Travelers along Canada’s Atlantic coast can’t help but be struck by the beauty of the lighthouses that served as beacons to sailors trying to safely navigate the rugged coastline. Modern electronic navigation may have made them obsolete but they still stand as important symbols in nautical history. These are a few of my favourites.
Read Fun Family-Friendly Activities in Atlantic Canada
Cape Spear Lighthouses, Newfoundland
The Cape Spear Lighthouse, near St. John’s, has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada for its unique heritage value as the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador. A first light was placed at the entrance to St. John’s Harbour in 1810 but it wasn’t until the 1830s that the need for another lighthouse was discussed. Cape Spear was chosen as the location and construction of the lighthouse was completed in 1836.
The lighthouse was built as a 2 storey square structure with the light tower in the middle of the building. This unique architecture became a common structure for lighthouses in Newfoundland during that era as the building would also serve as the residence for the lighthouse keeper and his family. Generations of the Cantwell family served as lightkeepers at Cape Spear for over 150 years.
Today the historic lighthouse has been restored to its original appearance and refurnished as a light keeper’s residence from the mid-19th century.
Read Standing on the Edge of North America at Cape Spear
A modern lighthouse tower was built at Cape Spear in 1955 using the light from the original lighthouse.
Ferryland Lighthouse, Newfoundland
This classic red and white lighthouse at Ferryland Head was built in 1870 and for the first 100 years of its existence it was staffed by families living in the two-family dwelling that was built alongside. The first lighthouse keeper was a ship builder named Michael Kearney and his assistant keeper was William Costello. The Costello family continued as the primary keepers of the light at Ferryland for 100 years.
The lighthouse is still operational but it is now automated. The lighthouse dwelling was abandoned and fell into disrepair until it was restored by Lighthouse Picnics and reopened in 2004. Visitors can now pre-order a picnic lunch and dine on the cliffs while enjoying the stunning view.
Read Ferryland Lighthouse Picnic with a Breathtaking View
Cape Bonavista Lighthouse, Newfoundland
The red and white striped lighthouse at Cape Bonavista was built in 1843 and is now a Provincial Historic Site that has been restored to the 1870s period. The lighthouse tower is in the centre of the building and it is one of the few in the world where visitors can climb the tower and see the apparatus that was used by the lighthouse keeper.
The building has been furnished as it would have been in the late 19th century and visitors can learn more about what life was like for the keeper and his family at that time. Bonavista was one of the places that I most wanted to visit while in Newfoundland because of this song that I learned as a child.
This land is your land, This land is my land,
From Bonavista, to Vancouver Island,
From the Arctic Circle, to the Great Lake waters,
This land was made for you and me.
Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse, Nova Scotia
The classic red and white octagonal lighthouse perched on the granite rocks of the cove was built in 1914 to replace an older structure and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Canada. It is also one of Nova Scotia’s most visited tourist sites with an estimated 1 million visitors a year.
We visited Peggy’s Cove in 2006 and again in 2012 and were saddened to see the deterioration in the lighthouse. The structure is owned by the federal government, however, it no longer wants to pay for the upkeep of lighthouses as they are considered outdated with today’s navigational aids. The provincial government is currently in negotiations with the federal government to take over the site but, frankly, I was appalled that such an iconic structure was allowed to fall into such disrepair. A few days after our visit, a group of local painters volunteered to paint the lighthouse – a stopgap measure and a shame that it had to come to that.
Read Visiting Beautiful Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
2006
Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse
East Quoddy Lighthouse, New Brunswick
The Head Harbour Lightstation (also known as the East Quoddy Lighthouse) overlooks the Bay of Fundy on Campobello Island just a few miles from where Franklin Delano Roosevelt had his summer home.
Head Harbour is the second oldest lighthouse in New Brunswick and is a Classified Heritage Site. The lighthouse was built in 1829 to assist ships in navigating the treacherous rocks around the island – a task that was made even more difficult in the famous Bay of Fundy fogs. The octagonal lighthouse tower with the white shingled exterior painted with a red cross is no longer staffed, however, the light is still operational.
The lighthouse is only accessible by foot at low tide as it is on Head Harbour Island just off Campobello. (I apologize for the poor quality of the photo taken in 2002 before I was using a digital camera but I wanted to include it as it is one of the more beautiful lighthouses that I have seen.)
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Jackie Smith
I love lighthouses and never imagined there to be so many sizes and shapes of them. Most informative post!
budget jan
Historic Cape Spear Lighthouse is so romantic. I have not seen a lighthouse like that before. It is wonderful that these buildings have been preserved. Jan
Aleah | SolitaryWanderer.com
I love taking pictures of lighthouses too! But the ones I’ve been to in the Philippines are really old and nobody ever visits there (except the occasional travel blogger). Seems like these lighthouses are more popular.
jenny@atasteoftravel
Fascinating..So many different types of lighthouses. In Australia some light houses have been converted so that you can now stay in them.
Mary {The World Is A Book}
I love Lighthouses and these are some beautiful and classic ones. I love the red and white of Cape Bonavista. I would visit Ferryland Lighthouse just to have a picnic like you did on its grounds. It’s a shame Peggy’s Cove was left to deteriorate because that is a great location. There’s an American folk song called “This land is your land” too which most likely has the same tune and now I can’t get it off my head. Thanks! 🙂
Muza-chan
Very beautiful 🙂 My favorite is the one from Peggy’s Cove
Keryn @ walking on travels
That really is a shame that the government would not take care of a national treasure like Peggy’s Cove. I’m glad the locals are trying to do something about it too. Sometimes we are the only ones that can preserve the history that really matters.
Leigh
Lisa – You’re right to be shocked about the state of the lighthouse in Peggy’s Cove. I haven’t seen it for years but to me letting it go is a black eye for Canada. I hope they allow the painters to step up and get the job done.
What a great selection of lighthouses. I’ve been to a few of them and try to imagine what life would be like living in such beautiful but often desolate places.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks, Jackie! I love lighthouses too but this trip to Newfoundland was the first time that I had seen the sort with the light tower in the middle.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Cape Spear is one of my favourites – in part because this is the most easterly point in North America!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Lighthouses on our Atlantic coast seem to be very popular with tourists although some of them are getting a bit run down. Seems governments are reluctant to keep them up when they don’t serve an important purpose anymore due to the advent of electronic navigation. It makes me sad to see them in a rundown state.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Jenny, I would LOVE to stay in a lighthouse – what a fabulous idea!!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Yes, ours is the Canadian version of the same song – I’ve had it stuck in my head for the last couple of days too! 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks, Muza-chan!! 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
It is truly a shame that the lighthouse hasn’t been maintained particularly given that it attracts a million visitors a year – governments can be incredibly short-sighted sometimes!
Lisa Goodmurphy
In my view it should be declared a National Historic Site – it really is an important part of Canadian history. I expect it was often quite a lonely life for the lighthouse keepers and their families. Can you imagine generations of one family keeping the light for 150 years? Mind-boggling to me!
Debbie @ European Travelista
I love lighthouses! They are so majestic sitting there near the beautiful ocean.
Cathy Sweeney
I think that lighthouses are fascinating. They’re all so different and have so much character. The stories they could tell… I was very excited to see that I’ve actually been to a few of these!
Dick Jordan
Nifty shots.
If you get to the west coast of the U.S., you’ll find a number of restored lighthouses (some of which have accommodations that you can stay in) from near the Mexican border to Washington State. (The Seattle Times Travel section had a nice story on lighthouse rentals in that state that run earlier this year.)
Sophie
I love light houses, and the ones in Atlantic Canada are very photogenic. We saw gorgeous ones in Nova Scotia and in Prince Edward Island, especially.
lisa wood
Lighthouses have so much character and charm to them! And sure do have a mysterious feel to them…its as if they look after the sea for such distances, like they are actually on guard for the safety of everyone.
Nova Scottia sure gets a lot of visitors 🙂
coolnewz
The Ferryland lighthouse is my favourite. But that’s a great idea for a photo reportage! 🙂
Becca@rwetheryetmom?
Each one of the lighthouses you have shown are so colorful and unique. I would love the opportunity to visit a lighthouse on the Eastern Seaboard. But for now, I will have to live vicariously through you!
Thanks for linking up this week!
eileen at FamiliesGo!
we love atlantic canada. did some great driving and camping in New Foundland and Novia Scotia years ago and will do it again when tiny traveler can endure longer car trips.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Love them too, Debbie – and “majestic” is a great description.
Lisa Goodmurphy
I agree, Cathy – fascinating stories, I imagine!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thank you for that information, Dick. I had no idea that there were restored lighthouses used for accommodations along the west coast. Much more interesting than a typical hotel!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Sophie, we have been to PEI 7 times and when I went to write this post I discovered that I haven’t taken photos of any of the lighthouses there. Seems like a good reason to return for the 8th time! 😉
Lisa Goodmurphy
I think that’s why I love them so much – each seems to have it’s own character and charm.
Lisa Goodmurphy
You’re welcome, Becca – I hope you get to the Eastern seaboard someday soon – you will love it!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thank you!!
Lisa Goodmurphy
The east coast is a fantastic destination for families. We went to PEI the first time the summer before our older daughter turned 2. As the kids got older we started doing more than one province because we could do those longer drives in between stays. This past summer (the kids were 15 and 9) we made it to all 4 Atlantic provinces.
Amy
Hi Lisa,
I was shocked to see your photos of the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse! We were there a couple of months ago and they must have finished that volunteer paint job you mentioned. It looked great, aside from stray paint on the rocks where the volunteers spilled paint. I’m just glad that people value it enough to take care of it themselves, because we really enjoyed our visit there. The kids loved climbing on the big rocks and the views are beautiful. That whole area is so picturesque with the small seaside towns scattered along the coast.
Sonja
Gosh, a picnic in a lighthouse sounds romantic. I’d love to sleep in one sometime, too. I like that last pic – it must be your older daughter at right around Emma’s age!
Lisa Goodmurphy
I am so glad that the lighthouse had been spruced up before your visit! It’s a shame that it was left to volunteers to do though when it brings so many tourists to the area. It is such a beautiful spot! The rocks are great – I always make the mistake of wearing flip flops and end up slipping all over the place!
Lisa Goodmurphy
The lighthouse picnic was wonderful! I had no idea that there were lighthouses that were used for accommodation – I have now added that to my mental list of things that I want to do! The last photo was taken the summer before Emma was born so Katie was almost 7 – just a little bit younger than Emma is now.
Michele @ Malaysian Meanders
I think the Ferryland Lighthouse is my favorite one. Lighthouses have such a romantic air about them. I wonder what it must have been like living in one. Actually rather lonely, I imagine. Also, I didn’t know that Canadians had a version of the “This land is your land” song.
The Cruise Web
Lisa, These photos are beautiful and really interesting. I know people love lighthouses because cruises up the New England coast into Canada that feature these beautiful buildings always sell out.
Cheryl
These lighthouses are beautiful and one day I will make the trek with the family to see them. I love that you posted the lyrics to the song 🙂 I remember singing it as a kid. Will be teaching my kids soon!
Sarah V.
These lighthouses are all lovely, but I think my favorites are the two red ones in Newfoundland. Thanks for giving me yet another place to add to my bucket list!
Nancie
Hi Lisa, somehow I missed this when you posted it to Travel Photo Thursday.I try to get around to everyone, but would have been traveling when you posted this.
Thanks for sharing this link on my FB page. I am truly saddened to see what Peggy’s lighthouse looked like before the locals stepped in. It doesn’t surprise me that they did, and makes me happy. Peggy’s is such a tourist attractions. Shame on both governments for not working together to have this issue resolved.
Serg
Exciting photos of lighthouses around the world