Landmark· Banco Chinchorro· Mexico
Cayo Norte (Banco Chinchorro)
18° 45.1′ N · 87° 18.0′ W
Two small islets at the atoll's north end, crowned by a 19th-century lighthouse and a CONANP research station - once the yachts' mooring spot at Chinchorro, now closed to them.
Practical
Coordinate is SEMAR's 'Baliza Cayo Norte' at the north point of the reef (18 45'04.32"N, 87 18'02.88"W), reported unlit in January 2022 - the islets lie close by; this is not an anchorage position. Cayo Norte Mayor (28.8 ha) and Cayo Norte Menor (14.6 ha); invasive rats were eradicated from both (GECI). Legend says wreckers once doused the lighthouse and hung a false light further west to lure ships onto the reef (Spanish Wikipedia). Anchoring and moorings here are no longer open to yachts (Noonsite, 2015). In January 2009 a cruising yacht found mooring buoys inside the atoll and was promptly - and politely - boarded and inspected by the Mexican Navy.
Best for
Seen from a licensed dive boat; landmark when routing past the atoll
Nearby
- Cayo Norte Anchorage (Banco Chinchorro)0.3 NM away
- Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve9.9 NM away
- Chinchorro Wrecks (40 Cannons)9.9 NM away
- Lobster and Conch Closed Seasons (Banco Chinchorro)9.9 NM away
- Cayo Centro (Banco Chinchorro)10.2 NM away
- Chinchorro American Crocodiles10.2 NM away
- Frigatebird Nesting at Cayo Centro10.2 NM away
- Cayo Centro Anchorage (Banco Chinchorro)10.9 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).