When you stand at Cape Spear, you’ll be at the most easterly point in North America. Come to Cape Spear National Park where you’ll see panoramic vistas of a coastline carved by the frigid North Atlantic.

From this vantage point you can watch whales and icebergs in spring and early summer. The Cape Spear Lighthouse is the oldest existing lighthouse in Newfoundland. The two-story, wooden structure was built in 1835 and served as a marine beacon from 1835-1955.

The lighthouse is now a museum where you can look back at the life of a lighthouse keeper and his family in the early 19th century. It’s interesting to note that for almost 150 years, the beacon at Cape Spear has been tended by one family.

The new, modern automated lighthouse is still tended by a descendent of the first Cantwell at Cape Spear. At Cape Spear, you will also discover a proud military history. During World War II, two gun emplacements were constructed to counter the threat of U-boats against Allied shipping entering and leaving St. John's harbor. The military installation also had an underground passage and barracks for the soldiers manning the guns. From downtown St. John's, Cape Spear is only a short drive away on Route 11.