This lighthouse is the diamond in the crown of Rose Blanche. It can be seen from almost everywhere in town.
It has been there since 1873 and was the focus of a community restoration initiative in 1996 to make it the tourist attraction it is today. Furthermore, it's a designated Heritage site.
You can drive to the lighthouse but for much of its history, there were only walking trails. That series of trails is still in use today. For a historical lighthouse experience, you can park in town, and walk out to the lighthouse via the same trails that the early lighthouse keepers would have used.
When arriving at the lighthouse, it oozes with history, the sea surrounds it, and the granite landscape anchors it.
There are breathtaking seascapes with waves breaking on the rocky shore in every direction. Whether closer to sunrise or sunset, different light casts different shadows changing the view. The breaking waves bring the place to life with the sights and sounds of the sea.
The southwest coast is known for its fog. One minute it's sunny and the next, a warm moist pocket of air can condense over the cool Atlantic water to form a bank of fog. The continuous winds and waves carry the fog to and fro at will.
Wandering through the lighthouse, there's the tower with winding stone stairs, the kitchen set up as the Light Keeper would have had it, a bedroom neatly kept, and the study looking out to sea where the Keeper would have written in his daily log.
The local folks and tourists alike make wonderful use of the Lighthouse site. There's a museum, a store with local arts and crafts, and even a spot to buy lunch called the Grub Box.
The operation is locally managed, and the staff are friendly and helpful.
Whether the lighthouse is bathed in sunshine or shrouded in fog, the diamond in the crown shines out to sea from the shores of southwest Newfoundland.