Point Amour Lighthouse

The tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada and the second tallest in the country, Point Amour is designated a provincial historic site. The lighthouse is 109 feet from the ground to the light itself, and is constructed of local limestone. The walls at the base of the light tower are about six feet thick, with the foundations carried down to solid rock.

Point Amour was and still is a strategic location for shipping through the Strait of Belle Isle, on a shipping lane between Canada and Europe. Point Amour has been the site of numerous shipwrecks, including HMS Raleigh. The site provides an excellent vantage point for observing whales, sea birds, and other marine life.

The stone tower and lightkeeper's residence were constructed in 1857, and in subsequent years, several buildings were added, including an oil shed, storage shed, fog alarm building, a second dwelling, and in 1967, a third dwelling.

The buildings inside the enclosure at Point Amour have been restored. The lightkeeper's residence now houses an extensive series of exhibits portraying the maritime history of the Labrador Straits.

Facilities and Services: Interpreters in period clothing, guided tours, interpretive walking trails along the coastline, gift shop and public washrooms.

Season: Call for Dates 800-563-6353

Location: L'Anse-Amour Road off Route 510

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 8700
St. John's, NL
A1B 4J6

Telephone: 709-927-5825

Fax: 709-927-5833

Off Season Telephone: 709-729-0592

Off Season Fax: 709-729-0870

Getting to site: Driving from Gros Morne and the Northern Peninsula on the Island of Newfoundland:

1.Take the car ferry from St. Barbe, on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula to Blanc Sablon, Quebec. St. Barbe is on Route 430, 563 km north of the Port aux Basques ferry terminal. Crossing time: 1 3/4 hours.

2.From Blanc Sablon, drive approximately 17 km (15 minutes) north on Route 510 to the Town of Forteau.

3.Continue on Route 510 8 km past Forteau. Look for signs and a pull off onto a gravel road on the right.

4.Drive along the gravel road for 4 km. Continue past the small settlement of Davis House. Parking for the lighthouse is located at the end of the gravel road