Mona Island is located 48 miles offshore of the town of Mayaguez (Puerto Rico) and has been called the “Galapagos of the Caribbean,” due to its isolated and remote location. Mona Island is also located right in the middle of the Mona Passage (Canal de la Mona), which is the body of water that separates Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

The Sardinera Anchorage (Anclaje Sardinera) is located on the west side of the Island north of Punta Arenas and provides good protection from all directions except the north and west.

The Mona Island Lighthouse is the primary aid to navigation for mariners approaching the island. Standing 323 feet above the water on the northern side of the island near Cabo Noroeste, the lighthouse casts a white beam across the waters of the Mona Passage every 5 seconds.

The Sardinera Anchorage (Anclaje Sardinera) is located on the west end of the island, and a private range consisting of two lighted daybeacons will help guide you in. These stay lit until about 10 p.m., and then are extinguished automatically. There is a small area of 8-foot depths where fisherman and visiting boaters can drop the hook.

Winds out of the west or north can make the anchorage unusable, but there is excellent protection from the prevailing east and southeast winds.

See our “Local Notices to Mariners” blog for updates on the latest conditions and advisories for this area.