Lighthouses R Us

This site is intended to be a master index of all the lighthouses in the Americas (North and South). It now includes portions of Europe as well. For an index of "all the Lights of the World", I recommend The Lighthouse Directory.

The unique focus of this site (as opposed to some of those listed in the references) is the intentional focus on maps (via Google's API). This was designed with the intention to help people (like your webmaster) who wish to see multiple lights plan a trip. An overview map is available to guide you - more detailed overview maps are the major links (e.g., "Great Lakes" on the left.) In addition to the map pages, I have included some GPS Point of Interest (POI) files. You can download one or more of these files and find the lights with your GPS navigation tools.

A Definition of a Lighthouse (wholly mine, but a guide to the contents of these pages).

An registered aid to navigation of waterways
Illuminated (after all, it is a lighthouse)
Fixed in position (not a buoy or a ship)
Large enough to get inside of (yes, it is also a lighthouse)

I violate these rules periodically, but will so note. Thus there are some homes that were built to look like lighthouses. There are some buoys and lightships shown. And, there are even some structures that are much too small to get inside of. I've tried to be comprehensive with those structures that meet all 4 criteria. Other structures will be shown if they are of interest or unique, but no attempt has been made to record each and every one of them.

This page is here to be an index to the other pages. There are a number of significant references that I have used and those are summarized on a separate page.

Find lights near some place

Marblehead light (Lake Erie)

Black Head (Ireland)

Spending Your Vacation at a Lighthouse

When your friends ask you where you are staying on holiday, they expect you to reel off the name of a hotel, villa or holiday complex. These places are popular because they do everything you need them to do. However by limiting your choices to these standard venues, you can miss out on some of the real gems. One such gem is undoubtedly the lighthouse.

Lighthouses are some of the most beautiful and exciting places to stay on holiday. By nature of their location on the rockiest sections of coastline they are visually stunning, inspiring many of the writers of the Romantic Movement and some of the best works of art. The architecture of lighthouses is unique and interesting, and each floor of the towering structure holds a new surprise. From the top, expect fantastic views of luscious ocean scenery through large glass windows. On the other floors will be bedrooms, living space, a kitchen and often an impressive ground floor lobby area.

Although they can be remote, lighthouses are nearly always accessible by road as they once had to be connected to infrastructure so that lighthouse keepers could reach them. Whilst they are often far enough from civilization for a relaxed break away from the bustle of city life they can also be nestled within towns, so it is worth thinking about the kind of holiday you want before choosing a lighthouse.

Lighthouses are almost always self-catering. They are only big enough to hold one family at the most so it does not make economic sense to provide hotel services. This adds to the sense that you are living like a lighthouse keeper, staying home in order to provide a constant service to ships. However on your holiday you have the benefit of not being confined to the lighthouse, so should you choose to go out it won`t be a problem! Some lighthouses actually have living quarters in adjacent cottages, but generally you will still be the only inhabitant.

This type of holiday is great for all ages. Families will enjoy the great outdoors and the kids will love the view from the top of the lighthouse. For couples, it offers a romantic break away from civilization and plenty of opportunity for nature walks. Even if you want to go alone and have an authentic lighthouse keeper`s experience, you can`t fail to be enthralled by the ocean views and sense of isolation.

Generally, lighthouses are some of the best examples of self catering accommodation out there. You are truly left on your own, sometimes jutting out into the sea miles from civilization and at other times simply secluded from the hubbub around you by nature of the thick walls. You get to enjoy the beauty of your surroundings and also the originality of your situation. So the next time a friend asks you where you are staying on holiday, why not surprise them by saying `a lighthouse`. You won`t regret it, and they won`t forget it.

Some examples are identified in these pages. For example, in Scotland Cantick Head, and in Ireland Black Head. There are several lights on the Great Lakes where you will be the Keeper for a period. For a list of these, see the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association page.

If you are touring in a boat, here's a directory of Marinas through the United States and abroad indicating services for boaters and marina owners.

The Americas

The North American East Coast

Québec	New Brunswick	Nova Scotia	Prince Edward Island
Maine	Vermont/NH	Massachusetts	Rhode Island/ Connecticut
New York (Southeast)	New Jersey	Delaware	Maryland
Virginia	North Carolina	South Carolina	Georgia

Cominicut (Rhode Island)

White Shoal (Lake Michigan)

The Great Lakes

Lake Michigan

Our "home base" is in the middle of the Great Lakes. Thus you will find more of my photos here than in any other section.

The Gulf of Mexico

Texas	Louisiana	Mississippi	Alabama	Florida
Antilles	Bahamas	Dominican Republic	Jamaica	Puerto Rico
	Haiti	Bermuda	Cuba

The North American West Coast

Alaska	British Columbia	Washington	Oregon	California
		Hawaii

Point Reyes (California)

Central & South America

Mexico	CostaRica		Panama
Belize	Honduras	El Salvador	Nicaragua
Venezuela	Brazil	Uruguay	Argentina
Colombia	Peru	Ecuador	Chile

Europe

Scandinavia

N. Norway	NW Norway	W. Norway	SE Norway	East Denmark
S. Norway	SW Norway	Ws Norway		West Denmark
NE Sweden	E Sweden	SE Sweden	S Sweden	W Sweden
	NW Sweden	Lakes of Sweden	Finland

United Kingdom

Northern Europe

Belgium	Netherlands	North Sea Germany	Baltic Germany
		Poland
N. France	W.France	S. France	Corsica

Southern Europe

Northwest Spain	Canary Islands		Portugal	Crete
East Spain	NW Italy	SW Italy	Sicily	Sardinia
Andalusia	NE Italy	SE Italy	Slovenia	Croatia
Montenegro	Greece (West)	Greece (North)	Greece (South)	Greece (Aegean Sea)

Asia Minor

Turkey (North)	Turkey (West)	Turkey (South)	Cyprus
Syria	Bulgaria	Romania		Georgia

Ouistreham (Caen, France)

maintenance