Reviews of Cape Bonavista Lighthouse (Museum)

Angela Parsons

Beautiful day in Bonavista. We were late arriving so didn't get into the gift shops. Cafes have many food choices, homemade and super delicious.

Brian Woodcock

A must visit when you come to the rock. Late 1400"s site. Amazing views, great people. Not to mention it's free to visit!

Laverne Wilton

Great tour guides. Beautiful place to visit

kris

very awesome. The view, the water, the fog, hearing the fog horn, icebergs, the lighthouse, seeing puffins etc

Elise Moore

Great location for puffin colony during the summer and whales. Also saw black guillemot and northern gannet

Anne Patenaude

A must see! The natural beauty of the area is breathtaking.

Wade Watts

Must see very cool

Satyam Roy

Bonavista is beautiful. It's a small town on the northern coast of Newfoundland. The colorful houses add to the beauty. It's also famous for the iceberg and puffin viewing. This lighthouse is a gem on the extreme north end of the town. The landscape and the cliffs are very unique.

Derrick Law

Remarkable restoration of the lighthouse keepers' house back to 1870's era with knowledgeable and exuberant interpreters. Don't forget to see the Cabot statue just back down the road.

Damien Whalen

Awesome. Great place to visit. Can't believe it's free!

Jim Lochhead

Puffins, ocean, landing place of John Cabot, the "discovery" of Newfoundland

Jabbott Holes

There is a person that is going mad in the lighthouse. They screamed at me and swore on me. So do not go there please.

Jeff Berry

Great place to watch the Puffins and spot whales

Maggie Brown-Bury

Gorgeous views.

Stephen Pike

Great. Whale watching in the area... lucky enough to see a humpback breach 3 times

Jason Noseworthy

The provincial government has definitely let this place go. It looked terrible when we were there

Margaret Clayton

Picturesque location staffed with people knowledgeable about the history of the lighthouse to educate and answer any questions.

Dawn Cutler-Stuckey

Very nice spot! Great views!

Yance MedicatedVeteran

Truly amazing and breath taking View's, really enjoyed my visit down there while home for holiday's. Very peaceful and relaxing, it a must see if in the area. This place is Ryder and Yance Approved and recommend for sure.

Natasha Somerton

It was my first time in Bonavista, and the lighthouse was a great stop. Exploring Nfld, there are always beautiful spots to stop and admire. And when you visit the different towns, this island seems a bit more special each time. Surrounding this lighthouse you will see many many inuksuks. And I only learned on this visit that it is "good luck" (if that is the word I should use) to place an additional rock on a inuksuk. **Please tell me if I'm (in)correct on that point** We built our own, and I will include our picture. There are trails to take you to different viewpoints, and you will not be disappointed.

Andrew Robinson

Beautiful old lighthouse with a guided tour with knowledgable staff.

Matt Perry

The scenic route from the Trans Canada highway to Bonevista can take you through a variety of small villages that would offer you a glimpse into the life of a rural Newfoundlander. Upon arrival in Bonevista you are impressed by the barren coastal landscape that is void of trees. The community appears to be carved out of the rock by the ocean. Upon further inspection there is indeed a landscape that is teeming with life. The tour of the historic lighthouse is well worth the time and money invested. You will gain an understanding of the difficulties faced by what in fact would have been a fairly well off family in the area. The hardships faced by these people chiseled their character into what we mainlanders love - the Newfoundland Spirit.

Anh Cao

We went there to see the iceberg but the weather forbade us. It was foggy all of the sudden. But overall, it's a pleasant trip

Shannon Williams

Meh, beautiful rock formations in the area but not much to see with he light house. Gov't needs to do more here.

Eliot Smith

Amazing to hike around. Many seabirds and icebergs close to the shore. There's a fog horn that sounds really cool on a foggy night!

Tracey Williams

Friendly knowledgeable staff. Social distancing well established. Enjoyable and informative tour!

Beverly Billard

Amazing views of Puffins and whales.

Lyndsey Paynter

Amazing views and puffins!

Jim Courville

This was our favorite, did I say it loud enough? FAVORITE place in newfoundland!! We spend so many hours here watching the sun set, whales play, and puffins being goofballs. Go after 7p and you'll have this spot to yourself, and the best sunsets you wil ever see. The whales come right up to the Cliffs, it is unreal. What an experience. Best part is the lighthouse was panted with racing stripes. ????

Kevin Connolly

Beautiful spot out toward to Atlantic Ocean. Usually very windy but always worth the drive.

Tyler Temple

Its like no other lighthouse I've seen. It's red, white, has a spinning light with some other structures around it, and it's located right by the ocean! Oh wait...

Ricky Huang

very cool place, and we saw lots of whales here!

Nadine Robinson

Beautiful photo stop and excellent gift shop. We accessed it through the "short cut" from Dungeons

Steven Bradley

Go for the puffins! They live just past the lighthouse. The admission price to the rest of the site is too high.

Theo Beauchamp

This was a lot of fun! The view was gorgeous and the lighthouse was very interesting. The guides were really good and helpful =)

Susan

Beautiful views. Historic. Informative. Icebergs seen. Great gift shop.

Cindie Houde

Probably one of the most picturesque lighthouses in Bonavista! The view at sunrise is spectacular

Steve Leonard

This spot is definitely worth the 1.5 hour drive from the TCH. This is the best spot to view nesting Puffins on the peninsula, but the Newfoundland tourist people send birders to the other site just past Elliston. That has resulted in hundreds of visits each day with one visitor recently slipping off the path and down a steep slope, who then had to be rescued and an ambulance had to be called. The fence at the cape prevents that from happening. The Cape also has the lighthouse, a great gift store, a park, is a great place to view whales and has lots of parking.

Delores Mackey

The most amazing sunrises and sunsets depending on which side of the Cape you're on. This is a sunset.

Anne Soppelsa

Beautiful spot....wonderful history lesson...thank you to Marlene in the lighthouse for history shared....your enthusiasm and knowledge is awesome!! Pic nice on the bench looking out over the ocean!!

Hugues Boisvert

Beautiful place nice history. I love you can visit the lighthouse and walk. It was foggy so we had the change to hear the fog horn. Edge is not protected by fences or anything so if you have kids you always have to keep an eye on them. Very steep

Greg Taylor

Nice place. Great views of the all the icebergs currently there in the Bonavista area.

John Waltho

A truly Newfoundland experience of awe and grandeur. Great trails to wander along.

Jessica vb

Beautiful lighthouse with a puffin colony beside it. Good place to look for whales too. Only 4 star Becuase the lighthouse was closed, even though all the online information said it would be open, and this meant the toilets were closed too.

Steve Sanders

Whales, puffins, local history - this place has it all! Get a coffee at Robins and arrive by 7:30a to beat the crowd for whale and puffin watching.

Michel Gauvin

Too bad this place was closed 5pm and the bldgs needed a fresh coat of paint Had to drive a couple of kilometers to find a washroom. Was not impressed

T Miner

Such a rugged beautiful place. Watching the whales feed and the birds, relaxing and exciting at the same time.

Mike Celis

Beautiful view over the ocean. In the season, when the Capelin is there, you can see the whales from the shore jumping and plauying.

J Burgess

The only place we got to see whales. Keep your eyes peeled. There were Minkes as well as Humpbacks.

Jeremy Kurtin

Kind of touristy but nice, it was nice seeing the puffens.

Jeremy Kurtin

Kind of touristy but nice, it was nice seeing the puffens.

Jean-Francois LeBlanc

Recently came to check out this lighthouse. This is a very great spot for photo opportunities. Great views as well. Highly recommended.

David-Joyce Baxter

A truly wonderful spot....great viewing for whales,puffins and icebergs early in the year. We have visited the area last 10 consecutive years and always "hit the Cape/Lighthouse" a couple times each trip..never gets old!

Vicky Aillerie

Beautiful ... Many Puffins, we saw whales, a tour of the lighthouse is offered and interesting. The most incredible is the breathtaking views and the Puffins.

Jennifer Holmes

Great view and interesting set up for family visiting.

Jenny Tang

Very neat educational place. Visited it with the $15 seasonal pass. Got to see puffins behind the lighthouse and whales too!!

Darryl Hollett

Great place to take a walk, explore the building, have lunch and see what a special Newfoundland Town has to offer.

Kimberly Yetman Dawson

Fab day for a visit to Bonavista!!

Daniel Hefford

I did not go into the lighthouse itself or read any of it's history. There is a large parking lot. I was here for the puffins.

Bahman Seifi

Great place to see Puffins on Spring

Mark Garrisi

Awesome place, can't wait to get back there.

LeeAnn Denischuk

Beautiful scenery and the tour of the lighthouse was great.

Ames P

Tourism shuts down for October but there are mini horses on the road to the lighthouse that make the drive worthwhile.

Mick Shea

The lighthouse is great, with its stripes. The museum next door is very informative. Most lighthouses use a frenel lens, I found it interesting that this one doesn't. Learn about it and other lights in the province. And as a special, today only bonus (nesting season), PUFFINS!!! There is a sea mount beside the lighthouse with a puffin nesting site! This is the easiest viewing of these iconic birds anywhere. Just remember to bring your camera (which I didn't).

Blue Berry

Check in in the morning to watch the sunrise. The lighthouse was built in 1870, yet its heavy sense of history is not incompatible with today's aesthetics, probably because of the eternal combination of red and white.

DOUGLAS ROBERTSON

The views here are indescribably beautiful. You will have to visit here to see because there aren't words. Saw lots of puffins too.

Pam Rose

Loved it. Best part was watching the puffins

Sherry Dickson

Awesome spot for whale and puffin viewing. People need to slow down there are tourists everywhere on this site we were almost ploughed over twice!

Sebastian Kluth

Bonavista Lighthouse and its immediate surroundings are stunning. You can observe horses, puffins and whales and enjoy the wide beauty of the Atlantic Ocean.

Deana Rumbolt-Wells

Absolutely beautiful, tour guides were great

STAN LEY

The puffins, whales and coastline were great.

Jordan Smith

The bleak and rugged landscape is beautiful in the summer, with puffins diving off the island only a stones throw away from the lighthouse. Watch your step on the cliff edge!

Shelley Smith

We saw many whales and many puffins. It was a great day.

Sy Fung

Beautiful nature! The sea was deep blue in color and we saw a number of icebergs. A worker came out from the light house chit chatting with us about the puffin and icebergs. We loved the place.

Johnny Tucker

It's a nice place to visit because it has interesting view of the past to the present . Lots of stuff I didn't know and very educational place ..

Dean Whalen

Good Puffin viewing. Nice little gift shop.

Jennifer Williams

Parking available. We visited during iceberg season. Lots of visitors! A pod of whales were frolicking around the iceberg as well. If your geocaching, check your app ????

Travel gamer

Good lighthouse, but view is what i like, if you're lucky you can see icebergs but surely you see whales like minkes, commons, humphbacks and other species. You want an advice, Go there.

Brent

Along with the old lighthouse on cape spear, this lighthouse is one of the few build around the base of the lighthouse. The interior if fascinating, including vignettes of old rooms where the family lived. Unlike in most lighthouses, you can venture up to where the rotating light mechanistic still exists. It still turns even, and is a unique and accessable window into that past. The story of the family life before and after the road was put in demonstrate how lighthouse duty changed over the years.

Stephanie Matte

Super interesting. The guides were wonderfully knowledgeable; we probably annoyed them with our questions, but they always had an answer! Worth a visit.

Viktoriya Muradova

Nice place to visit. Very beautiful views off the cliffs. And quaint picture-perfect lighthouse

Jaime Keskic

Excellent, saw a lot of whales and the puffins were especially awesome!

Adam Fyfe

Unreal! Best wave crashes I’ve ever seen in my life ????

Nicki Sparks

Gorgeous views of the ocean and you can see whales and puffins in the area. The guides for the lighthouse tour we're very informative.

A K

Lovely site with many interesting views. Historic information and a hands on interpretive centre make it an all ages win.

Dana Hufsmith

This was a great lighthouse to visit, with views of the ocean and icebergs. There's also a fence around part of it because of the steep cliffs, which was great because I was less concerned with taking my curious 3 year old here. Tour of the lighthouse was also great!

Juzer Hussain

Wonderful place. One must visit this place if you are in New Foundland

charlene Okeefe

Beautiful views!!

Jacquie Fuentes (Jax)

Gorgeous spot to take in all the beauty and glory that Newfoundland has to offer. The lighthouse is a historical spot bit the views are even better. The craft shop has the best prices for souvenirs. Stop in and grasp your knotted goods!

Gary Miller

Absolutely beautiful! This place is heaven on earth. From the cliffs you can watch the whales and far off Ocean and gorgeous sunsets. The light house is incredible and a must see while visiting this incredible province.

Sahar Salimi

Great museum with lots of info from the guides.

Ray Thomas

Great place to visit. Panoramic views.Lots of parking and free admission

Dan Roman

I loved this very much

Catherine Conway

Get there by walking. Very rewarding.

Audrey Froude

Wasn't open . Very limited open time during tourist season. We were disappointed.

R-D White

Great place to visit. Come in July to see icebergs, whales, and puffins just offshore!

Doug M

Awesome light house circa 1870! Display is great and the period clothing you can dress up in.

Sharon Moore

The views are amazing saw ice burgs birds and underground cellars

Sonya Richmond

Wonderful location! Be sure to enjoy the hike from the town of Bonavista out to the lighthouse! Beyond the great historical displays and friendly staff, they also have a ton of puffins which you can get close to. A great location!

M.M

amazing ocean view and cliffs, we also spotted few whales from there

Anurag Saini

For generation of mariners along this coast, the light at Cape Bonavista was their only connection to land while out on the dark sea. Built in 1843, the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse is one of the few in the world where you can still climb up the stone tower to see the same seal oil - fueled light used in the 19th century. A prime location to see whales, icebergs and puffins.

Bryghton Levere

- Beautiful vistas all around the peninsula - Lively puffin colony often found on the north east portion of the peninsula - Pleasant little gift shop by the lighthouse - Great deal of history of area -

Mona McCarthy

Spectacular views, whales and all kinds of seabirds including the special little puffin. Many places to dine from cafe to full on dining. I have been to many of them and yet to have a bad experience. The people here are just naturally friendly, kind people. You can tell it's their nature. It seems you can't go wrong with a visit to this beautiful community

Paula Taylor

Great place for a short walk and to see some Puffins.

Carole

We have been on the road traveling through Newfoundland for several weeks now, and have visited the western peninsula, the northern Kittiwake coastline (including Twillingate), and parts of the Avalon peninsula. Our favorite place so far has been the Bonavista peninsula. Note: we did NOT go inside or otherwise tour the lighthouse, so this review is about what you can see and experience on a trip to the lighthouse. The coastline is gorgeous, and we would have loved climbing on and hiking around the rocks and cliffs whether in whale season or not, but what made this a 5-Star experience for us was definitely the whales! They were feeding right along the shore (not just passing by), so we watched for probably well over an hour and never had more than a couple of minutes of waiting for another one to break the water. We had a great pair of binoculars, and I highly recommend bringing a pair - not because the whales are far enough to require them, but because they are close enough that a good pair of binoculars allow you to even see them under the incredibly clear water before they swim up and blow. We also saw puffins and other seabirds, but for the most amazing puffin viewing, go to nearby Elliston. The puffin viewing there is incredible, even without binoculars. But we have a great pair, so viewing the puffins and their burrows was like being just a few feet away from them.

Elaine

The big draw here is the puffin viewing. There are picnic tables and washrooms. It is a very photogenic lighhose, rather iconic and popular. It's a good place to see puffins but take your binoculars or telephoto lenses.

Barbara Storey

My first Lighthouse, ever was amazing, views were breathtaking. The Lighthouse is well maintained, staff answered all our many questions. What a harsh life it would have been living at the Bonavista Lighthouse. Will post a picture later.

burmoose

These pics are from behind the lighthouse at dusk. Even saw 3 orcas! Whale watching was a delight. Puffins were very active as well. Not to mention, the beautiful sunsets. Early August is definitely the best time to be visiting here. Won't be disappointed.

John Cronk

Friendly knowledge staff about the history dating back to late 1800. Interesting to know to rotate the large brass wheels was done by cranking a weight from the bottom to the top of the light house every 2 hours so the ships could see land also by what colours would tell them there location. This system works as the same idea as a Grandfather clock with the weights. There were people that worked 12 hour shifts, pulling the heavy weights up every 2 hours

Pawan K

It's out of the way, however, it is truly woth the drive. If you are in to birds, then, there is a special delight as Puffins nest there. If you are a whale watcher, then without paying outlandish fees, you can watch them for free. There are 2 types that you can see, the Blue whale or the Humpback. There is also another known festure as the Dungeon another must see attraction.

Lacey Rose

Gorgeous views. Saw many whales just off the cliffs.

wen wei

Beautiful tour destination,only stay a couple of hours,will be back next time

Philip V

Another heritage lighthouse well preserved. Wonderful.

Kate Soper

Beautiful views and great historical information, but closed for an hour at lunch time so we couldn't visit with our most recent visitors which was a shame

MARY SWERDON

The views are amazing. We saw whales breaching from every direction. Slight hike is very easy but rocky terrain, proper shoes required. A great place to get some pictures.

Olayinka Akindele

Beautiful historic place. I gave it a four star because we couldn't get to the very top of the lighthouse due to Covid-19 restrictions. Not the management's fault, but that was one of the reasons we visited. Overall, good experience. The hiking trails were beautiful too!

Mandy Fuller

We had a wonderful time watching the whales and later in the evening, the Puffins. The Lighthouse was amazing and the guides were informative and wonderful at answering all our questions about the Lighthouse and it’s changes over the years. We also appreciated a very helpful fellow that loves to come watch the whales and share his love for the area with others.He had suggested we come back between 7-8 pm to see the Puffins in great numbers. He was so right. He also pointed out the whales to everyone and even had a pair of binoculars to pass around. How lucky you are to have such a great community fellow to make us feel welcome and patient to share stories with. thank you Eric!! The only unfortunate thing was that the buildings all close at 5pm so we got to see the Lighthouse but could not see the Matthew ship or the plantation.I recommend that during tourist season or at least the two summer months these historical areas stay open later.

Liz Mifflin

Always a scenic place to visit. So lucky to have this gem in our back yard.

Ed Matthews

Interesting lighthouse, especially how the house was built around the lighthouse itself. The house is well preserved and the guides are knowledgeable.

Bcon Bcon

Very hard to find. Not sure if that address is correct my GPS couldn't find it. But got really good directions from a local

Gary Bishop

Beautifully rugged

Ed Newhook

Life in the past was made very real as two extremely knowledgeable guides explained every aspect of living in and working at the lighthouse years ago. While in the top of the lighthouse, one guide even demonstrated winding up the system and starting the mechanism like a clock. Very enlightening.

David Hutchinson

This is a great place to see whales and puffins. The lighthouse exhibit is also very well done.

Aaron Ludmer

Spectacular views we walked around the site and looked at the various different places for views. Enjoyed the visit.

Jim A

Must stop. Puffins and possibly whales. Wife says store is inexpensive ????

Gary swift

Nice views however no puffins on August 30 or 31

Barb Seaward

Beautiful spot the scenery is amazing...seen two foxes playing together ????

Ian Torry

Very interesting piece of history. If you're not familiar with light houses and their keepers it's no problem the staff fills in all the details. The view is awesome even when the weather isn't great.

Richard Weigand

A beautiful location overlooking the Atlantic ocean. Helpful staff. A great Heritage Shop where the proceeds go back to the local community. A must see.

Sam cassidy

Easily one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen on Earth. Try to go on a day that's not too foggy to take full advantage of the incredible views. You can whale watching Puffin watch right from the cliffs. An absolute must-see if you're in the Bonavista area

David Atkinson

Beautiful area and very interesting interpretive experience. A must to see in Bonavista. Take your camera!

Don Butler

Pretty lonesome at the Lighthouse. Time to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather. Lunch was great at PKs

derekofalltrades

The best time to go I found was between April-June lots of Icebergs

Aaron Adamack

Beautiful sunsets and sometimes foxes and puffins.

Edmund Hayden

Awesome for seawatch. Atlantic Puffins nesting on island just a few feet from shore.

Sharon Macauley

Excellent condition with period furniture, etc. The staff were so knowledgeable and helpful, generous with time and information. Highly recommend the visit, especially for the low price.

Tl Iguana

Great place to visit if you want to tour a real lighthouse restored to around 1870. The lights are no longer operational but the mechanical pulley crank system still works and is demonstrated by a knowledgable guide. Really enjoyable tour for a very reasonable price

Damian Castro

Great view, lots of whales and puffins.

CC W

Awesome trails for our family with young kids, and the views were spectacular. The puffins were all in the water when we were there, so too small to see since you're on top of the cliff. But the puffin viewing site at Maberly not too far away made up for it.

Les Dawe

Awesome view,spectacular scenery,very well maintained and the guides were very informative.

Danielle Bishop

An incredibly beautiful spot especially on a clear day! Views are amazing and include the opportunity to see puffins and other local birds as well as whales. There is also the historic significance of the landing of John Cabot in Newfoundland and you can tour the light house and learn about the history. The site also includes a fabulous craft store with a huge variety of local made crafts, jewelry, books and all things Newfoundland. Great for tourists and locals.

Dean Martin

Amazing,views,historical info as well.

Richard Tickner

Beautiful area and scenery right at the Atlantic Ocean