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Monday, November 15, 2010

Kralendijk Lighthouse, Kralendijk, Bonaire







The Kralendijk Lighthouse was established in 1932. The light sits in the Plasa Reina Wilhelmina which is adjacent to the harbour in the city of Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire. It is directly beside the cruise ship terminal. The light is fairly well maintained. Photos taken in November 2010.

Punt Vierkant Lighthouse, Bonaire







This small lighthouse is found on the West coast of the island of Bonaire, South of the Flamingo International Airport which is just South of the island's capital city of Kralendijk. The light is adjacent to a small beach in front of the Lighthouse Beach Resort complex. It is not known when the light was established, but it serves as a navigational aid for the South West entrance to the Kralendijk harbour. Photos taken in November 2010 and again, thanks to my cab driver Cecil who was able to easily get me close to this light.

Willems Toren Lighthouse, Bonaire







The Willems Toren Lighthouse (also known as Lacre Punt Light) is located at the Southern tip of the island of Bonaire. It is south of the three sets of slave huts and the salt production facilities on the Southern part of the island. The lighthouse was established in 1837 and is well maintained. The nearby remains of the stone walled keepers house (in the left side bottom photo) are not in as good condition. The area is quite beautiful in its desolation. I visited and photographed the light in November 2010 and had the good fortune to be driven there by a very friendly cab driver (Cecil - Taxi #3) who had a wealth of knowledge about the island and its history.

Willem III Tower, Oranjestad, Aruba







Located in the downtown area of Oranjestad, Aruba's capital city, the Willem III Tower is now the home of the Historical Museum of Aruba. It sits approximately one block from the waterfront and formerly displayed a navigational light at its top. The building is beautifully maintained and worth a visit. The tower itself was built in 1796. Photos taken in November 2010.

California Lighthouse (Noordwest Punt), Aruba







Located at the North West tip of the island of Aruba atop Hudishibana Hill, the Noordwest Punt Light, commonly known as the California Lighthouse was established in 1916. The light gets its name from the British ship, the California, that sank off the point in 1891 and was the reason for constructing a light at that site. Today, the former keeper's house which is adjacent to the light is a restaurant (La Trattoria El Faro Blanco). Photos were taken in November 2010.

Faro de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico







The San Juan Lighthouse (Faro de San Juan) is located within the walls of the El Morro fortress which sits on a high point overlooking the East Side of the entrance to the harbour at San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is a short walk from the Old San Juan area. There was a light station first established at this site in 1846, making it the olders in Puerto Rico. The current light is from 1908. The light is well maintained and tours are available if you arrive at the fort at the right time and sign up (unfortunately I missed it as the tour was full when I was at the fort). My photos were taken in November 2010 and the top photo depicts the location of the light in relation to the fortress overall.

Fort George Light, St. George's, Grenada







This light was built in the 1890's on one of the corners of Fort George which sits atop a hill overlooking Grenada's capital city, St. George's on the South West coast of the island. Unfortunately when I visited and photographed the light in November 2010, it was in a state of disrepair. The lantern has been removed and the building is in poor condition, as is much of the fort. It is a shame, because the fort and the light are a tourist attraction and should be much better maintained. The building adjacent to the light inside the fort is a gym used by the local police.