The 10 Best Prince Edward Island Lighthouses You Won't Want To Miss

To me, Prince Edward Island is Anne of Green Gables, red sand beaches, and of course lighthouses. Prince Edward Island lighthouses are scattered across the island, and no two are the same. With a grand total of 63 lighthouses, this isn’t the province with the most lighthouses by far… but they do have the highest concentration of lighthouses in North America (one every 34 square miles!).

So that you don’t have to visit all 63 lighthouses on the Island, I made a point to visit most of them on my recent trip to PEI. These are my top 10 Prince Edward Island lighthouses that send you across the Island, give you a good taste of Island’s history, landscapes, and different construction styles.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

The must-see lighthouses on Prince Edward Island

Before Visiting Prince Edward Island Lighthouses…

There are a few things you should know before you visit some Prince Edward Island lighthouses…

P.S. another must do in Prince Edward Island is to visit everything Anne of Green Gables as well!

Why You Need Lighthouses?

Lighthouses aren’t just for show, and definitely weren’t built to be the perfect photography subjects (although I’ll admit, they do make every photo better!).

Lighthouses served, and still serve today, a very important role on Prince Edward Island. Prince Edward Island is, well… an island. In the past, the only way on and off PEI was by boat. Then, as the shipping and fishing industries grew, lighthouses became even more important. It informs navigators where land meets the sea, to ultimately avoid crashing into it.

the east point lighthouse Prince Edward island. A tall white lighthouse, with a railing at the top and a small room with 360 degree window all around. There's one window halfway up the lighthouse. The lighthouse also has red paint for the accent colours. Next to the lighthouse is a small white and red house. There's green grass all around, but behind the house and light house you can see the blue water begin

The Lighthouses Of PEI

With a total of 63 lighthouses on Prince Edward Island, some are now decommissioned. But others are still very much working lighthouses, guiding ships safely to shore.

Running a lighthouse used to require manual labour. A lighthouse keeper was needed to tend the light at all times which is why some of the lighthouses on PEI have a house attached to it. This was the living quarter for the lighthouse keeper.

But today, all the working lighthouses on Prince Edward Island are fully automated.

new london lighthouse pei canada. A field of wheat grass still with a bushy top leads your eye until it meets a white and red lighthouse. Beyond the lighthouse isn't much, a small green hill, two bushes on either side of the lighthouse, and then you can barely make out some more rolling hills in the distance, made blue from the sky above. — *New London Lighthouse on PEI Canada*

Getting To Some Lighthouses Can Be Tricky…

Most of the lighthouses around the Island you can drive right up to without a problem. Others are a bit more off the beaten path… literally. The roads aren’t in the best condition, and sometimes they’re actually on private property.

If you don’t have a car with a lot of ground clearance, you may want to avoid certain lighthouses… For example, Cape Tryon was only accessibly by driving down a one lane, two way road that’s uneven with extreme ditches. Not to mention, at times you feel as though you’re driving right off the edge of the Island! P.S. Need to rent a car in PEI, I always trust Enterprise.

Other times, the lighthouses are on private property. I drove up to some that were quite literally in someone’s backyard (like Brighton Beach, if you want to see it up close). So you’ll have to accept that some can only be seen from a distance! And if you’re in to photography, investing in a zoom lens is a good idea for a trip to Prince Edward Island!

The image was an all around yellow hue to it, The sky as well as the red dirt road in the centre of the image, leading you to what seems like the end of the world.

The road is lined with bushes, that are green, and tinted red to match the dirt road.

Top 10 Lighthouses In PEI Canada

My top 10 lighthouses of PEI are pretty spread out across the Island so if you visit all of them, you’ll get a great, built-in tour of the Island.

If you’re doing the coastal drives on PEI these stops are easy to add to your route.

1. Point Prim: The Oldest Lighthouse

I had originally bumped the Point Prim lighthouse off my list because it seemed a bit out of the way. It looks close to Charlottetown, but it’s still a good 45 minute drive from the city and there isn’t much else in the area…

But – if you’re going to visit any of the lighthouses on the Island – it has to be Point Prim.

a graphic map of the top 10 lighthouses on prince edward island.

There's a pastel background fading from mint green/ white, to red dirt colour, to a light navy blue.

The shape of prince edward island sit on top of the background, it's been coloured a beige pink.

There are twelve pop up lighthouses throughout the island with dotted lines leading to each one.

From the north you have: North Cape, West Point, Cascumpec, Cape Egmont, Cape Tryon, Indian Head, Covehead, Brighton Beach, Point Prim, St. Peter's Harbour, Souris, and East Point — *Click on the PEI Lighthouses map to save it for later!*

Point Prim is the oldest lighthouse on PEI. Built in 1845, it’s also one of only two lighthouses built of brick in all of Canada… although unfortunately you can’t see the brick from the outside anymore. They used island bricks to build the lighthouse, which isn’t a very strong material. Over the years the bricks have decayed so much that they had to be covered with clapboard and shingles (which is what we see today).

But during high season, Point Prim is one of the lighthouses open to the public to go inside. From inside, you can see the original brickwork! Unfortunately, I visited during October, when everything was closed.

Aside from its history, Point Prim lighthouse is also in a spectacular location. On one side you can see Prince Edward Island and straight ahead, you can see Nova Scotia in the distance on a clear day. Not to mention, it’s beautiful at sunset!

Pro Tip: Visit some iconic locations while you’re in the area, like the the Point Prim Chowderhouse for lunch or dinner, and Hannah’s Bottle Village nearby.

points prim lighthouses of prince-edward island canada at sunset. It's a wide angle view. The land is almost completely in shadows. The lighthouse stands tall way up into the sky, it has a blueish gradient getting darker the higher up. Behind the lighthouse the sunset is radiant. The sun is about to meet the horizon, creating a glowing orange and yellow hue across the bottom. There's good cloud covering near the horizon and it clears up towards the top of the image as the sunset turns from yellows, to purple, to back to blue.

2. Most Iconic: Covehead Lighthouse

Covehead lighthouse is one of the most iconic PEI lighthouses – it’s also one of the easiest ones to get to from Charlottetown. Covehead lighthouse is in the PEI National Park, across from Covehead harbour.

It overlooks the beach, surrounded by sand dunes; a very typical Prince Edward Island landscape. Since its construction in 1975, it has been a fully automated lighthouse.

P.S. IF you’re confused by PEI National Park, so was I! The park is actually divided into three areas, and you will want to visit all of them! I have a full guide going into more detail about what to visit in each area.

covehead lighthouse pei popping up behind the messy grass growing on sand dunes. It's white and red, and not the tallest of the pei lighthouses. The clouds aer in perfect puffs, but only across the middle of the photo, it creates the appearance that they are moving.

3. All About The Experience: Cape Tryon

Cape Tryon lighthouse is all about your experience of actually getting to it. This is an example of a lighthouse that is harder to reach. I don’t recommend going if you’re driving a sedan, you’ll need a good amount of ground clearance to not damage the bottom of your car.

To get to Cape Tryon Lighthouse, you’ll turn off the main road onto a red dirt road that honestly looks like you’re about to drive off the island into the ocean… It’s a good 5 minute drive on this uneven, narrow, red dirt road. But it’s incredible when the lighthouse begins appearing above the cliff. You feel like you’re at the end of the world – it’s amazing!

This is actually the second Cape Tryon Lighthouse. The first lighthouse at this location was built in 1905 but was later decommissioned and moved in 1965 to become a private residence. The current Cape Tryon Lighthouse was built in 1967. It makes a great pit stop if you’re driving along the scenic Central coastal drive around PEI.

incredible stark view of the cape tryon lighhouse in pei canada. The photo is separate into thirds horizontally, represented by vibrant green grass at the base, a deep blue for the sea in the middle, and a lighter shade of baby blue for the sky - without a cloud in sight. On the right third of the frame stands a tall white structure with a red roof, small balcony at the top, a window, and a door. It starts at the base of the grass and reach almost to where the sky starts!

4. Most Convenient: Brighton Beach

The Brighton Beach Lighthouse is one is the most convenient lighthouse to see in PEI, especially if you’re staying in Charlottetown. It was built in 1890, so it’s pretty historical too! It’s best seen at sunset, as you walk along the boardwalk in Victoria Park.

Don’t try to get a closer view of the Brighton Beach lighthouse though, it’s actually on private property. I made the mistake of wanting to see the lighthouse up close, and ended up in someone’s backyard… So maybe don’t follow in my footsteps!

P.S. Along the boardwalk in Victoria Park, try to spot two other lighthouses across the water: Blockhouse Lighthouse and Warren Cove lighthouse!

Visiting Charlottetown? Charlottetown is the largest city in Prince Edward Island. It’s a good place to stay on the island, see all my hotel recommendations in Charlottetown. And there’s a lot more to explore in the city itself, see all my top things to do in Charlottetown. But don’t expect a large downtown area that you might be used to in other Canadian cities. This is a harbour city, in a much smaller province!

brighton beach lighthouse pei canada at sunset. The sun beams as it hits the horizon. Where the sun should be is a white spot, but around it emanates a large golden yellow glos, that spread across the horizon and into the water as a near perfect reflection. The glow leads you're eye to the shoreline, where the red rocks look even brighter. As you follow the shorelines down the beach, you reach a house and a white lighthouse with the perfect reflection in the water.

5. Open All Year Round: Souris Lighthouse

There are a few lighthouses that allow you to go inside, including Point Prim, Panmure Island, Cape Bear, Wood Islands, Victoria Seaport, West Point, and East Point. BUT! They’re typically only open in the summer months. Souris Lighthouse is the exception, and is open all year round – which was perfect for when I visited in October!

The Souris lighthouse also has a lot going on inside. First, you’ll find a small museum displaying shipping artifacts and a small exhibit on sea glass (which was actually really interesting). As you walk up to the top of the lighthouse, you can actually turn the lighthouse light on manually and go get a 360° view at the top. I will warn you though, it’s LOUD when you turn the light on, and the stairs are quite steep.

They ask you to leave a small donation to keep up the lighthouse so make sure to have some change before you visit!

A stop at the Souris lighthouse can be added to your Points East coastal drive itinerary!

Fun fact! The Souris East Range Lighthouse was the last lighthouse with a keeper on the Island. It was manned until 1991 when it became officially automated.

two pictures: a woman going up the sourris lighthouse in prince edward island canada. She's on a very vertical red painted ladder with a very worried look on her face. The second photo is a large circular object looking out through the window out onto the water below. — *Going up the Souris Lighthouse was only slightly terrifying – the stairs were almost straight!*

6. See A Floating Lighthouse In The Distance

A floating lighthouse is so unique that you should see at least one while you’re visiting Prince Edward Island Canada. These lonely lighthouses can only be accessed by boat, but they can be seen from the shore! There are two “floating” lighthouse you can see depending on what fits best in your itinerary.

6a. Indian Head Lighthouse: Summerside

The Indian Head lighthouse looks like it might be floating – and it kind of is. It’s floating on a concrete slab in the middle of the ocean. It stands out today because of its unique octagonal shape, but when it was built in 1881, this was a common design for lighthouses.

You can easily see the Indian Head lighthouse from the Summerside boardwalk.

a very narrow inlet of land cuts the photo in half, separating the sky and the water. Three quarters of the way across the land, sit a tiny lighthouse on a slab of concrete: the indian head lighthouse pei canada.

The water towards the bottom of the photo actually has a reddish tint to it, this is how you know you're in prince edward isalnd.

The sun must be setting soon, because the sky also has a calming yellow tint to the clouds and close to the horizon.

6b. Cascumpec Lighthouse

Your second option to see a floating lighthouse is Cascumpec lighthouse near Alberton. This lighthouse is along the North Cape coastal drive.

The lighthouse was built in 1876 and moved to this location in 1901. To accomplish this, it was apparently pulled by horses over the frozen waters. They meant to take it further, but it got stuck on a snowbank.

While I was photographing the Cascumpec Lighthouse, I met a local who told me that the lighthouse is now privately owned and used as a beach house. Imagine having a lighthouse as your summer beach house!? Yes please!

cascumpec floating lighthouses prince edward island. The photo is cut in half horizontally by a narrow sand dune going the entire way across. Above the sand dune is the sky with a thin layer of clouds. Below it, the water. A third of the way on the sand dune is a three story light house and home. On the right side, you notice ripples in the water that lead you to a small boat making it's way to the lighthouse

7. Cape Egmont

I love Cape Edgemont Lighthouse for a few reasons. First, it’s painted to represent the Acadian flag which I really respect (red, white, and blue with a yellow star). Second, it’s in an unbeatable location that reminds me of Cape Tryon Lighthouse, but a lot easier to get to (and less stressful) to reach.

The lighthouse overlooks the coast with red cliffs, and if you’re brave enough to look below you, there’s a unique floating rock with a peek-a-boo hole (very similar to Mackenzie’s Brook…which now no longer exists).

There are also a few fun facts about the Cape Edgemont lighthouse! Like did you know it’s the only lighthouse along the 74 km south west shore between West Point and Sea Cow Head!? And although it was constructed in 1884 it later had to be moved further inland to protect it from the harsh PEI weather.

But, I think my favourite fact about the Cape Edgemont lighthouse is that it’s one of the only lighthouse where someone was born. One of the longest running lighthouse keepers on the Island had five of his nine children come into this world while living there. And some were actually born in the lighthouse itself!

cape edgemont prince edward island canada lighthouse stand tall on completely flat land around it. The base is blue, the middle is white, and the top is red. On the ride side, you can see a yellow star.

8. Going To The Edge of Prince Edward Island

If you’re driving along one of the three coastal drives around Prince Edward Island, you’ll want to go to the northern and easternmost points of the Island. These two lighthouses are by no means the prettiest, but their placement is quite significant for the Island. Plus it’s cool to say that you’ve been to both ends of the Island!

8a. North Cape Lighthouse (The Northern Tip!)

Although North Cape isn’t one of the prettiest lighthouses on Prince Edward Island, it just might be the most important on the Island. The lighthouse was moved several times because of rock erosion and now it’s next to a telecommunications tower and a part of a wind energy plant… so definitely not the most scenic.

Although if you can find the right angle, you might be able to appreciate the location of this lighthouse. The surrounding landscape is very different from any other lighthouse on Prince Edward Island, with vibrant red rocks all around that you’re free to explore and climb (safely!).

Trying to hide the telecommunications tower and wind energy plant in the photo by cropping the frame to include the incredible red rocks of prince edward island during low tide. Popping out behind the rocks, you can see a white and red lighthouse.

But more importantly, the North Cape is home to the longest rock reefs in North America, which poses a big threat to passing ships. So having a lighthouse here, is a life saver… literally.

If you’re visiting during high season, there’s actually quite a bit to do at North Cape as well. There’s a wind energy interpretive centre (a museum) and a restaurant perfectly situated to enjoy the views. There’s also a short nature trail that takes you along the coast.

8b. East Point Lighthouse

East Point is on, well, the Eastern tip of the Island, and was constructed one year after North Cape, in 1867. If that year rings a bell for you, that may be because it’s actually the same year that Canada became a country. Which is kind of funny, because PEI only joined Canada 6 years later, in 1873!

You can tour East Point lighthouse during the summer months, see a lighthouse fog horn up close, and enjoy a picnic lunch with incredible coastal views! Visit the East Point lighthouse as part of the Points East coastal drive around Prince Edward Island.

Vertical image: east point lighthouse on-the edge of pei. There's a nice wood walkway leading and surrounding the base of the lighthouse. The lighthouse looksl ike it could be painted white again, it's looks a bit brown in some areas. But the red accent paint around the windows, doors, and around the top still looks vibrant. Once the grass ends, you see the water all around it. What you don't see is the drop off cliff!

9. Most Popular: West Point Lighthouse

Although this isn’t my personal favourite lighthouse, everyone thinks this is the prettiest of the PEI lighthouses. So I’m adding it to the list of must-see lighthouses so you can decide for yourself!

West Point is the first of the second generation lighthouses on the Island. First generation lighthouses were either round or octagonal (for example, Point Prim, North Cape, and East Point). Second generation lighthouses, like West Point, were built with a square tower instead. West Point, built in 1875, and is actually the tallest lighthouse on the Island.

I will admit, West Point lighthouse is a breath of fresh air from the classic red and white paint of every other lighthouse on the Island. But, funny enough, the black stripes were originally red! It was repainted in 1915 because black was thought to fade less.

During high season you can also go inside the West Point Lighthouse to view the museum about lighthouses. But it’s even more unique because you can stay the night here as well, it’s also a hotel with 13 rooms.

west point lighthouse stands out on Prince Edward Island as it's painted in white and black stripes. The top of the lighthouse is still painted red though. Attached the lighthouse is two story long building with balconies facing the water.

10. My All Around Favourite: St. Peter’s Harbour Lighthouse

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this Prince Edward Island lighthouse. St. Peter’s Harbour Lighthouse is a lesser known PEI lighthouse built in 1881. The design isn’t anything special, and in fact it looks like most of the other lighthouses on the Island.

But it feels so secluded. You follow a red dirt road off the highway to this giant opening of lake and marsh land with sand dunes in the background. I just love how the lighthouse reflects on the water below and how it feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere!

It’s also easy to add to you Points East coastal drive on your way from Charlottetown to the Greenwich Dunes in the Prince Edward Island National Park.

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st peters harbour lighthouse pei. There are wheat grass sticking out from the bottom of the photo, framing the entire edge. Then you reach the calm blue water of the river, you can see a blurred white reflection of a tall structure. When your eyes meet the land, it's of deep green hill, and a bright white and red lighthouse protruding from the landscape reaching the clear blue sky above.

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2 Comments

Philip says:

October 22, 2021 at 10:53 pm

Fantastic post, great advice and beautiful pics. Need to go to PEI!

1. Meghan says:
  
  October 24, 2021 at 9:13 am
  
  Thanks so much 😀 I”m glad you liked it you should definitely make the trip out there it’s WORTH IT!!

The 10 Best Prince Edward Island Lighthouses You Won’t Want To Miss