Lighthouses Québec

lighthouses quebec

With its borders on three oceans, Quebec is home to 43 traditional lighthouses along the coast and on its maritime islands. Proud guardians of our heritage, some 20 of these sentinels offer tourism activities or accommodations.

These beacons of safety, with their imposing cliff-top locations and breathtaking views, make for an impressive sight and a unique way to discover the sea. From the smallest to the tallest, here are some of the lighthouses quebec worth a visit.

Lighthouses quebec

Originally built as bonfires on the ends of points at harbor entrances, later replaced by towers with lenses, they served as navigation aids for ships entering and exiting the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of Saint-Laurent, and also for vessels traversing the Atlantic. The first lighthouse in Canada, which stood at Louisbourg for 1734, was rebuilt many times after it was destroyed by fire and bombardment during the Siege of Louisbourg (1758).

The Pointe-a-la-Renommee (Gaspe) lighthouse is famous for being the first marine wireless telegraphy station in North America, founded on the point by Guglielmo Marconi in 1904. Today, this historic site offers visitors a representation of the fascinating history of this lighthouse and its station, and allows them to discover how the way of life and traditions of families of lighthouse keepers and maritime radio telegraph operators have evolved through time.

This magnificent structure is one of the most striking and majestic lighthouses quebec in Quebec. Located at the tip of an exposed peninsula, it was built in 1872. The lighthouse was closed in 1957, but it was restored to its former glory and opened as a heritage site. It is now a popular spot for watching whales and seals in the gulf of Saint-Laurent.