Tuesday, January 28, 2020
LightHouse Lesser Sundas and surroundings
Lighthouses of Indonesia: Bali
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 arc of the Sunda Islands begins in the west with the major islands of Sumatra and Java, and continues eastward through a chain of smaller islands known in English as the Lesser Sunda Islands and in Indonesian as the Nusa Tenggara ("Southeastern Islands"). From west to east, the major Lesser Sunda Islands are Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, and Timor.
Bali is a roughly triangular island with the apex of the triangle pointed south. At its northwestern corner the island is barely separated from Java by the Bali Strait. On the east the Lombok Strait separates Bali from Lombok. The Bukit Peninsula, at the southern apex of Bali, is connected to the rest of the island by a very narrow isthmus. Bali's best known tourist facilities are on the Bukit Peninsula.
The Indonesian word for a lighthouse is mercusuar or (in two words) mercu suar. The phrase menara suar, which includes the Arabic word menara, is sometimes used instead. Tanjung and ujung are words for capes, bukit is a hill, gili or pulau is an island, selat is a strait, karang is a reef, teluk is a bay or harbor, and pelabuhan is a port. It's also worth knowing that the word for an island is nusa in Balinese and gili in the Sasak language spoken on neighboring Lombok.
Aids to navigation in Indonesia are operated and maintained by the Directorate General of Sea Navigation.
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. World of Lighthouses - Indonesia
Photos by various photgraphers available from Lightphotos.net. Online List of Lights - Indonesia
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. Photos for Bali were contributed by Jim Smith and Rainer Arndt.
Tanjung Bungkulan Light, Bungkulan, December 2011
photo copyright Andreas Köhler; used by permission
Jembrana Regency (Bali Strait) Lighthouses Tanjung Pengambengan
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); white flash every 5 s. 33 m (108 ft) square tapered pyramidal iron skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Google has a closeup street view and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a promontory facing the Bali Strait at Pengambengan on the southwest coast of the island, about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Negara. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-045; Admiralty Q1282; NGA 23804. * Gilimanuk (Gilimanuk South) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 22 m (72 ft); flashing white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Google has a street view and Bing has a satellite view. Gilimanuk, on the Bali Strait, is the terminal for ferries to and from Ketabang, Java, on the other side of the strait. Located at the south end of the ferry terminal in Gilimanuk. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1258.13. Gilimanuk Entrance
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 4 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower, painted red, mounted on a square platform supported by three piles. No photo available but Bing has a distant satellite view. Located at the start of the entrance channel for Gilimanuk, about 800 m (1/2 mi) north of the ferry terminal. Accessible only by boat, but ferry passengers have an excellent view. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1257.5; NGA 23791.
Buleleng Regency (North Coast) Lighthouses
Tanjung Batulicin
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); light characteristic unknown. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) white tower mounted on a triangular platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located off a promontory on the east side of the south entrance to the narrowest passage of the Bali Strait. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1256.25. * Tanjung Pasir (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; white flash every 5 s. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. 1-story concrete keeper's house or service building. A photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. NGA lists an older and much smaller tower at this location. Located on the northwestern corner of Bali, marking the east side of the northern entrance to Bali Strait. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IDO-321; ID-4070; Admiralty Q1256; NGA 23784. * Celukanbawang Harbor
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Trabas has Smith's photo, Köhler has a photo, a view from the sea is available, and Google has a good satellite view. Located at the base of the pier at Celukanbawang on the western part of Bali's north coast. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1283.7; NGA 25545. * Celukanbawang Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); light characteristic unknown. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Trabas has Smith's photo, the tower is to the right of the crane in Pri Hinkap's photo of the waterfront and Google has a satellite view. This is an approach range for the harbor. Located on the south shore of the harbor at Celukanbawang. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1283.3. * Celukanbawang Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); light characteristic unknown. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Trabas has Smith's photo and Google has a satellite view. Located about 150 m (165 yd) off the waterfront on the south side of the harbor. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1283.31.
Tanjung Pasir Light, Gerokgak, February 2009
ex-Panoramio photo copyright coktai; permission requested
Celukanbawang (Celukan Bawang)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red flash every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) square metal tower, painted red and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Trabas has Smith's photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on a shoal on the east side of the entrance to Celukanbawang. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q1283; NGA 25544. Celukanbawang GEB Port
2018. Active; focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 4 s. 20 m (66 ft) square white skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located at a large LNG-fired power plant on the east side of Celukanbawang. Site and tower closed. Admiralty Q1282.9. * Singaraja (Buleleng) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 3 s. 20 m (66 ft) hexagonal skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Trabas has Smith's photo, the lighthouse is seen in Marga Sudaryana's photo, and Google has a closeup street view (a portion is seen at right) and a satellite view. NGA formerly listed a 14 m (46 ft) tower. Located east of the Buleleng River entrance in Singaraja, the principal city on the north coast of Bali. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IDO-120; Admiralty Q1284; NGA 25542. * Tanjung Bungkulan {Boengkoelan}
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 28 m (92 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Köhler's photo is at the top of this page and Google has a satellite view. Located in Bungkulan near the northernmost point of Bali, about 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Singaraja. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1284.2; NGA 25541.
Singaraja Light, Singaraja, May 2015
Google Maps street view
Karangasem Regency (Northern Lombok Strait) Lighthouses Gili Selang (Ujung Timur)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 70 m (230 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Several keeper's houses and other buildings; this is probably a staffed station. A closeup photo is available (2/3 the way down the page), Lightphotos.net has a second photo by Mikhail Tsyganov, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Gili Selang is a small island just offshore near the lighthouse, but the light station is on the adjoining mainland. (If it was once on the island, there is no visible trace of the former location.) Located at the northeastern corner of Bali, marking the northern entrance to the Lombok Strait. This area is mountainous and remote. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-131; Admiralty Q1285; NGA 25540. Gili Tepekong
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square metal tower with gallery. Entire structure is white. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. Located on a small island in the Lombok Strait about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) offshore in the entrance to Padang Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1286; NGA 25538. * Labuhan (Labuan) Amuk
2012 (?). Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); white flash every 4 s. 30 m (98 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white and mounted atop a 2-story masonry building. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located at a Pertamina terminal about 10 km (6 mi) north of Padang. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1286.5.
* Tanjung Sari (Padangbai)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Trabas has Arndt's photo, Köhler has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Padangbai is the terminal for ferries crossing Lombok Strait to Lembar, Lombok. The town is often called Padang but officially it is named Padangbai to avoid confusion with the city of Padang, Sumatra. Located on a promontory sheltering the north side of Padangbai harbor. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1287; NGA 25532. * Teluk Padang Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white and carrying a triangular daymark painted white with a black vertical stripe. Juan Carlos Marín's photo is at right, Trabas has Arndt's photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The rear light is 430 m (470 yd) northwest. Located on the waterfront of Padangbai, north of the ferry terminal. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1289; NGA 25536. Teluk Padang Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white light, 4 s on, 4 s off. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. The tower also carries a triangular daymark, point down, painted white with a black vertical stripe. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a hillside 430 m (1/4 mi) northwest of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1289.1; NGA 25536.1.
Teluk Padang Range Front Light, Padangbai, 2011
photo copyright Juan Carlos Marín; used by permission
Klungkung Regency (Southern Lombok Strait) Lighthouses Nusa Lembongan (Tanjung Taal)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Melanie Camaro has a photo, and Google has a beach view and an indistinct satellite view. Nusa Lembongan is a small island off the northwestern corner of Nusa Penida, an inhabited island at the southern entrance to the Lombok Strait. The island is popular with tourists, especially scuba divers. Located on heights near the northwestern corner of the island. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-173; Admiralty Q1292; NGA 25546. * Pelabuhan Nusa Penida
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 23 m (75 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Google has a satellite view and the top of the tower pokes above trees in Google's street view. Located at the harbor of Nusa Penida, on the north side of the island. Site open, tower closed. Not listed by the Admiralty.
Nusa Penida (Tanjung Sedihing)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 208 m (682 ft); three white flashes every 21.5 s. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern painted red. Two 1-story crew buildings; this appears to be a staffed station. Bjørn Grøtting has a photo (third photo on the page) and Bing has a satellite view. There is ferry transportation to the island, but we don't know if the lighthouse is accessible. Located on the southeastern tip of the island. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-174; Admiralty Q1294; NGA 25548.
Denpasar City Lighthouse Note: Denpasar, at the southeastern corner of Bali, is the capital of the province. Rapidly growing, it has a population approaching 900,000. Tanjung Serangan
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower mounted on a square platform. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef off Sanur Beach on the south side of Denpasar, about 5 km (3 mi) northeast of Benoa Harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1290; NGA 25528.
Badung Regency (Bukit Peninsula) Lighthouses Note: The Bukit Peninsula, at the southern tip of Bali, is the location of many of the island's upscale tourist facilities. The peninsula is connected to the rest of Bali by a narrow isthmus. * Benoa Harbor (2)
2018. Active (?); focal plane about 30 m (98 ft); light characteristic unknown. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) 12-sided tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Clarence Yeo's photo is at right, Bali Yacht Services has a January 2018 photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Benoa is a port and popular tourist destination at the northeast corner of the Bukit peninsula near the southern tip of Bali. Located on the main quay at Benoa Harbor, near the ferry terminal. Site presumably open, tower status unknown. Admiralty Q1291; NGA 25524. #Benoa Harbor (1)
Date unknown. Apparently removed in 2018. This was an approx. 27 m (89 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Köhler has a 2011 photo, Made Yudistira has posted a good photo, Riza Nugraha has a photo, Google has a 2015 sea view, and Bing has a satellite view. Located on an island just inside the entrance to the harbor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IDO-110.
Benoa Harbor Light, Benoa, August 2018
photo copyright Clarence Yeo
used by permission
* Benoa Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 12 m (39 ft) square white concrete skeletal tower. Google has a street view, a sea view, and a satellite view. This is an approach range for Benoa harbor. The front light is on a platform about 550 m (1/3 mi) offshore. Located just off the beach near the Tanjung Benoa Beach Resort. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1291.21; NGA 25526.1. * Pandawa
2017. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 20 m (66 ft) 2-stage octagonal concrete tower centered on an octagonal 1-story building. Wahyu Radhitya has a January 2018 photo, Fauzan Azhmy has an aerial view, and Google has a satellite view. Located at Pandawa Beach at the southern end of the Bukit Peninsula. Site open, tower status unknown. Admiralty Q1291.37. Bukit Badung (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 220 m (722 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. Google has a 2014 street view and a satellite view. A closeup photo of the previous lighthouse is available (2/3 the way down the page) and ARLHS also has that photo. The area is popular for paragliding. Located atop a very steep bluff above the Green Bowl Beach at the southern end of the Bukit Peninsula. Accessible by road. Site and tower closed. ARLHS IDO-118; Admiralty Q1291.4; NGA 25520. * Tanjung Mebulu (Uluwatu) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 80 m (262 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 24 m (79 ft) 2-stage tower; a square cylindrical concrete skeletal tower atop an octagonal castellated tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Rizki Kurniawan's photo is at right. This rather ornate lighthouse replaced an ordinary square skeletal tower; Köhler has a 2011 distant view and Bing has a satellite view. Located atop a cliff at the western end of the Bukit Peninsula. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1291.6; NGA 25522. * Kelan Port
2014. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white flash every 5 s. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Anugrah Syahryan Nuzula a beach view and Google has a closeup street view and an indistinct satellite view. Located on the beach at the foot of the Kelan pier, on the west side of the Bukit Isthmus just south of the international airport. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1291.3; NGA 25521.
Tanjung Mebulu Light, June 2018
ex-Google Plus photo by Rizki Kurniawan
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Lighthouses of Indonesia: Lombok
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 arc of the Sunda Islands begins in the west with the major islands of Sumatra and Java, and continues eastward through a chain of smaller islands known in English as the Lesser Sunda Islands and in Indonesian as the Nusa Tenggara ("Southeastern Islands"). This page includes lighthouses of Lombok, an island united with Sumbawa as West Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Barat) Province.
The Indonesian word for a lighthouse is mercusuar or (in two words) mercu suar. The phrase menara suar, which includes the Arabic word menara, is sometimes used instead. Tanjung and ujung are words for capes, gili or pulau is an island, selat is a strait, karang is a reef, and teluk is a harbor. In addition the word for an island is nusa in Balinese and gili in the Sasak language spoken on Lombok and Sumbawa.
Aids to navigation in Indonesia are operated and maintained by the Directorate General of Sea Navigation.
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 World of Lighthouses - Indonesia
Photos by various photgraphers available from Lightphotos.net. Online List of Lights - Indonesia
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. Photos for Lombok were contributed by Douglas Cameron and Rainer Arndt.
Trawangan Light, November 2007
ex-Panoramio photo copyright GerlingenDH; used by permission
Note: Lombok is a roughly circular island with a tail extending to the southwest. On the west it is separated from Bali by the deep Lombok Strait and on the east it is separated from Sumbawa by the narrow and shallow Alas Strait. The northern half of the island is dominated by the active Rinjani volcano, the second tallest of Indonesia's many volcanos with an altitude of 3726 m (12,224 ft). The population of Lombok is more than 3 million.
Lombok Barat (West Lombok) Regency: Southwest Peninsula Lighthouses
Pulau Shopialouisa (Sophia Louisa Reef, Magnet Reef)
2007 (?). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white, mounted on a platform supported by piles. A photo (halfway down the page, also seen at right) and another photo are available and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rocky reef about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) off a promontory on the west side of Belongas Bay, on the southwest coast of Lombok. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q1299.2. Tanjung Batu Gendang (Pandanan South) (2?)
2010 (?). Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) white skeletal tower. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. Located on the southwestern tip of Lombok, marking the southeastern entrance to the Lombok Strait. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1299; NGA 25570. Tanjung Bangko-Bangko
2008 (?). Active; focal plane 108 m (354 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) white skeletal tower. Andrey Miroshnikov has a view and a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the northern tip of Lombok's southwestern peninsula, marking the entrance to Lembar Bay. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1298.9.
Pulau Shopialouisa Light, Lombok Barat
photo by Lombok Atraktif; permission granted for educational use
Lombok Barat (West Lombok) Regency: Lembar Area Lighthouses Note: Lembar, near the southwestern corner of Lombok, has a magnificent natural harbor. It is the island's largest port and also the terminal for ferries to and from Padangbai, Bali. Gili Poh (Pulau Gilipoh)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); two quick white flashes every 5 s. Approx. 14 m (43 ft) round white tower with gallery mounted on a platform. Dewi Suhendri has a fuzzy 2018 photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on the north side of a small island about 15 km (9 mi) west of Lembar. Accessible only by boat. Admiralty Q1296.7; NGA 25571. Tanjung Bunutan
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft) (?); white flash every 3 s. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) 2-stage tower, including a square skeletal tower mounted atop an octagonal white concrete tower. Trabas has Cameron's closeup photo, the tower is at the far right of Phermana Rendy's view from the sea and Google has a satellite view. NGA lists this light as "Labuan Tring Bay" and lists its height as 12 m (39 ft); this is apparently the height of the skeletal section. Located on a steep promontory on the west side of the entrance to Lembar. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1297; NGA 25568. Kramat Port
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); red flash every 3 s. 16 m (52 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Tower painted red. Trabas has Cameron's photo, Google has a distant street view and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a shoal in the entrance to the inner harbor of Lembar. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1298.4; NGA 25564. Kramat Starboard
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); green flash every 3 s. 16 m (52 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Tower painted red. Google has a distant street view and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a shoal in the entrance to the inner harbor of Lembar. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1298.43. Kramat East Port
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); red flash every 4 s. 15 m (49 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Tower painted red. Trabas has Cameron's photo, Google has a distant street view and Bing has a satellite view. Located about 300 m (0.2 mi) northeast of the Kramat Port light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1298.35; NGA 25565.5.
Kramat East Starboard
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green flash every 3 s. 13 m (43 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Tower painted green. Trabas has Arndt's photo, Google has a distant street view and Bing has a satellite view. Located about 500 m (0.3 mi) east northeast of the Kramat Starboard light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1298.3; NGA 25565. Pelabuhan Lembar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane and light characteristic unknown. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) 2-stage tower, including a square skeletal tower mounted atop a white concrete tower. Trabas has Arndt's view from the harbor and Google has a satellite view. Located on a hillside behind the port authority building in Lembar. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1298.5. Lembar Harbor
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 64 m (210 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) 2-stage tower, including a square skeletal tower mounted atop a white concrete tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Like the similar Tanjung Banutan lighthouse, this tower appears to be much taller than its listed height of 13 m (43 ft). Located on a hilltop on the north side of the entrance to the inner harbor of Lembar. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1298; NGA 25560.
Mataram City Lighthouses * Ampenan (3)
Date unknown (station established 1897). Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); three white flashes, separated by 9 s, every 45 s. 30 m (98 ft) square skeletal tower painted white. Tenga Karta has a closeup street view (also seen at right) and Google has a satellite view and a more distant street view. This tower has replaced a tapered square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Best Soebianto has a 2010 photo of the previous light. The first lighthouse, also a skeletal tower, had a focal plane of only 12.5 m (41 ft). Located at Ampenan, a seaside neighborhood of Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara Province. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IDO-099; Admiralty Q1296; NGA 25552.
Ampenan Light, Mataram, February 2017
Google Maps street view by Tenga Karta
Lombok Utara (North Lombok) Regency Lighthouses * Pulau Trawangan (Trewangan, Gili Trawangan)
Date unknown. 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. A photo is at right and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This lighthouse and the Gili Selang Light on Bali frame the northern entrance to the Lombok Strait. Trawangan, westernmost and largest of the three Gili Islands, is a tourist-oriented island off the northwestern coast of Lombok. Note: the word gili means "small island" in the Sasak language spoken traditionally in Lombok, so "Gili Islands" is redundant. Located on the west side of the island. Accessible only by boat, but ferry transportation is available from Bali as well as from the Lombok mainland. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1295; NGA 25554. Tanjung Agaragar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 5.5 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) square tapered skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located near the northernmost point of Lombok. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1294.5; NGA 25551.
Lombok Timur (East Lombok) Regency (Alas Strait West Side) Lighthouses Gili Petagan (Pulau Petagan)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 3 s. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, mounted on a square platform. Lighthouse painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse warns vessels away from a group of reefs and islets off the northeastern coast of Lombok. Located a short distance southeast of the Petagan reef, the largest of the reefs, about 13 km (8 mi) northeast of the port of Labuhan Lombok. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1301; NGA 25576.
Gili Lebur (Pulau Lebur)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); quick-flashing white light. 10 m (33 ft) tower with gallery mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Upper half of the tower painted black, lower half yellow. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The light guides vessels pass a large shoal area on the south side of the approach to Lombok harbor. Located at the northern edge of the shoal. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1300.2; NGA 25573. Teluk Lombok (Tanjung Bonae)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 3 s. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, mounted on a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Entire lighthouse painted white. Hermit Parwoto's photo is at right, a distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory sheltering the harbor of Labuhan Lombok, the only protected harbor on the northeastern coast of Lombok and the terminal for ferries across the Alas Strait to Sumbawa. Site status unknown, probably open. Admiralty Q1300.1; NGA 25573.5. Labuhan Haji North Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 11 m (43 ft); green light, pattern unknown. This light is at the left in M. Yusuf's photo of the two breakwater lights, and Google has a satellite view. Accessible by walking the breakwater, although the last section is a scramble over rocks. Site open, tower closed. Not listed by the Admiralty. Labuhan Haji South Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 11 m (43 ft); red light, pattern unknown. 7 m (23 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower painted red. Andreas Pangemanan has a photo, M. Yusuf has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Accessible by walking the breakwater, although the last section is a scramble over rocks. Site open, tower closed. Not listed by the Admiralty.
Teluk Lombok Light, Pringgabaya, May 2010
Panoramio photo copyright Hermit S. Parwoto; used by permission
Tanjung Ringgit (2?)
2014(?). Active; focal plane 110 m (361 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 40 m (131 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. Several keeper's houses and other station buildings. Fuad Iskandar has a 2018 closeup photo and Google has a January 2015 street view, a closeup street view of the station gate (the light tower is hidden behind trees), and a satellite view. In 2013 the Admiralty reported the lighthouse "destroyed" and replaced by a temporary beacon. However, it's possible that only the lantern was removed and replaced by a modern beacon. The lighthouse is surrounded by a national forest reserve. Located on a promontory at the southeastern tip of Lombok, marking the southern entrance to the Alas Strait. Site status unknown. Site manager: Tanjung Ringgit Eco Region. ARLHS IDO-326; Admiralty Q1300; NGA 25572.
Lombok Tengah (Central Lombok) Regency: South Coast Lighthouse Tanjung Bungkulan (Ekas Bay)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 95 m (312 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Lia Apriliani has a 2019 closeup photo, Lewin Williams has a 2018 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Note: There is another Tanjung Bungkulan lighthouse in Bali. Located on a sharp promontory on the west side of the entrance to Teluk Awang (Ekas Bay), about 35 km (22 mi) west of Tanjung Ringgit. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1299.3; NGA 25571.5.
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Lighthouses of Indonesia: Sumbawa
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 arc of the Sunda Islands begins in the west with the major islands of Sumatra and Java, and continues eastward through a chain of smaller islands known in English as the Lesser Sunda Islands and in Indonesian as the Nusa Tenggara ("Southeastern Islands"). This page includes lighthouses of Sumbawa, an island united with Lombok as West Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Barat) Province.
The Indonesian word for a lighthouse is mercusuar or (in two words) mercu suar. The phrase menara suar, which includes the Arabic word menara, is sometimes used instead. Tanjung and ujung are words for capes, gili or pulau is an island, selat is a strait, karang is a reef, and teluk is a harbor. In addition the word for an island is nusa in Balinese and gili in the Sasak language spoken on Lombok and Sumbawa.
Aids to navigation in Indonesia are operated and maintained by the Directorate General of Sea Navigation.
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 World of Lighthouses - Indonesia
Photos by various photgraphers available from Lightphotos.net. Online List of Lights - Indonesia
Coming soon: photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Tanjung Batu Besar Light, Sumbawa
photo copyright Rob Hurvitz; used by permission
Note: Sumbawa is about 240 km (150 mi) long and very mountainous in terrain and irregular in shape. It is separated from Lombok to the west by the Alas Strait. Teluk Saleh, a large embayment on the north coast, nearly cuts the island in half. On the east the Sape Strait separates Sumbawa from the smaller island of Komodo (famous for its giant lizards) and the much larger island of Flores. The population of Sumbawa is about 1.3 million.
Sumbawa Barat (West Sumbawa) Regency (Alas Strait East Side) Lighthouses Tanjung Talonan
Date unknown. Active; focal plane and light characteristic unknown. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) 2-stage tower, including a square skeletal tower mounted atop a white concrete tower. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on heights of the southwest coast of Sumbawa, about 25 km (15 mi) east southeast of Tanjung Mangkun. Site status unknown; this is a very remote area. Admiralty Q1299.4. Tanjung Mangkun
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); white flash every 5 s. Listed only as a white beacon; Bing's satellite view shows a post or skeletal tower mounted on a round white concrete tower. No photo available. Located at the tip of the very steep promontory at the extreme southwestern tip of Sumbawa. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1299.5; NGA 25569.
Tanjung Maloh (Benete Point)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 126 m (413 ft); white flash every 7 s. Thus light is apparently carried on a pyramidal skeletal communications tower, probably at least 25 m (82 ft) tall. Lighthouse painted white. Several station buildings. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view of the station. Located on a high promontory near the southwestern tip of Sumbawa, marking the southern entrance to the Alas Strait. Site status unknown; there is an unpaved road to the station. Admiralty Q1299.56; NGA 25572.7. Pulau Ular
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); two quick white flashes every 5 s. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery. Rob Hurvitz has a photo showing the lighthouse enclosed by a daymark painted with black, white and red horizontal bands, but this daymark had been removed prior to Simon Potter's 2010 photo at right. Lightphotos.net has a view from the sea, Ririn Ambar has another view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island off the northwestern coast of Sumbawa, marking the northern entrance to the Alas Strait. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown, but there's a good view from ferries crossing the strait. ARLHS IDO-358; Admiralty Q1305; NGA 25574. Tanjung Tano (Poto Tano)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green flash every 3 s. 13 m (43 ft) round tower rising from a square 1-story equipment room. Tower painted green, equipment room white. Taufan Rahmadi has a photo, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Poto Tano, in the lee of Tanjung Tano, is the terminal for ferries arriving from Labuhan Lombok. Located on a sharp promontory on the northwestern coast of Sumbawa. Site status unknown, but there's a good view from ferries crossing the strait. Admiralty Q1306; NGA 25574.4.
Pulau Ular Light, Alas Strait, June 2010
Panoramio photo copyright Simon Potter; used by permission
Sumbawa Regency North Coast Lighthouses
Badas Entrance West
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green flash every 3 s. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white, mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Google has a street view and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a reef on the east side of the entrance to Badas, a seaport in Sumbawa Bay about 3 km (2 mi) west of the traditional island capital of Sumbawa Besar. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1308.1; NGA 25603. Badas Entrance East
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 3 s. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white, mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Google has a street view and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a reef on the east side of the entrance to Badas. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty K1308. Badas
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white, mounted on a triangular platform supported by piles. Google has a distant street view and Bing has a satellite view. Located in the estuary at Badas. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1307.3; NGA 25604. Tanjung Menangis
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 45 m (148 ft); light characteristic unknown. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Harri Daryanto's photo is at right and Bing has a satellite view. Located on a sharp promontory about 16 km (10 mi) north of Sumbawa Besar. Site status unknown. Not listed by the Admiralty or by NGA. Pulau Medang
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); white flash every 5 s. 30 m (98 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Several coast guard buildings. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Pulau Medang is an island off the north coast of Sumbawa and northwest of Pulau Moyo, about 40 km (25 mi) north of the port of Sumbawa Besar. Located on the north coast of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-222; Admiralty Q1304; NGA 25584.
Tanjung Menangis Light, August 2011
Panoramio photo copyright Harri Daryanto; used by permission
Tanjung Srae
2016. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 3 s. 20 m (66 ft) square white skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available, but Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located just off a headland at the northeastern corner of Pulau Moyo, marking the entrance to the Batahai Strait, which separates the island from the northern peninsula of Sumbawa. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1308.3.
Dompu Regency North Coast Lighthouses Note: The north coast of Dompu Regency includes the east coast of Teluk Saleh (Saleh Bay), the long embayment that nearly separates Sumbawa into two parts. Tanjung Pekat (Calabai)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 5 s. 20 m (66 ft) square white skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Fēng Guó Jǐng has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on the waterfront at Calabai, a small port on the east side of the entrance to Saleh Bay through the Batahai Strait. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1308.2. Tanjung Brenti
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) square white skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located just off a headland about 3 km (2 mi) northeast of the entrance to the Batahai Strait. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1308.35. Pulau Satonda
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) square white skeletal tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Satonda is a small island only 1.6 km (1 mi) off the north coast of Sumbawa. The island is a volcanic cone with a huge caldera that has been invaded by the sea; thus the island is shaped like a ring. Located at the edge of the reef on the southeast side of the island, marking the passage between the island and the mainland. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1308.38.
Bima Regency: Northwest Coast Lighthouses Tanjung Pakijongan
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 32 m (105 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located at the northernmost point of Sumbawa and at the foot of Mount Tambora, a giant and dangerous volcano that exploded in 1815 in the largest volcanic eruption of modern history. Accessible only by boat, most likely. Site and tower closed. ARLHS IDO-361; Admiralty Q1308.4; NGA 25602. Tanjung Batu Besar (Batubesar)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 21 m (69 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. Robert Hurvitz took the photo at the top of this page and Google has a closeup street view and a good satellite view. Located on a promontory on the north coast of Sumbawa, about 50 km (30 mi) northwest of Raba. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1308.5; NGA 25606. Tanjung Kotabaru (Benteng Utara)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 18 m (59 ft); green flashing light. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower fully enclosed by metal panels. Entire lighthouse is green. Firman Herdiansah has a closeup photo and Bing has a satellite view. Located at the tip of sharp promontory projecting into the west side of lower Bima Bay. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1310.6; NGA 25593.
Bima City Lighthouses
Note: Bima, the largest city of Sumbawa, has a population of about 150,000. The city is built on the east side of Bima Bay, a fjord-like inlet about 30 km (19 mi) long.
* Lawata (Wadumbolo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); four white flashes every 8 s. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white, mounted on a square concrete pier. No photo available, but Google has a closeup street view and a good satellite view. Located just off the beach at Lawata, a town on Bima Bay about 3 km (2 mi) south of Bima (see next entry). Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1309.5; NGA 25610. * Bima (2)
2008. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 29 m (95 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Abi Royen has photo (a portion is at right) and Google has a street view and a satellite view. NGA formerly listed a tower with a focal plane of 14 m (46 ft). Located on the main quay at Bima. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1310; NGA 25608. Benteng Selatan
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); red flashing light. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower fully enclosed by metal panels. Entire lighthouse is red. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located at the Bonto power plant on a promontory on the east side of lower Bima Bay. Site and tower closed. Admiralty Q1310.4; NGA 25594. Tanjung Lampasapi (Lampa Sapee)
2008. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red flash every 6 s. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower fully enclosed by metal panels. Entire lighthouse is red. Google has a street view and an indistinct satellite view. Located just off the coastal highway at a promontory on the east side of lower Bima Bay, marking the entrance to the narrow portion of the bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1309; NGA 25588.
Bima Light, Bima, December 2017
ex-Google Plus photo by Abi Royen
Bima Regency: East Coast (Sape Strait) Lighthouses
Pulau Sangeang (Sangeang Api) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; white flash every 10 s. Octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Mike Gregory's photo is at right, Trabas has a fine photo by Thomas Philipp, Paul Koerber also has a view from the sea, and Google has a good satellite view. NGA lists this light as a "white beacon" with a focal plane of 21 m (69 ft). From the photos, it's clear that the focal plane of the present lighthouse is much higher and the tower itself is at least 25 m (82 ft) tall. Pulau Sangeang is a circular volcanic island about 15 km (9 mi) in diameter and about 10 km (6 mi) off the northeastern tip of Sumbawa. The volcano is one of the most vigorously active of all the Indonesian volcanos. Located on the northern tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1310.7; NGA 25613. Tanjung Naru
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 40 m (131 ft) skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Several coast guard station buildings. No photo available but Google has a good satellite view. Located on the northeastern tip of Sumbawa. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1310.8; NGA 25614. Nisa Sanai
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red flash every 4 s. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) round fiberglass (?) tower mounted on a square base. Entire lighthouse is red. No photo available, but Bing has a distant satellite view. Located on Nisa Limbu, a small island off the north end of Nisa Sanai, an island sheltering the bay of Bajo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1311.2; NGA 25617.
Pulau Sangeang Light, October 2007
Flickr photo copyright Mike P. Gregory; used by permission
Tanjung Toronaganuri
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); white flash every 3 s. 15 m (49 ft) 2-stage tower, including a square skeletal tower mounted atop a white concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a good satellite view. This lighthouse guides vessels into Bajo, Sumbawa's principal port on the Sape Strait at the eastern end of the island. Located on a promontory about 5 km (3 mi) north of Bajo. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1311; NGA 25616.
* Bajo (Badjo, Teluk Sape)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped white fiberglass tower mounted on a square 1-story equipment shelter. Ata Kondas's photo is at right and Google has a distant street view and an indistinct satellite view. Bajo is a terminal for ferries crossing the Sape Strait to Sape, Flores. Located at the ferry terminal on the main quay of Bajo. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1311.5; NGA 25618. Pulau Kelapa Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 149 m (489 ft); white flash every 11 s. 20 m (66 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. Several coast guard station buildings. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Pulau Kelapa is an island in the Sape Strait off the southeastern tip of Sumbawa; the range guides vessels southbound through the strait. The front light is on a 4 m (13 ft) tower. Located near the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1312.1; NGA 25624. Tanjung Toro Jampang
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 95 m (312 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. Approx. 35 m (115 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Yudha Pocong has a view from the beach, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a prominent cape at the entrance to Waworada Bay, an east-west embayment on the southeast coast of Sumbawa, about 35 km (22 mi) south of Bajo. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1314; NGA 25628. Nisa Bea (Nisabea Island)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 3 s. 15 m (49 ft) white tower. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a small, uninhabited island in the middle of Waworada Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1314.1.
Bajo Light, Bajo, September 2013
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Ata Kondas
Waworada East
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 18 m (59 ft); green flashing light. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower painted green and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Efi Fauziah has a distant view and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located about 400 m (1/4 mi) southeast of the quay of the new Waworada port on the north side of Waworada Bay. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1314.12. Waworada Port
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white flash every 5 s. 20 m (66 ft) square white skeletal tower. Ari Fahriansyah has a distant view and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on the quay at the new Waworada port. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1314.11. Waworada West
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 18 m (59 ft); red flashing light. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower painted red and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located about 400 m (1/4 mi) west of the quay of the new Waworada port. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1314.13.
Dompu Regency South Coast Lighthouses Tanjung Toro Doro (1)
Date unknown. Inactive. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. Located beside the current lighthouse (next entry). Site status unknown. Tanjung Toro Doro (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 90 m (295 ft); two white flashes every 12 s. 40 m (131 ft) square white skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a prominent cape on the central south coast of Sumbawa, about 25 km (15 mi) south of Madawa. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1314.5.
Sumbawa Regency South Coast Lighthouse Tanjung Mata
Date unknown. Active; focal plane and light characteristic unknown. 40 m (131 ft) 2-stage tower, including a square skeletal tower mounted atop a white concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a cape in Labangka. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1314.2.
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Lighthouses of Indonesia: Northeastern Sundas
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 arc of the Sunda Islands begins in the west with the major islands of Sumatra and Java, and continues eastward through a chain of smaller islands known in English as the Lesser Sunda Islands and in Indonesian as the Nusa Tenggara ("Southeastern Islands"). This page includes lighthouses at the northeastern end of the arc, including the large island of Flores and several smaller, closely-spaced islands east of Flores. These islands are all included in East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur) Province.
The Indonesian word for a lighthouse is mercusuar or (in two words) mercu suar. The phrase menara suar, which includes the Arabic word menara, is sometimes used instead. Tanjung and ujung are words for capes, gili or pulau is an island, selat is a strait, karang is a reef, teluk is a bay or harbor, and pelabuhan, labuhan or labuan is a port.
Aids to navigation in Indonesia are operated and maintained by the Directorate General of Sea Navigation.
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 World of Lighthouses - Indonesia
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net. Online List of Lights - Indonesia
Coming soon: photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Ende Light, Flores, August 2011
Flickr photo copyright Juan Carlos Marín; used by permission
Flores Lighthouses Note: Flores is a long and narrow island, about 360 km (225 mi) long. Komodo and Sumbawa lie to the west across the Sape Strait. To the east, the Lesser Sunda chain continues with a loose group of smaller islands including Solor, Lembata (Lomblen), Pantar, and Alor. Flores has a population of more than 1.8 million.
West Manggarai Regency: Komodo Lighthouses Note: Famous as a home of the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard, Komodo is a rather small, very rugged island between Sumbawa and Flores. The human population is quite small, about 2000 (roughly equal to the number of dragons). Komodo (Tanjung Langkai) (2?)
Date unknown (2011?). Active; focal plane 70 m (230 ft); two quick white flashes every 5 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The Admiralty reported this lighthouse as "temporarily destroyed" in 2010, so it was probably being replaced at that time. Located on a steep promontory at the southwestern tip of Komodo, marking the entrance to the Sape Strait. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1315; NGA 25626. Gililawa Laut
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 3 s. Described only as a white beacon. No photo available and the light has not been located in Google's satellite view. Located on the northeastern tip of Gililawa Laut, an island off the northeastern tip of Komodo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1315.5; NGA 25628.3.
West Manggarai Regency: Labuan Bajo Area Lighthouses
Pulau Sabolon (Saboloh, Sabolan) Kecil (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; white flash every 1.5 s. Described only as a white beacon. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on an islet about 15 km (9 mi) northwest of Labuan Bajo, the principal port at the west end of Flores. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1329; NGA 25628.5. * Labuan Bajo Pier
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); two white flashes every 3 s. 16 m (52 ft) round barbell-shaped fiberglass tower colored blue. Google has a street view but the light is hard to see in Google's distant satellite view of the location. Located at the foot of the main pier at Labuan Bajo. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1329.2. Labuhan (Labuan) Bajo (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 2.5 s. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. M. Yusuf has a 2017 photo, the light is centered in Restanto Eko's view of the waterfront, and Google has a street view and a distant satellite view. Juan Carlos Marín's photo at right may show an earlier version of this light. Located near the northern end of the Labuan Bajo waterfront. Site open, tower closed. ID-4286; Admiralty Q1329.3.
Manggarai Regency: North Coast Lighthouses Toro Besi (Tanjung Besi)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 3 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round fiberglass tower with gallery colored white. Bing has a distant satellite view. Located on the northernmost point of Flores, about 10 km (6 mi) northwest of Reo. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1329.5; NGA 25629.
Labuhan Bajo Light, Flores, August 2011
photo copyright Juan Carlos Marín; used by permission
Reo Oil Depot
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 3 s. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower at least partially enclosed by white panels. Perwira Dinata has an aerial photo and Bing has a satellite view. Located in the Pertamina oil terminal on the northwest side of Reo. Site and tower closed. Admiralty Q1330.2; NGA 25629.4. * Reo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery. Saferius Desantos has a 2018 photo, Perwira Dinata has an aerial photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located on the waterfront at Reo. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1330; NGA 25629.2.
Nagekeo Regency Lighthouse * Marapokot
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) (?) square skeletal tower. Patrix Djaga has a distant view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The tower appears taller than the listed height. NGA misspells the name as Marapoko. Located on the quay at Marapokot. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1331.5; NGA 25630.
Ende Regency: North Coast Lighthouse Tanjung Karterbileh
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 127 m (417 ft); white flash every 3 s. "White beacon," according to NGA. No photo available, but Google's satellite view reveals a substantial square white skeletal tower with two associated buildings. Located on a very prominent cape in northeastern Flores, about 5 km (3 mi) northwest of Waka. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1332; NGA 25631.
Sikka Regency (Maumere Area) Lighthouses Note: Maumere, in northeastern Flores, is the largest town on the island and the capital of Sikka Regency. It has a population of about 70,000.
Gosong Unjuran
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green flash every 5 s. 15 m (49 ft) concrete tower, painted green. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The approach to Maumere is between this light and the next one. Located on the east end of a shoal about 18 km (11 mi) northwest of Maumere. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1334.5; NGA 25639. Gosong Boni
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red flash every 6 s. 15 m (49 ft) round red fiberglass tower mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available but Bing has a distant satellite view. Located on the southwest side of a reef about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Pulau Pamana Besar. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1334; NGA 25639.5. * Wuring
2015 (?). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); six white flashes every 15 s. 20 m (66 ft) square white skeletal tower. A March 2017 photo is available and Google has a 2016 street view and a satellite view. Located on the quay at Wuring, a port on the north side of Maumere. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1334.6. * Maumere (Teluk Maumere)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 110 m (361 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 41 m (135 ft) skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern painted red. Google has a street view (also seen at right) and a satellite view. Located behind a cemetery on an isolated hill on the south side of the city. Site probably open, tower closed. ARLHS IDO-338; Admiralty Q1335; NGA 25639.3.
Maumere Light, Maumere, September 2016
Google Maps street view
* Maumere Pierhead (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); continuous red light. 9 m (30 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted white. Anita Sawaluddin has a 2017 photo and Google has a satellite view. A closeup partial photo shows the base of the lighthouse after the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 12 December 1992, which killed 1490 people in Maumere. Located on the ferry pier at Maumere (ferries from here sail for Kupang, Timor). Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1334.8.
East Flores Regency: Flores Strait Lighthouses
Pulau Sarbete (Tanjung Mas)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 5 s. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower mounted atop a building. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. Located on an island embedded in a large complex of reefs about 15 km (9 mi) north of the entrance to the Flores Strait. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1341.6 NGA 25650. * Tanjung Sarbete (2)
Date unknown (2009?). Active; focal plane 32 m (102 ft); white flash every 5 s. 30 m (98 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted white. Google has an indistinct satellite view and a street view through trees. This light guides vessels approaching Larantuka through the narrow strait to the north. The earlier tower was only 15 m (49 ft) high. Located about 6 km (3.5 mi) northeast of the Larantuka waterfront. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1341; NGA 25648. * Larantuka
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 4 s. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. Jusuf Alfred Adoe's 2012 photo is at right, Hotma Hutapea has a view from the sea, and Google has a street view and an indistinct satellite view. Located on the waterfront in Larantuka, a town on the east coast of Flores. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1340; NGA 25640. Pulau Lobetobi (Nusa Lobetobi)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); quick-flashing white light. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a tiny island in the center of the southern entrance to the Flores Strait, off the southeastern tip of Flores. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1339; NGA 25642.
Ende Regency South Coast Lighthouse * Ende
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); white flash every 3 s. Approx. 38 m (125 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Juan Carlos Marín's photo is at the top of this page, Yusron Efendi has a 2017 evening photo, Rowan Castle has a view from the sea and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The regency capital of Ende is the second largest town of Flores; it has about 60,000 residents and a port facing the Savu Sea on the southeastern coast of the island. Located at the main, T-shaped quay on the Ende waterfront. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1337; NGA 25632.
Larantuka Light, East Flores, May 2012
ex-Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Jusuf Alfred Adoe
East Manggarai Regency South Coast Lighthouses * Teluk Aimere (Aemere) (Waiwole)
2017. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); six quick white flashes every 15 s. 30 m (98 ft) square white skeletal tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view and a 2016 street view that shows the tower under construction. Located on the waterfront at Waiwole, a new harbor at the west end of Aimere Bay. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1331. Mberung (Mborong)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 1.5 s. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery. Google has a street view and an indistinct satellite view. Located just off the beach at Mborong. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1330.4; NGA 25629.7.
Manggarai Regency: South Coast Lighthouse Pulau Mules (Pulau Gelinta)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); quick-flashing white light. 20 m (66 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Roi Hosnan has a photo, a 2015 photo (2/3 the way down the page) is available, and Bing has a satellite view. This light and the Tanjung Sasar Light on Sumba frame the narrowest passage of the Sumba Strait. Located on the south side of Pulau Mules, a small island just off the southwestern coast of Flores. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1330.3.
Solar Islands Lighthouses Note: The Solar Islands lie to the east of Flores, across the narrow Flores Strait. Solar, Adonara, and Lembata are the largest of the islands.
East Flores Regency: Solar and Adonara Lighthouses Tanjung Lawawolo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); quick-flashing white light. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) white concrete post with gallery, mounted on a square base. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the southwestern tip of Pulau Solar, the southernmost of the Solar Islands, marking the southern entrance to the Flores Strait. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1339.5; NGA 25643. * Waiwerang (Wai Werang, Pulau Adonara) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square white skeletal tower. Najwa Safira has a 2016 photo, the tower is near the left edge in Frans Kia Ose's photo and Google has an indistinct satellite view. NGA lists a much smaller tower. Adonara is the second largest of the Solar Islands and lies between Flores and Lembata. Located at the ferry terminal in Waiwerang, on the south coast of Adonara. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1342; NGA 25652. * Dermaga Sada
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 16 m (52 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square white skeletal tower. The tower is in trees on the right in Simplisius Chandrikia's photo but the tower is not seen in Google's satellite view. Located at a ferry terminal on the east end of Adonara; the ferries cross the Boling Strait to Lembata. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1342.3.
Lembata Regency Lighthouses
Note: Lembata is the easternmost and largest of the Solar Islands. The island is about 80 km (50 mi) long and up to 30 km (19 mi) wide.
* Lewoleba (Tanjung Leba-Leba)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); nine quick white flashes every 15 s. 25 m (82 ft) square white skeletal tower. Google has a street view (also seen at right) and a satellite view. Lewoleba, the capital of Lembata Regency, is on the northwest coast of Lembata facing Lewoleba Bay. The Admiralty calls it Leba-Leba. Located on the waterfront at Lewoleba. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1342.7. Tanjung Tuak
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 11 m (36 ft) white concrete post with gallery, mounted on a square base. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the western tip of Lembata, marking the Boling Strait, the narrow passage between Lembata and Adonara at the northern end of the Lembata Strait. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1342.5; NGA 25651.7. Kawula (Tanjung Uhowutun)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the north coast of Lembata near Lebewala. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1343; NGA 25651. Tanjung Atadei
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 90 m (295 ft); white flash every 7 s. 30 m (98 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Cape Atadei is a prominent cape on the southeast coast of Lembata. The lighthouse is not at the tip of the cape; it is near a village about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) northeast of the cape. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1342.8.
Lewoleba Light, Lembata, September 2016
Google Maps street view
Pantar and Alor Lighthouses Alor Regency: Pantar Lighthouses Note: Alor is a rugged island located north of Timor Leste, from which it is separated by the Ombai Strait. The island has a population of about 170,000. Pantar is an island located between Lembata and Alor. Pulau Lapan
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 34 m (111 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 30 m (98 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on an island in the northern entrance to the strait between Lembata and Pantar. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1343.5; NGA 25651.5. * Blang Merang (Baranusa)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 2 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Mochamad Yusuf has a 2017 closeup photo, Yani Moupulo has a view from the sea, and Bing has a satellite view. Located on the quay at Blang Merang, the seaport associated with Baranusa, the largest settlement on Pantar. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1343.7; NGA 25651.6. [Tanjung Muna (Tambatan Munasely)]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 12 m (39 ft) post centered on a platform supported by piles. Wahidin Abubakar has a distant view and Bing has a distant satellite view. Located on a shoal off the northeastern tip of Pantar, marking the northern entrance to the Pantar Strait. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1343.8. Pulau Treweg (Tanjung Kelatetek)
2017. Active; focal plane unknown; white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square white skeletal tower with gallery. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. In its June 2017 announcement of the light the Admiralty lists the focal plane as 12 m (39 ft), which cannot be correct. Located on the rugged southern tip of Pulau Treweg, an island in the center of the southern entrance to the Pantar Strait. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1345.5.
Alor Regency: Alor Lighthouses Tanjung Margeta
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 55 m (180 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. Approx. 37 m (121 ft) square tapered skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Several coast guard buildings. A distant view from the sea is available and Google has a good satellite view of the station. Located on the southwestern point of Alor, the east side of the entrance to the Pantar Strait. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-360; Admiralty Q1346; NGA 25714. Tanjung Jolono
2008(?). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 5.5 s off. 30 m (98 ft) skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on the south side of the entrance to the bay of Kalabahi (see next entry). Site status unknown, probably open. Admiralty Q1345; NGA 25711.7.
* Kalabahi (2)
2006(?). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Mujiono Leo's 2008 photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. NGA formerly listed a short post light. Kalabahi, on Alor's northwestern peninsula, is the capital of Alor Regency. The town lies at the head of a long, fjord-like bay. Located on the quay at Kalabahi. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1344; NGA 25712. Kalabahi Southwest
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 3 s. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) round white tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located at a Pertamina oil terminal about 3 km (2 mi) southwest of Kalabahi waterfront. Site and tower closed. Admiralty Q1344.5; NGA 25712.5. Pulau Sika (Sikka)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 4 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Sika is a low island off a prominent cape on the north coast of Alor. Located at the eastern tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1348; NGA 25711.5. Tanjung Babi
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) white concrete post with gallery mounted on a square base. No photo available but Bing has a distant satellite view. Located on a prominent cape on the eastern north coast of Alor. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1347.5; NGA 25711.
Kalabahi Light, Alor, September 2008
ex-Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Mujiono Leo
Tanjung Manomani
2004. Active; focal plane 80 m (262 ft); white flash every 4.5 s. 30 m (98 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. No photo available but Bing has a good satellite view. Located on the northeastern tip of Alor. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1347.3. * Maritaing
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 13 m (43 ft); white light, characteristic unknown. 10 m (33 ft) round white fiberglass tower with a flared top. Jefree Harsel has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on the waterfront of Maritaing, a small port at the east end of Alor. Site open, tower closed. Not listed by the Admiralty. Tanjung Lisomu (Laisumbu)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (97 ft); two white flashes every 28 s. 40 m (131 ft) skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern painted red. Keeper's house and other station buildings. Semi Tahun has a view from the sea and Google has a good satellite view. This lighthouse guides vessels through the Ombai Strait separating Alor from Timor Leste. Located in Maritaing at the southeastern tip of Alor. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1347; NGA 25710. Tanjung Koyiek
2004. Active; focal plane 80 m (262 ft); two white flashes every 16 s. 30 m (98 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Numerous coast guard buildings. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the central south coast of Alor. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1346.5.
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Lighthouses of Indonesia: Southeastern Sundas
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 arc of the Sunda Islands begins in the west with the major islands of Sumatra and Java, and continues eastward through a chain of smaller islands known in English as the Lesser Sunda Islands and in Indonesian as the Nusa Tenggara ("Southeastern Islands"). This page includes lighthouses of the islands at the southeastern end of the arc, including Sumba, the Savu Islands, Rote, and West Timor. These islands are all included in East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur) Province.
The Indonesian word for a lighthouse is mercusuar or (in two words) mercu suar. The phrase menara suar, which includes the Arabic word menara, is sometimes used instead. Tanjung and ujung are words for capes, gili or pulau is an island, selat is a strait, karang is a reef, teluk is a bay or harbor, and pelabuhan is a port.
Aids to navigation in Indonesia are operated and maintained by the Directorate General of Sea Navigation.
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 World of Lighthouses - Indonesia
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net. Lighthouses in Indonesia
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia. Online List of Lights - Indonesia
Coming soon: photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Tanjung Undu Light, Sumba, June 2005
ex-Panoramio photo copyright agusdangiovani
permission requested
Sumba Lighthouses Note: Sumba is an island about 240 km (150 mi) long and roughly 55 km (35 mi) wide, lying southeast of Sumbawa and southwest of Flores. The Sumba Strait separates Sumba from Flores. The island has a population of more than 600,000, but it is one of Indonesia's least developed major islands. Southwest Sumba Regency Lighthouses Tanjung Karaso
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white light, 2 s on, 6 s off. Described only as a white beacon. A very distant view (third from last photo on the page) shows a 15 m (39 ft) skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. The tower has not been found in Google's satellite view of the cape. Located at the western tip of Sumba. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1321.5; NGA 25653.2.
* Waikelo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 2 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Sasmudi Blora has a photo and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the waterfront at Waikelo, a new port on the northwest coast of Sumba. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1318.7; NGA 25653.1.
East Sumba Regency Lighthouses Tanjung Sasar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 85 m (279 ft); three white flashes every 22 s. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Several coast guard station buildings. No photo available but Jonet Joko has a view from the gallery and Google has a satellite view. Located at the northern tip of the island. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1318; NGA 25653. Teluk Mangamesi
2017. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three green flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower, painted green and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. Aris Purwanto has a distant street view from the Waingapu waterfront and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the edge a shoal opposite the wharves of Waingapu. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1319.15. * Waingapu (2)
2016. Active; focal plane approx. 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 7 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) octagonal tower with lantern and galley, painted white. Sobirin Aamiin's drone view is at right, Budi Setiawan has a September 2016 photo of the new lighthouse, Lery Butar Butar has a closeup, Sasmudi Blora has a 2017 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Achmad Rabin Taim has a distant view of the original lighthouse, a skeletal tower. Waingapu is the largest town on Sumba and the terminal for ferries from Bima on Sumbawa and Ende on Flores. NGA mangles the name as "Maingapoe" and lists a 9 m (30 ft) skeletal tower. Located on the waterfront near the ferry quay. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1320.2; NGA 25660.
Waingapu Light, Waingapu, September 2017
Google Maps drone view by Sobirin Aamiin
Tanjung Undu
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) tapered square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. A photo is at the top of this page. Google's satellite view of the station shows four coast guard buildings as well as the tower. NGA misspells the name as Umdu. Located on the eastern tip of Sumba. Probably accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1317; NGA 25653.5. Tanjung Ngaru Mangigit
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); white flash every 4.5 s. Approx. 36 m (118 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. This is a staffed station with several coast guard buildings. Jonet Joko has a 2019 photo and Google has a good satellite view. Located on a prominent cape near the southeastern tip of Sumba. Site status unknown, probably open; tower closed. Admiralty Q1317.5. Pulau Mangudu
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); one long white flash every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower, mounted on a square concrete pad. Entire lighthouse is white. Taufik Hidayatullah's photo is at right and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the north side of a small island about 10 km (6 mi) off the south coast of Sumba. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1321; NGA 25656.
Pulau Mangudu Light, Sumba, April 2013
photo copyright Taufik Hidayatullah; used by permission
Savu Islands Lighthouses Sabu Raijua Regency Lighthouses
Savu (Sawu, Sabu) is an island at the northern edge of the Timor Sea, halfway between Sumba and Timor. The island has a population of about 30,000 and has become a popular destination for adventure tourism. Raijua is a small island off the western tip of Savu. Tanjung Wuimahi (Ujumahi)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 67 m (220 ft); two white flashes, separated by 5 s, every 16 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) round white tower. No photo available, but Bing has an indistinct satellite view. NGA lists the light as "Ria Jua." Located at the west end of Pulau Raijua. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1354; NGA 25678. Pulau Raijua (Namo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (43 ft); white flash every 1.5 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) (?) square skeletal tower painted white. No photo available and the tower has not been found in Google's satellite view of the listed location. Located in Boedae, the only settlement on Raijua, near the eastern end of the island. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1353; NGA 25677. * Seba
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); white flash every 6 s. 40 m (131 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Jonet Joko has a 2019 closeup photo and Google has a satellite view of the station. Located on the northern side of Savu in Kota Boddo. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IDO-359; Admiralty Q1352; NGA 25676. * Kali Menia (Tanjung Menia) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Several station buildings. Jonet Joko has a 2019 closeup photo and Google has a satellite view. NGA describes a 10 m (33 ft) white stone pyramid at this location. Located on a bluff near the northern tip of Savu. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1350; NGA 25672. Tanjung Liegeta
2004. Active; focal plane 115 m (377 ft); white flash every 7 s. 40 m (131 ft) tapered square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Several coast guard station buildings. No closeup photo available but the tower is dimly visible to the right of center in Djuhen LayKanni's aerial photo and Google has a satellite view of the station. Located on a promontory on the east coast of Savu. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1352.5; NGA 25676.2.
Rote Lighthouses Rote Ndao Regency Lighthouses Note: Rote (Roti) is Indonesia's southernmost major island. Located off the southwestern tip of Timor, the island is about 80 km (50 mi) long and has a population of about 100,000. Pulau Ndana (Pulau Dana)
2004. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 6 s. 30 m (98 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located off the southern tip of Rote, the uninhabited Pulau Dana is Indonesia's southernmost island (making this the country's southernmost lighthouse). Located on the south side of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1356.8.
Pulau Ndao (Dao) Besar
2004. Active; focal plane 108 m (354 ft); white flash every 10 s. 40 m (131 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. Five coast guard station buildings. No photo available, but Google has a good satellite view. Located on on an island off the western end of Rote. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1356.2. Pelabuhan Ndao
Date unknown. Active (?); focal plane about 18 m (59 ft); light characteristic (if any) unknown. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery mounted on a concrete platform supported by four massive legs. In Max Makoy's aerial photo the tower is just off the beach to the left of the pier. Google has an indistinct satellite view. The tower is in poor condition. Located at the base of the pier at the settlement on the north side of Pulau Ndao Besar. Site open, tower closed. Not listed by the Admiralty. Pulau Rote (Pulau Roti, Baa) (2?)
2014 (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 47 m (154 ft); two white flashes every 12 s. 45 m (148 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Iwan Budi Santoso's photo is at right, D.E. Prabuningtyas has a 2017 photo, Sonny Saban has a photo, Sandro Ferraz has a view from the nearby pier, and Google has a satellite view of the town. The previous light was on a 14 m (46 ft) iron skeletal tower; although it is seen at the far right in Santoso's photo it has been demolished now that the new lighthouse is in service. Located in the port of Baa on the north side of the island. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-243; Admiralty Q1356; NGA 25680. Tanjung Pukuafu
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two white flashes every 5.4 s. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal tower painted white and mounted on a square concrete platform. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located at the northern tip of Pulau Rote. Admiralty Q1358; NGA 25681.
Baa Light, Rote Ndao, March 2014
photo copyright Iwan Budi Santoso; used by permission
West Timor Lighthouses (see also Timor Leste) Note: Timor is located at the southeastern edge of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Unlike the others, it is oriented northeast-southwest. Historically, the eastern 60% of the island was the Portuguese colony of East Timor, with the rest of the island being included in the Dutch East Indies. Indonesian forces occupied East Timor when the Portuguese withdrew in 1975. This led to an extended struggle ending in 2002 with the independence of East Timor as Timor Leste. West Timor, the Indonesian section of the island, has a population of about 1.6 million.
Kupang Regency and City Lighthouses Tanjung Oisina
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 4 s. 17 m (56 ft) white concrete post with gallery centered on a square base. No photo available, but Google has a good satellite view. Located on the southwestern tip of Timor, guiding vessels in the Rote Strait separating Timor and Rote. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1365.5; NGA 25682. * Tenau
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); white flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) round barbell-shaped white fiberglass tower. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Tenau is the modern port for Kupang; it faces the narrow Semau Strait between Timor and Semau about 6 km (3.5 mi) southwest of the city. Located on the hillside above the dock area. (The Admiralty's location for Q1365.2 matches this light, but NGA lists it as Q1365.) Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1365.2; NGA 25700.
Tanjung Kulun (Tanjung Kurung, Pulau Semau)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 127 m (417 ft); white light, 12 s on, 12 s off, 3 s on, 3 s off. 16 m (52 ft) iron skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Several coast guard station buildings. Sapto Pandugo has a photo of the station and the base of the tower, and Bing has a satellite view of the station. This light serves as a landfall light for Kupang, the capital of West Timor. Located on heights at the northern end of Pulau Semau, about 13 km (8 mi) west northwest of Kupang. Site status unknown. ARLHS IDO-304; Admiralty Q1360; NGA 25684. Pulau Kera
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white light, 1 s on,1 s off. 13 m (43 ft) round barbell-shaped white fiberglass tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Pulau Kera is an island about 8 km (5 mi) north of Kupang. Located on the northwest side of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site probably open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1360.5; NGA 25686. * Kupang (Koepang, Fort Concordia) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1883). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. A photo is at right, a sunset street view is available, and Google has a distant street view, but the slender tower is not very conspicuous in a Google satellite view. The original Dutch lighthouse had a focal plane height of 19 m (62 ft). Located near historic Fort Concordia in Kupang, near the southwestern tip of Timor. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IDO-140; Admiralty Q1362; NGA 25688. * Tanjung Gumuk
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); white flash every 4.5 s. 40 m (131 ft) square tapered skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Several coast guard station buildings. Eriko Utama has a beach view and Google has a satellite view of the station. Located at the tip of a promontory facing the Savu Sea about 80 km (50 mi) north of Kupang. Accessible by road. Site status unknown, probably open. Admiralty Q1365.69. Pulau Batek (Fatu Sinai) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 100 m (328 ft); white flash every 6 s. Square skeletal tower, height unknown, painted white. Keeper's quarters and other station buildings. Azi Zul has a distant aerial view, another distant view shows the top of the tower, and Google has a satellite view of the station. Indonesia and Timor Leste have an ongoing dispute over ownership of this island, which lies near the border between West Timor and the Timor Leste exclave of Oecussi. Indonesian forces occupied the island in 2004. The island is called Fatu Sinai in Timor Leste. Located in the Savu Sea about 10 km (6 mi) offshore from the northernmost point of West Timor. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown, probably closed (Indonesian military post). Admiralty Q1365.6; NGA 25701.
Kupang Light, West Timor, July 2004
Wikimedia public domain photo by Chrisdev
North Central Timor Regency Lighthouses Note: These lighthouses are on the north coast of Timor between the Oecussi exclave and the main portion of Timor Leste. Wini
2017. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); six quick white flashes every 15 s. 40 m (131 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Several coast guard or border control buildings. No photo available, but Putu Adi has a view from atop the tower and Google has a satellite view of the station. This light marks the eastern border of the Timor Leste exclave of Oecussi. Located in an Indonesian border station about 1.6 km (1 mi) west of Wini. Site status unknown. Admiralty Q1365.73. * Pelabuhan Wini
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. The tower is at the left in Ayudya Saint's photo, and Google has a good satellite view. Wini is a town on the north coast of Timor a short distance east of the Timor Leste exclave of Oecussi. Located near the piers in Wini. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1365.75. Tanjung Batu Putih (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white flash every 3.5 s. 16 m (52 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. This light marks the most prominent cape between the Oecussi enclave and the main portion of Timor Leste. Located on a promontory facing the Ombai Strait about 20 km (12.5 mi) west of Atapupu. Admiralty Q1365.8; NGA 25703.
* Gurita
2007. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square white skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at a ferry terminal at Gurita, a protected harbor about 12 km (7.5 mi) east of Atapupu. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1366.27. * Atapupu
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower painted white. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located next to the customs house on the waterfront of Atapupu, a small port about 10 km (6 mi) west of the Timor Leste border. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1366; NGA 25704. Atapupu Entrance West
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); green flash every 5 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower, painted green and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This light and the next one frame the narrow entrance through the reef into the harbor of Atapupu. Located on the west side of the entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1366.2; NGA 25705. Atapupu Entrance East
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red flash every 6 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower, painted red and mounted on a square platform supported by piles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This light and the previous one frame the narrow entrance through the reef into the harbor of Atapupu. Located on the east side of the entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1366.4; NGA 25705.5.
Malaka Regency Lighthouse * Tanjung Motamasin
2017. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); six quick white flashes every 15 s. 40 m (131 ft) octagonal white concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Defi Setiawan's photo is at right, Jonet Joko has an August 2017 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Despite the name there is no cape here; the lighthouse is meant to mark the international border. Located on the southwest coast of Timor about 600 m (3/8 mi) from the Timor Leste border. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1365.55.
Tanjung Motamasin Light, West Timor, December 2017
Google Plus photo by Defi Setiawan
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Lighthouses of Timor-Leste (East Timor)
Timor-Leste, generally known in English as East Timor, is a former Portuguese colony on Timor, the southeasternmost major island of the Indonesian archipelago. Colonized in the 16th century, Timor Leste was a remnant of the once-extensive Portuguese holdings in the Indies. Indonesian troops seized the country when Portugal withdrew in 1975. This led to a long struggle for independence, which was finally achieved in 2002.
Timor-Leste has a population of more than 1.1 million. Dili, located on the north coast, is the capital and the only major port.
Aids to navigation in Timor-Leste are operated by the Port of Dili, an agency of the Ministry of Transport and Communication.
The Portuguese word for a lighthouse is farol, plural faróis.
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 World of Lighthouses - East Timor
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net. Lighthouses in East Timor
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia. Online List of Lights - East Timor
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas; Timor Leste photos were contributed by Jim Smith. GPSNauticalCharts
Navigational chart information for East Timor.
Dili Light, Dili, November 2006
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Kok Leng Yeo
Lighthouses * Mahata (Oecussi, Oecusse, Oekusi)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white flash every 4 s. 27 m (89 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Aires Sarmento has a photo, Adi Dethan also has a photo, Wikimedia has a closeup by Regio Da Cruz Salu, and Google has a satellite view. Oecusse (or Oecussi) is an exclave of Timor-Leste on the north coast of Indonesian West Timor, separated from the rest of Timor Leste by about 70 km (44 mi) of Indonesian territory. The light predates the development of the modern port, which began with Japanese aid funding in 2011. Located at a port facility near Pante Makassar in the eastern part of the exclave. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1365.7; NGA 25702. * Dili (Tanjung Laguebada)
1896. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 6 s. 17 m (56 ft) octagonal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a massive masonry base that presumably included the keeper's quarters. Access to the lantern is by an exposed stairway that spirals around a central column. Lighthouse painted white with two green horizontal bands around the base. Kok Leng Yeo's photo is at the top of this page, Wikimedia has David Stanley's 2011 photo, Trabas has a fine photo by Smith, Albert Maramis has a 2009 photo, and Google has a good satellite view. For many years the lighthouse was painted all white. Located on the beach on the western side of Dili, the capital of Timor Leste, not far from the U.S. embassy. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS TIM-001; Admiralty Q1368; NGA 25708. Dili Entrance West
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); green flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) round vase-shaped fiberglass tower colored green, mounted on a platform supported by piles. Trabas has Smith's photo, Takahashi Masaki has a photo showing the historic lighthouse on the right and the entrance beacons on the left, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the entrance channel. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1368.3; NGA 25709.5. Dili Entrance East
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 4 s. 12 m (39 ft) round vase-shaped fiberglass tower colored red, mounted on a platform supported by piles. Trabas has Smith's photo, Takahashi Masaki has a photo showing the historic lighthouse on the right and the entrance beacons on the left, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the entrance channel. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1368.2; NGA 25709.
* Dili Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); red flash every 4 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower carrying a red triangular daymark, point up. Ocha Maosawati has a photo, Trabas has Smith's photo, Dedi Suherman has a street view, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located in front of the Palácio do Governo on the Dili waterfront. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1369; NGA 25708.5. Dili Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); red flash every 4 s. This light is apparently on a mast atop the Office of Business and Industry. Trabas has Smith's photo and Google has a satellite view. Located one block off the waterfront about 100 m (330 ft) southeast of the front light. Site and tower closed. Admiralty Q1369.3. Kun (Com) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 11 m (36 ft) square skeletal tower painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Com is a small beach resort near the northeastern tip of Timor. Located just off the beach in the harbor. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1371; NGA 25717. Kun (Com) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); three white flashes every 9 s. Approx. 11 m (36 ft) square skeletal tower painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Com is a small beach resort near the northeastern tip of Timor. Located on a steep hillside south of the harbor. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty Q1371.1; NGA 25717.1. Pulau Jako (Yaco)
Date unknown. Inactive since 2010. Approx. 35 m (115 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. Keeper's houses in ruins. Colin Trainor's photo is at right, and Google has a satellite view of the station. Located on a small island off the eastern tip of Timor. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS TIM-002; ex-Admiralty Q1371.5; ex-NGA 25717.5. Iliomar
1904. Inactive for many years. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) round stone (or concrete) lighthouse. Wikimedia has a photo by Hans-Peter Grumpe. Iliomar is on the southeast coast of Timor-Leste. The Portuguese built a small fort here in 1904, but the buildings are all in ruins today. Exact location not known; more information is needed.
Jaco Island Light, Jaco Island, 2003
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Colin Trainor
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
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