One of the places you won’t want to miss while you’re in PEI is the West Point Lighthouse. It’s remote enough to not be overrun with tourists, it sits on a beautiful beach, and if you like, you can even spend the night there!
West Point is PEI’s oldest lighthouse, built in 1875. It’s now a museum and hotel, and you can even stay in one of the original rooms right in the lighthouse.
There are several to the top of this lighthouse, with the staircases getting taller and steeper on each subsequent level. I have a love/hate relationship with those stairs – they scare me to death, but the view at the top is worth it! The top level is right where the giant light is, and there’s just enough room to stand and look out the windows at the ocean below.
On the way up, each level has artifacts and history relating to the lighthouse. During it’s 88 year run with staff, only two lighthouse keepers were employed: William Anderson from 1875-1925 and Benjamin MacIssac from 1925-1963.
We explored each level, and then headed out to the beach. This beach, part of Cedar Dunes Provincial Park, has those wonderful grassy dunes so often pictured when you think of PEI. It’s off the beaten track, and there are no tourist traps to speak of – a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of Cavendish!
Whether you stay for the night, or just visit during the day, I would definitely recommend adding West Point Lighthouse to your PEI bucket list!
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