Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site - Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Two people walk on rocky terrain near a lighthouse at sunset. The ocean and a dramatic sky with scattered clouds are in the background.

Welcome to

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site

Map silhouette of the Shetland Islands with a brown location pin on the northeastern part.

Wake up to the first sunrise at the most easterly point in North America.

Lighthouse

Natural Beauty

Plan & Book

If you stand here, your back to the sea, the entire population of North America stretches out in front of you. And there’s nothing behind you until Ireland.

Perched on a rugged cliff, at our continent’s most easterly point, sits Cape Spear Lighthouse – the oldest surviving lighthouse in the province, a National Historic Site, and an iconic symbol of Newfoundland and Labrador's marine history.

Explore the

Lighthouse

Constructed in 1836, Cape Spear Lighthouse is a striking example of the unique lighthouse architecture of the period. Rising up from the centre of the square lightkeeper’s residence, the all-important light was a beacon of safe passage until 1955, when a new lighthouse tower was built nearby, using the original light.
The human history of Cape Spear Lighthouse is the story of the Cantwells. For over 150 years, generations of this famous family of lightkeepers resided at Cape Spear and worked tirelessly to maintain a light so vital to mariners. Step inside the restored lighthouse and discover the lifestyle of a 19th-century lighthouse keeper.
Journey back in time and explore the remnants of the World War II coastal defence battery – Fort Cape Spear. Walk in the footsteps of Canadian and American soldiers as they guarded St. John's from lurking German U-boats.

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A person with a backpack stands on a cliff edge overlooking the ocean. They are gazing at the expansive view of the sea and rugged coastline under a clear sky. The landscape is grassy and rocky, with distant hills in view.

Experience our

Natural Beauty

For the naturalist, Cape Spear will overload your senses with ocean vistas of crashing waves, feeding whales, and majestic icebergs. The site also provides an entry point to the breathtaking East Coast Trail.

Getting to Cape Spear

Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site is located 12 kilometres southeast of St. John's at the end of Route 11. For more information, visit the Parks Canada website.

More on Getting to Newfoundland & Labrador

Videos far, far off the beaten path

The View From Here

A smiling boy in a green plaid shirt plays a small accordion indoors. Two girls in the background are sitting by a window, talking and laughing. The room has wooden walls and furniture.

A man crouches in a sunlit room, examining variously colored rolled fabric pieces stored in cubbyholes. He's wearing a light sweater and shorts. A wooden table and a window are visible in the background.

A whale's tail emerges from the ocean, splashing water as it dives back into the sea. The surrounding water is a deep blue with gentle waves.

A man with a backpack consults a map or guide on a sunny day near a wooden railing with a large pipe underneath. A woman stands nearby, looking out into the distance. The sky is clear and blue above a concrete embankment with grass.

A tall white lighthouse stands prominently on rocky cliffs against a clear blue sky. Another smaller structure with a red roof is visible in the background. A person stands on the rocks near the lighthouse.

Two people stand on a rocky hillside overlooking the ocean, taking photos. The sky is clear, and a lighthouse is visible on the cliff's edge in the distance. The landscape is covered in grass and large rocks.

A rocky coastal hilltop with a lighthouse and several small buildings, surrounded by greenery. The ocean waves crash against the rocky shoreline under a cloudy sky.

Distant icebergs float on a dark, choppy sea under a cloudy sky, framed by blurred rocky foreground.

A vintage room with patterned wallpaper features a round wall clock showing 8:00, and a wooden bookshelf with old books and a vintage suitcase. A black bag hangs on a hook nearby.

A lone evergreen tree bends dramatically to the left in a grassy field under a clear blue sky, indicating strong prevailing winds. The landscape is open, with the ocean visible in the distant background.

Watch the sunrise first in North America

Who wouldn’t want an extra half hour right at the top of their day? When you need it the most. An extra sip of coffee. An extra chance to say good morning. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ll welcome the chance to do a little something more.If so, hop in your car and take the winding, twisting road out of St. John’s proper. Your destination is just kilometres away but it feels like you’re at the edge of the earth. Arrive to hear seabirds cawing on the wind that whips off the ocean. Here you’re as close as you can get to the shores of England and Ireland without getting wet. A stones throw away? Maybe, but you’d need a strong arm. If there was ever a place to attempt the feat, though, this would be it. Welcome to Cape Spear, the easternmost point in North America and home every morning to the first sunrise on the continent.Near the cliffs edge, turn to face the ocean with your back to the rest of the world, and you feel the sky changing. A reddish light begins to peek up over the horizon. And as the curve of a golden disc slowly starts to appear you know you’re about to see it. A sunrise that could make a morning person out of just about anyone.