Hello and welcome to my blog! I’m glad you’re here. It’s week 29 in 2022 and I’m hosting Weekend Coffee Share linkup #79. Come on in for a coffee or tea, and let’s catch up.
In my previous posts, I wrote about three amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites and my incredible iceberg viewing experience in Newfoundland and Labrador. Today’s post is about my road trip to see lighthouses.
Newfoundland and Labrador has over 29,000 kilometres of twisting coastline, laden with submerged rocks, hidden inlets, and icebergs. The province also has hundreds of lighthouses to guide fishermen and sailing vessels to safety on foggy and stormy nights. To make them easier to spot from a distance, many were painted plain white. Some have red and white stripes.
Here are five notable lighthouses that I visited on the island of Newfoundland. As always, click on images in the galleries to see bigger photos and captions.
A) Point Riche Lighthouse
Built in 1892, Point Riche Lighthouse is still active. The structure is 19 metres (62 ft) tall. The white wooden tower is octagonal pyramidal in shape; the entry door and lantern room are painted red. Its location is a windswept landscape with exposed ancient seabeds and expansive ocean views. I saw sea birds and whales here.
B) Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse
In the heart of Gros Morne National Park, Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse has guided ships into Bonne Bay since 1897. The tower is of iron, cast in St. John’s. Iron was fireproof, long-lasting and could be shipped to the site in pieces. The light is from England, built by Chance Brothers. All parts were landed below and hauled uphill by cart-and-oxen, overseen by first keeper Robert Lewis.
The setting of Lobster Cove Head Light was carefully chosen. The view gives the light beam a 180-degree sweep from north to south and out into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In fine weather, it can be seen over 12 nautical miles (22.2 kilometres) offshore.
C) Long Point Lighthouse
Long Point Lighthouse, built in 1876, is located on a prominent headland at the entrance to Notre Dame Bay, in Twillingate on the northeast coast of Newfoundland. At more than 300 feet above sea level, its location provides an open view of the islands that dot this section of coast, of shipping activities and of icebergs that drift south in the spring.
Along the cliff trails, tuckamores survive. Tuckamores are trees that have been bent and sculpted by constant strong onshore winds. The salt spray kills exposed buds, so growth only occurs on the tree’s sheltered inland side.
D) Cape Bonavista Lighthouse
Built in 1843, the light at Cape Bonavista is one of the few in the world where you can still climb up the stone tower and see the same seal oil fueled catoptric light apparatus that was used in the 1800s. I took the guided tour to learn about the hard life of the lightkeepers and see their quarters that have been restored to the 1870s.
As the place where John Cabot first made landfall in Newfoundland in 1497, Cape Bonavista Lighthouse is one of the most visited Provincial Historic Sites in the province. This is a prime location to view whales, icebergs and puffins. I was delighted to see hundreds of cute puffins fly from the cliffs and a fox family outside the lighthouse.
E) Cape Spear Lighthouse
Cape Spear, Newfoundland’s oldest surviving lighthouse and a National Historic Site, has served as the chief approach light for St. John’s harbour since 1836. Constructed by local builders, it consists of a stone tower surrounded by a frame residence, a common lighthouse design on Canada’s east coast.
The light mechanism in use in the 19th century came from Inchkeith lighthouse in Scotland. Modern equipment was installed in 1912 and remains in use in the concrete tower built nearby in 1955. Much altered during the 19th century, the old lighthouse has been restored to its original appearance.
On the day of my visit, it was foggy and windy on Cape Spear, a perfect opportunity to see the light flash from the new tower and hear foghorn sound.
Cape Spear is home to the most easterly point of land in North America. In this place on the edge of the continent, you can watch the sun rise first before anyone else in North America. Pretty cool, eh?
Are you road tripping this summer?
Shared with #PPAC56, #SundayStills, #CellpicSunday252.
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Natalie the Explorer 
That’s a lot of lighthouses for one island Natalie! I like how they’re all different in their own unique ways. It’d be a fascinating life being a lighthouse keeper – but maybe a little bit isolated for my taste.
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Leanne, It seems hard work to keep a lighthouse and yes, the isolation, especially in the late 1800s.
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These are wonderful—thanks for sharing! I’m a little fascinated by the lives of lighthouse keepers back in the day. I like solitude, but I’d probably literally go mad with that much of it. Can’t beat the view though.
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Janet, The exhibits in these lighthouses were impressive. For example, the Lobster Cove Head light station was maintained by the family of William Young and George Young for 68 years.
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I am so jealous you got to see some puffins! These lighthouses are all so neat too. We often check out lighthouses when near the shore…. there is one in Newport where you can sign on to be a lighthouse keeper for a week.
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Joanne, That’s an interesting job opportunity at the lighthouse in Newport. I wonder how many people apply for it. It was amazing to see the puffins. They flap their wings almost constantly and fly at a fast speed. I saw hundreds of them at Cape Bonavista and then thousands of them at Witless Bay ecological reserve near St. John’s.
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Lighthouses and windmills have always intrigued me (here they are often seen within a close distance to each other.) The puffins are super cute. What a trip you had! So many wonders. Thank you for sharing, Have a wonderful weekend!
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Maria, Thank you for your comment. This trip was amazing and I did see so many natural wonders and historic places. The puffins are adorable. I saw hundreds of them at Cape Bonavista and thousands more at Witless Bay ecological reserve near St. John’s. Have a beautiful weekend!
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Hi Natalie,
Who can resist a light house? There’s just some magic about them.
But, they are fast becoming relics from a previous century.
I learned some of this when I produced a story for KL Caley’s story blog.
https://garyawilsonstories.wordpress.com/after-being-laid-off-n2w-220407/
The story was fun enough, but I regret that the truth of light houses is that they are struggling to stay needed and thus get the funding needed to remain operational.
Sad for such icons to fall from grace like that, but technology stops for no one.
Thanks for another great tour.
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Hi Gary, I was glad self-guided tours were available at four of the five lighthouses that I visited. The exhibits were educational and informative. I believe the lighthouses in Newfoundland and Labrador are much needed due to the coastal landscape but technology has changed the lighthouse keeper’s role. Thank you for the link to your story.
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Absolutely love and are fascinated by lighthouses! It is remarkable so many are on one island! I have been fortunate to visit several and love learning about each one’s unique stories. #weekendcoffeeshare
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I’m fascinated by lighthouses, too. They sure have unique stories and of course expansive ocean views.
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What a collection of fabulous lighthouses! The puffins were my favorite, though… so darn cute!
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Janis, I love the puffins. There were hundreds of them at Cape Bonavista and thousands of them at the Witless Bay ecological reserve near St. John’s.
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I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one IRL, even at the zoo.
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I’ve never seen them at a zoo either. They’re adorable IRL and I love learning about their behaviours. The Atlantic puffin is the official bird of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) so NL is a good destination for puffin viewing.
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You make everything looks so wonderful….gorgeous summery post. Thanks Natalie!
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Barbara, I truly lucked out with the weather on this trip. I’m pleased to share some gorgeous summer sights with you. Hope you’re feeling much better.
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I’ve seen many of these before, Natalie, and there’s no question but that Newfounland has a beautiful coastline. Definitely a place for a summer adventure.
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Jo, I’m so glad to finally visit Newfoundland and Labrador and the trip turned out amazing.
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Your puffin shots are fantastic!! Someone in Svalbard got a shot of one in flight which I saw this week – I’d never seen one flying before (and I guess I didn’t realise they could fly) – it was fantastic and surprising. The world is so amazing!!
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Puffins definitely fly. They flap their wings frantically and fly at fast speed. There were hundreds of them at Cape Bonavista and thousands of them at the Witless Bay ecological reserve near St. John’s. They’re adorable and amazing birds.
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I adore lighthouses! Your photographs are gorgeous, Natalie. I love the puffins! Thanks for sharing!
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Jill, Thank you for your kind words. The puffins are adorable. I was fortunate to see them at Cape Bonavista and at Witless Bay ecological reserve.
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These lighthouses are wonderful to see through your eyes Natalie and how cute are the puffins! Thanks for taking us with you on your tour.
I have linked up with my recent update on my packing challenge, all is looking good for my travels!
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Debbie, Thank you for joining me on my tour virtually. I’m glad to hear all is looking good for your travels. You’re ready to fly 🙂
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Beautiful scenery, distant whales, puffins and lighthouses – what isn’t there to love about it? (You mentioned seeing whales, so I am guessing distant, since no photographs…) I’ve been enjoying your Newfoundland posts 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
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Trent, Yes, the whales I saw at Point Riche lighthouse were distant. They were wonderful to watch. I’m glad you’ve been enjoying my Newfoundland posts. Thank you for stopping by. Have a great weekend!
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Lighthouses are so interesting. I was in a lighthouse in PEI a number of years ago. We were able to go right up to the top and lookout from there. Amazing.
Thanks for the virtual coffee Natalie.
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Shari, Amazing and expansive views are pretty much guaranteed from the top of a lighthouse. Thank you for stopping by.
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This all looks so peaceful. And puffins are SO cute! Loved reading about the lighthouses.
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Puffins are adorable. I was fortunate to see them at Cape Bonavista and at Witless Bay ecological reserve. I’m glad you loved reading about the lighthouses. Have a wonderful weekend!
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We went puffin and whale watching in Iceland. I got so incredibly sea sick that all I did was smell a bottle of peppermint oil the entire time (not sure why — it didn’t work) and pray that I wouldn’t get sick in front of the group (I was with a group of students). There were no whales, and I missed all the puffins! Have a great weekend, too. 🙂
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That sucks to miss all the puffins in Iceland. I’m lucky not to get sea sick. A few people on my puffin boat tour to the Witless Bay ecological reserve got really bad sea sick.
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Love the lighthouses, the scenery, and the puffins.
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Deborah, Thank you for your comment. It was a wonderful road trip.
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Hardy folk that used to man those lighthouses. It is one object we enjoyed finding on our travels. We have a few here in NZ with dramatic surroundings. Yes, it would be wonderful to explore your neck of the woods. Thanks for sharing, Natalie.
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Suzanne, I’d love to visit and explore New Zealand. Thank you for stopping by. I’m glad you like lighthouses.
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The gates are open, so I hear 😉
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Yes, I’ve been following NZ and Canada’s travel entry and exit requirements. Try to time my trip when it’s winter in Canada and summer in NZ.
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You certainly won’t want to be here at the present time, wet, cold and windy. Unless, wind surfing is your thing.
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NZ is a long way from Canada and it may be my once-in-a-lifetime-trip so I definitely want to arrive in nice weather months.
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Good luck with the weather 😉
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Thanks 🙂 I was lucky with the weather in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Hi Natalie, I am loving all your Newfoundland posts and my oldest sister absolutely LOVES lighthouses and has a lighthouse collection of sorts. She has visited many along the Eastern seaboard. She would love all the lighthouses you visited and your photos are amazing. How cool to see fox and puffins!! WOW! I have plans on celebrating my granddaughter’s birthday next month but have not made any summer plans for other trips. There are some things we want to visit here not too far from us in the next few months. One is President Reagan’s Museum about 2 hours away and the other is to take the family to Disneyland to see the Star Wars rides etc. they have there. We have not been since they opened all of that up some years ago. Have a wonderful weekend! 😀
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Hi Diana, I was fortunate to see the puffins at two locations (Cape Bonavista and Witless Bay ecological reserve). They’re adorable birds. The fox family was a nice surprise. Your plans to celebrate your granddaughter’s birthday and trips to President’s Reagan’s Museum and Disneyland sound wonderful. I went to Disneyland a long time ago and enjoyed all the rides there. Thank you for stopping by. Have a great weekend!
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Wow, so very cool. I wish that we had more lighthouses here. They are so beautiful and at the same time so very historic. So very cool. Thanks for sharing them.
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Patrick, I’m glad you like lighthouses. I enjoyed my visits at these five lighthouses and learned about their history. Thank you for stopping by.
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I’m so glad I could join you on the end of that long road trip to Newfoundland, Natalie! Wow, those lighthouses are stunning! I would love to see the lighthouses on the East coast someday. Those puffins are so cute, it must have been fun to watch them in action. Great to see you linked your road trip to this week’s Sunday Stills. I’m hopping into the Coffee Share momentarily!
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Terri, Thank you for joining me virtually. Newfoundland and Labrador is an amazing destination. I booked this trip for 2020 and it was cancelled when the pandemic started. I’m so happy to complete it this year. These lighthouses are well worth a visit. The puffins are adorable and inquisitive birds. I was fortunate to see hundreds of them at Cape Bonavista and later thousands of them at Witless Bay ecological reserve.
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Wonderful collection of lighthouse images, Natalie. Living in the midwest, we don’t get to see too many of them. 🙂
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Thank you, John. It was fun to visit active lighthouses in Newfoundland. In Toronto, I saw three inactive lighthouses.
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This collection of lighthouses is too neat! And that puffin is too adorable! 😍
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Thank you, Angela. Do you have a blog?
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Natalie, I love light houses! I have seen some notable ones in Rhode Island. Thank you for sharing the sights!
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Pam, I’m glad you love lighthouses. It was fun visiting these five lighthouses in Newfoundland. Thank you for stopping by.
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My idea of a typical lighthouse is indeed white with red stripes, but I hadn’t realized why lighthouses could have this look. Thanks for sharing yet another very informative post!
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Astrid, You’re welcome. I’m glad you found my post informative. I was able to tour four of these five lighthouses and learned from the exhibits and information panels at each lighthouse.
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Lighthouses are
Intriguing in so many way. I especially love their stories.
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Antoinette, I agreed with your comment. One of the five lighthouses that I visited was kept by the Young family for 68 years. Their stories are rich materials for writers.
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There is something so very romantic about lighthouses – and they obviously come in so many different forms. Thank you for sharing these lovelies.
And puffins! oh my goodness! I have such a weakness & penchant for these adorable creatures! I am so envious at your sighting and image capture!
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Ju-Lyn, I’m glad you like lighthouses, too. Sometimes I write about things I like and don’t know if they resonate with anyone 🙂 The Atlantic puffins in Newfoundland are adorable and inquisitive. They nest on the rocky cliffs and fly and dive at fast speed to catch small fish. I was fortunate to see hundreds of them at Cape Bonavista and thousands more at Witless Bay ecological reserve near St. John’s.
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I am envious – and I am so glad that you shared some of your experiences.
I hear you – one sometimes wonders if anyone is reading or understanding or if any of it makes a difference. It is times like these when we just keep doing what we are doing because it makes sense to us.
P/S just for the record, I love seeing Toronto (and your travels) through your eyes
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Thank you, Ju-Lyn, for ‘hearing’ me. I’m glad you enjoy my Toronto and travel posts. Have a wonderful weekend!
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Beautiful photos! I love lighthouses. The puffins are cute too.
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Dawn, Thank you for your visit and comment. These five lighthouses are well-maintained and I was able to tour inside four of them. I was fortunate to see the Atlantic puffins during their nesting season. They are adorable birds.
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Those puffins are so cute!
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Agreed 🙂
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I love lighthouses and those are amazing. I would LOVE to see a puffin!
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Kirstin, I’m glad you love lighthouses. I toured inside four of the above five lighthouses and learned many interesting facts. The Atlantic puffins are adorable birds. I was fortunate to see hundreds of them at Cape Bonavista and thousands more at Witless Bay ecological reserve.
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Thanks for sharing these, Natalie. I love lighthouses, and these are beauties.
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Dan, You’re welcome. These lighthouses are well-maintained and four were opened for visitors when I was there. I greatly enjoyed my visits.
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Beautiful photos Natalie. We keep traveling in the western half of the US and miss out on seeing areas like this on the east coast! Someday we’ll get up there. Those puffins!
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Thank you Steve & Cheryl for stopping by. So many beautiful places to visit and so little time, right? The Atlantic puffins are adorable. I hope you visit the east coast someday.
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