Rose Blanche Lighthouse, Newfoundland

Hints of autumn had been evident in small ways over the previous weeks - cooler breezes, fall rains and a shifting of colours in the landscape. However, it was on the drive to the Rose Blanche lighthouse that we noticed how autumn colours dressed the hills and valleys, bright pops of orange and red against yellow and blue.

The Rose Blanche lighthouse was originally built in 1871 and restored in 1999. The day was gorgeous as we toured the granite lighthouse and surrounding rocky coastline. The sun shone brilliantly, reflecting off the water like diamond sparkles, the sky and ocean differing shades of blue.

Cape Anguille Lighthouse, Newfoundland

The lighthouse at Cape Anguille is a beauty. Tall and white with a red cap on top, it has eight sides and reaches 58 feet high. It is an operational lighthouse, flashing a white light every five seconds. Not really noticeable during the daytime on the beach, the area surrounding the lighthouse is a great place for watching waves crash to the shore. It feels remote but there are villages nearby.

There are several buildings within sight, including the restored light-keeper’s home, which currently functions as an inn. Who wouldn’t love to make this home base while exploring the region?

Bonavista, Newfoundland: Lighthouse and Dungeon Provincial Park

This land is your land…from Bonavista… A familiar song to many Canadians. And here we are, in Bonavista, where John Cabot first stepped into the New World in 1497, exclaiming ‘O buon vista’ (Oh happy sight), or so they say. He’s not wrong about the views though, they are a happy sight. And most especially so for a crew of men who had been at sea for such a long time.

We also hiked in Dungeons Provincial Park, taking in the sweeping coastline with its jagged, jutting rock formations called sea stacks, exploring Berry Head Arch and visiting with the local wildlife - the sheep and cows and horses and goats that roam free within the park boundaries.

Bonavista Lighthouse

Dungeon Provincial Park

The local wildlife in Dungeon Provincial Park

A shepherd and his sheep in Dungeon Provincial Park

The trail to the John Cabot statue

John Cabot statue

Berry Head Arch

Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland

As North America’s most accessible seabird colony, Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve in Newfoundland is a bird-watcher’s paradise. And if you love dramatic landscapes, you won’t be disappointed. It’s flat, until it’s not. The dizzying heights are not for the faint of heart. Northern gannets fill the skies and crowd on Bird Rock, jabbering away with one another. Just don’t mind the bird droppings!

Cape Spear and Brigus, Newfoundland

A trip to Newfoundland isn’t complete without a visit to Canada’s most easterly point - Cape Spear, home to Newfoundland’s oldest surviving lighthouse. It was misty and moody on the day we visited - no hope of seeing across the ocean to Ireland. And the drizzle/rain was intense, we were soaked through in minutes, absolutely sopping wet even beneath our rain coats.

The mists had settled into the surrounding areas, giving the small fishing villages a ghostly atmosphere. As we traveled west, the sun appeared through the clouds and we stopped briefly to view the memorial to Captain and Arctic explorer Robert Abram Bartlett in the town of Brigus.

Twillingate: Long Point Lighthouse and Twillingate Islands

Located in Crow Head, Twillingate, the Long Point Lighthouse has stood tall on the forbidding coastline since 1876, keeping sailors and ships safe for over a century. The Long Point Centre hosts a number of interesting exhibitions, including one about the Titanic, and a walk along the coastal paths is a must. If you’re lucky, you may even get a tour of the lighthouse.

Our visit was spent outdoors admiring the views, which included the largest iceberg sheet we’d seen on the trip, walking along the many paths, and chatting with a friendly photographer who had some serious gear.

A drive around the Twillingate Islands reveals a picturesque landscape around every corner.