country at 18,406 feet (5,610 metres), and the active volcano Popocatépetl , which rises to 17,930 feet (5,465 metres) to the southeast of Mexico City.

These and other Mexican volcanoes are young in geologic terms, from the Paleogene and Neogene periods (about 65 to 2.6 million years ago), and are examples of the volcanic forces that built much of the central and southern parts of the country. Mexico is situated on the western, or leading, edge of the huge North American Plate, whose interaction with the Pacific, Cocos, and Caribbean plates has given rise to numerous and severe earthquakes as well as the earth-building processes that produce southern Mexico’s rugged landscape. It is in this dynamic and often unstable physical environment that the Mexican people have built their country. Physiographic regions German Chain of Command in Western Europe, June 1944 The largely volcanic Sierra Madre Occidental , which forms the western border of the Mexican Plateau, has an average elevation of 8,000–9,000 feet (2,400–2,700 metres) and extends roughly 700 miles (1,100 km) from north to south.

It has been highly incised by westward-flowing streams that have formed a series of gorges, or barrancas , the most spectacular of which is the complex known as Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) in southwestern Chihuahua state. Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre) in the Sierra Madre Occidental, in Chihuahua state, Mexico. © Kerrick James The Sierra Madre Oriental , a range of folded mountains formed of shales and limestones, is situated on the eastern side of the Mexican Plateau. Often considered an extension of the Rocky Mountains (which are cut by the Rio Grande but continue in New Mexico and western Texas), it runs roughly 700 miles (1,100 km) from north to south before merging with the Cordillera Neo-Volcánica. Its average elevations are similar to those of the Sierra Madre Occidental, but some peaks rise above 12,000 feet (3,650 metres). The mountains have major deposits of copper, lead, and zinc.

The Cordillera Neo-Volcánica , also called the Neo-Volcanic Axis or Trans-Volcanic Axis, is a geologically active mountain range whose smoldering cinder cones link the Sierra Madre Occidental with the Sierra Madre Oriental at the southern edge of the Mesa Central. As it crosses Mexico from Cape Corrientes on the west coast to Xalapa and Veracruz on the eastern coast, it forms a mountainous backdrop to the states of Jalisco , Michoacán, Guerrero , México, Morelos , and Puebla as well as the Federal District. This volcanic range includes the spectacular peaks Citlaltépetl, Popocatépetl, and Iztaccíhuatl (Ixtacihuatl), among others. One of the world’s youngest volcanoes, Parícutin emerged violently from the fields of Michoacán between 1943 and 1952. The region is rich in silver, lead, zinc, copper, and tin deposits. The hot, dry Balsas Depression , which takes its name from the major river draining the region, is immediately south of the Cordillera Neo-Volcánica.

The depression is formed of small, irregular basins interrupted by hilly outcrops, which give the area a distinctive physical landscape. Citlaltépetl (Orizaba Peak), the highest point in Mexico, located in western Veracruz state. © Digital Vision/Getty Images The Gulf Coastal Plain , which is much wider than its Pacific coast counterpart, extends some 900 miles (1,450 km) along the Gulf of Mexico from Tamaulipas state (on the Texas border) through Veracruz and Tabasco states to the Yucatán Peninsula; it includes the Tabasco Plain in its southeastern section. The triangular northern portion of the plain, which is characterized by lagoons and low-lying swampy areas, reaches a width of more than 100 miles (160 km) near the U.S. border but tapers toward the south. North of the port of Tampico , an outlier of the Sierra Madre Oriental reaches the sea and interrupts the continuity of the Gulf Coastal Plain. South from there the plain is narrow and irregular, widening at the northern end of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

The Southern Highlands are a series of highly dissected mountain ranges and plateaus, including the Sierra Madre del Sur, Mesa del Sur, and the Chiapas Highlands , also called the Sierra Madre de Chiapas . On their southwestern side, approximately from Puerto Vallarta to the Gulf of Tehuantepec , are a series of relatively low ranges known collectively as the Sierra Madre del Sur . The crystalline mountains, which achieve elevations of 7,000–8,000 feet (2,100–2,400 metres), often reach the sea to create a rugged coastal margin, part of which is known as the Mexican Riviera . Several coastal sites, such as Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Acapulco , and Puerto Escondido, have become alluring tourist destinations. However, the less-hospitable inland basins provide a difficult environment for traditional peasant farmers. Farther northeast is the Mesa del Sur , with numerous stream-eroded ridges and small isolated valleys some 4,000–5,000 feet (1,200–1,500 metres) above sea level.

The picturesque Oaxaca Valley is the largest and most densely settled of these, with a predominantly indigenous population. It is one of the poorest areas of Mexico. Panoramic view of the coastal resort of Acapulco, Mex. Jeremy Woodhouse—Digital Vision/Getty Images Bisecting the Southern Highlands is the Isthmus of Tehuantepec , a low-lying, narrow constriction of land that reaches an elevation of less than 900 feet (275 metres). Its hilly central area descends to narrow coastal plains on the south and to the Tabasco Plain on the north. The Chiapas Highlands are an extension of the mountain ranges of Central America . Within the highlands the low, crystalline Sierra de Soconusco range lies along the Pacific coast. To the northwest and paralleling the coast is the Grijalva River valley. A group of highly dissected, folded, and faulted mountains is located between the valley and the Tabasco Plain, a southeastern extension of the Gulf Coastal Plain. Among the active volcanic peaks of the region is El Chichón, which destroyed several villages in 1982.

The Yucatán Peninsula lies to the northeast of the Tabasco Plain and extends northward, forming a divider between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The peninsula’s limestone (karst) terrain is generally pockmarked and uneven but seldom exceeds 500 feet (150 metres) in elevation. There is little surface drainage, and subterranean erosion has produced caverns and sinkholes (cenotes), the latter being formed when cavern roofs collapse. The islands of Cozumel and Mujeres lie off the peninsula’s northeastern tip, near the resort boomtown of Cancún . Drainage Because of its climatic characteristics and arrangement of landforms, Mexico has few major rivers or natural lakes. The largest are found in the central part of the country. The Lerma River has its headwaters in the Toluca Basin, west of Mexico City, and flows westward to form Lake Chapala , the country’s largest natural lake. The Santiago River then flows out of the lake to the northwest, crossing the Sierra Madre Occidental on its way to the Pacific.

The eastward-flowing waters of the Pánuco River and its tributaries, the Moctezuma and Santa María rivers, originate in the eastern Mesa Central and tumble through gorges in the Sierra Madre Oriental on their way to the Gulf of Mexico. Lakes Pátzcuaro and Cuitzeo , west of Mexico City, are remnants of vast lakes and marshes that covered much of the southern Mesa Central before European settlement. There are few permanent streams in the arid Mesa del Norte, and most of these drain into the interior rather than to the ocean. By far the most important river in that part of the country is the Río Bravo del Norte (called the Rio Grande in the United States), which forms a lengthy part of the international border. The Conchos River , a tributary of the Río Bravo, is important for irrigation agriculture and hydroelectricity. The Balsas River and its tributaries drain the Balsas Depression as well as much of the southern portion of the Mesa Central. Dammed where it crosses the Sierra Madre del Sur, the Balsas is a major source of hydroelectric power.

Farther southeast, on the Guatemala frontier, the Grijalva- Usumacinta river system drains most of the humid Chiapas Highlands. Together with the Papaloapan River , which enters the Gulf of Mexico south of Veracruz, the Grijalva and Usumacinta account for about two-fifths of the total volume of Mexico’s rivers. Streams on the west and east coasts are short and steep because the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental originate close to the coastal margins. Along the Pacific Coastal Lowlands the Yaqui , Fuerte , and Culiacán rivers have been dammed and support vast irrigated fields. Aridity in Baja California and the porous limestones that underlie the Yucatán Peninsula cause those regions to be virtually devoid of permanent surface streams. Soils Throughout tropical southeastern Mexico, high rates of precipitation produce infertile reddish or yellow lateritic soils high in iron oxides and aluminum hydroxides. The richest soils in the country are the chernozem-like volcanic soils found in the Mesa Central. Deep, easily crumbled, and rich in base minerals, some of those dark soils have been farmed continuously for many centuries.

However, overuse has caused serious sheet erosion and has exposed tepetate (a lime hardpan) in many areas. In the arid north, gray-brown desert soils occupy the largest expanses. High in lime and soluble salts, they can be extremely productive when irrigated, but in such cases salinization (salt buildup) can be a serious problem, resulting in barren fields. Climate Because of its vast size and topographic diversity, Mexico has a wide array of climatic conditions. More than half of the country lies south of the Tropic of Cancer . In those areas, tropical maritime air masses from the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, are attracted by the relatively low pressures that occur over land. The maritime air masses are the main sources of precipitation, which is heaviest from May through August . Tropical hurricanes, spawned in oceans on both sides of the country, are common in the coastal lowland areas from August through October. Northern Mexico is dominated by the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, and arid and semiarid conditions predominate over much of the Mexican Plateau.

Seasonal temperature variations within the tropics are small, often only about 10 °F (5 °C) between the warmest and coolest months. In those areas winter is defined as the rainy rather than the cold season. Elevation is a major climatic influence in most parts of Mexico, and several vertical climatic zones are recognized. From sea level to just over 3,000 feet (900 metres) is the tierra caliente (“hot land”), with uniformly high temperatures. For example, Veracruz , located on the Gulf of Mexico, has an average daily temperature of approximately 77 °F (25 °C). The tierra templada (“temperate land”) extends to about 6,000 feet (1,800 metres) and includes the city of Xalapa , at an elevation of more than 4,600 feet (1,400 metres), where the average daily temperature is 66 °F (19 °C).

The tierra fría (“cold land”) extends as high as 11,000 feet (3,350 metres) and includes Pachuca , at just under 8,000 feet (2,440 metres), where the average annual temperature is 59 °F (15 °C). Above the tierra fría are the páramos , or alpine pastures, and the tierra helada (“frozen land”), or permanent snow line, which is found at 13,000–14,000 feet (4,000–4,270 metres) in central Mexico. North of the tropics, temperature ranges increase substantially and are greatest in the north-central portion of the Mesa del Norte, where summer and winter temperatures are extreme. The highest temperatures in the country, exceeding 110 °F (43 °C), occur in July and August in central Baja California and in the northern Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts . Outside the high mountainous areas of northern Mexico and the north central portion of the Mesa del Norte, the lowest temperatures normally do not descend below 32 °F (0 °C).

Most of Mexico lacks adequate precipitation for at least part of the year. Except for the Sierra Madre Occidental, the Sierra Madre Oriental, and the Gulf Coastal Plain, the area north of the Tropic of Cancer generally receives less than 20 inches (500 mm) of precipitation annually and is classified climatically as either tropical desert or tropical steppe. Nearly all of Baja California, much of Sonora state, and large parts of Chihuahua state receive less than 10 inches (250 mm) of rainfall yearly. Much of central and southern Mexico receives less than 40 inches (1,000 mm) of precipitation annually, mostly from May through August, and is classified as having tropical savanna or highland savanna climates. Only the Gulf Coastal Plain and the adjacent mountains—roughly from Tampico southward to Villahermosa —the Chiapas Highlands, and the southern part of the Yucatán Peninsula receive abundant precipitation year-round. A tropical rainforest climate exists there because of uniformly high temperatures and humid conditions. Page 1 of 13

Question: Which peninsula marks the southern end of the Gulf of Mexico?
Answer: Yucatan