Exploration
The world's 8 most awe-inspiring lighthouses
These beacons of the sea can lead you to some truly wonderful places – all you have to do to reach them is follow the light.
Even if you've never set foot on an ocean-going vessel, lighthouses hold a certain appeal. Standing, shining beacons in the night, their rays pierce the darkness giving hope to all who see them in times both good and bad.
Their worthy purpose means they're often found in remote, incredible locations, and subject to all kinds of weather. Check out eight of our favourite lighthouses in the world, pictured below.
1. St Joseph – the frozen tower
Set on a pier outside of a small town on the eastern side of Lake Michigan, this short but stout St Joseph lighthouse bears the brunt of harsh winter storms. The result? It's covered in wind-blasted ice almost once every year, as you can see below.
Winter storm descends upon the St Joe lighthouse
© Getty Images/Science Faction
2. Farol da Nazaré – a big wave surfing viewpoint
Learn more about surfing at Nazaré
The small Farol da Nazaré lighthouse in Nazaré, Portugal sits atop the much older Sāo Miguel Arcanjo fort and is famous for its backdrop of surfers tackling the world's biggest waves. If you're here when the swell is in, it's the prime spot to watch a spectacular big wave surfing show. When the action's over, head inside the fort to the Surfer Wall exhibition, a gallery of surfboards of famed international surfers who have conquered Praia do Norte's mighty seas.
The Farol da Nazaré lighthouse overlooks Praia do Norte's famous surf spot
© Mattias Hammar / Red Bull Content Pool
3. La Corbière – an island light (sometimes)
The famous La Corbière lighthouse is in the southwest corner of Jersey, where it sits on an island – sometimes. It's built on a tidal rock, connected to the land via a causeway that becomes submerged during high tide. For olden-day sailors travelling from England to France, it marked the completion of the most difficult part of the journey.
Corbiere Lighthouse in evening light
© Getty Images/Vetta
4. Peggy's Point – postcard picture perfect in Canada
Canada's Maritime state of Nova Scotia has over 3,800 individual islands and many, many lighthouses – but few are as well-documented as Peggy's Point, a 100-year-old lighthouse. Sitting atop granite rock, it's one of the most photographed locations on the Atlantic seaboard. Why the name 'Peggy'? Legend has it the name of the village (Peggy's Cove) came from the sole survivor of a shipwreck in the 1800s – making it a good location for a lighthouse.
Rough sea around the Peggy's Cove lighthouse
© Getty Images/Vetta
5. Ponta Bonita – keeper of treacherous waters
You may have to do a half-mile hike to get to the Ponta Bonita lighthouse in the Marin Headlands, but at least you won't have to drive far beforehand – the fact that it's just an hour outside of San Francisco makes it a pretty easy place to visit. The lighthouse itself is 40m above the sea and a map inside details the 300 shipwrecksthat have taken place in the treacherous waters nearby.
Point Bonita lighthouse near San Francisco, CA
© Getty Images/Gallo Images
6. Mouro Island – battling against the waves
This is the Mouro Island Light in Santander, Spain. It's one of the most famous lighthouses in the world, with good reason – it's situated to bear the brunt of the Atlantic's fiercest storms. Images of waves crashing over the stone bluffs make their way into media every winter, yet still the 'Faro de Mouro' stands strong at the entrance to Santander Bay. It's not open to the public as it's still an active aid to navigation.
Isla Mouro Light gets battered by waves
© Getty Images/Flickr Open
7. Eddystone – landing pad and a lighthouse
It's not very easy to see the Eddystone lighthouse in person – it's 12nm SSW off Plymouth Sound, England and the only real access is via a helicopter flight onto the roof-top landing pad. Why have a lighthouse 12 nautical miles offshore? The reef it marks often pops above the water at low tide, rendering it incredibly dangerous to passing ships in this heavily trafficked area. How important is it? It's been rebuilt four times already and you can see the structure of a previous lighthouse sitting on a rock a hundred metres away.
Eddystone, where you can land a heli on the roof
© Paul Young
8. Petit Minou – a building ready for battle
Brest in the north west of France is famous for its high winds and stormy seas – and the Petit Minou lighthouse is famous for keeping sailors safe. It's over 150 years old and its light reaches 35km out to sea as it guides sailors into the 'Roadstead of Brest', which is actually a bay of historic military importance. Photographer Erwan Le Roux has more incredible lighthouse images on his Flickr page.
Petit Minou lighthouse lights up the night
© Erwan Le Roux