An unplanned picnic at the Ferryland Lighthouse near St. John’s, Newfoundland was one of the most memorable experiences of our summer vacation.
One of the best experiences on our recent trip to Newfoundland was one that I hadn’t even planned – a picnic lunch at the Ferryland Lighthouse.
We had started our day with a boat tour of the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve and then decided to drive a bit of the Irish Loop before heading back to St. John’s. Ferryland is located along this scenic drive and is one of the oldest communities in North America as it was settled by Europeans in the 17th century.
I had read about Ferryland and knew that the primary attractions in the community were the Colony of Avalon, an active archaeological dig, and the 19th century Lighthouse. I thought that this would make an interesting stop after our puffin and whale watching tour. The drive from Bay Bulls to Ferryland took longer than I had expected though and some backseat grumbling about needing food had already started before we arrived in Ferryland.
We parked near the Colony of Avalon and checked out a nearby restaurant but the kids vetoed the menu. The girl who was working there suggested that we walk up the hill to the lighthouse because they served delicious chocolate cake. We parked the car and started the walk toward the lighthouse amid a fair bit of complaining about the distance and imminent starvation.
Walking to Lighthouse
As we started up the trail to the lighthouse we saw this sign which pointed out that a “huge part of the Lighthouse Picnics experience is the beautiful walk…“. I don’t think that it was meant to be ironic but given the amount of grumbling that I was hearing about the distance to the lighthouse it did strike me as just a bit amusing.
The walk is part of the experience!
After perhaps 20 minutes we arrived at the historic lighthouse and the views of the coast were stunning – definitely worth the walk. The classic red and white lighthouse at Ferryland Head was built in 1870 and for the first 100 years of its existence it was staffed by families living in the two-family dwelling that was built alongside.
The first lighthouse keeper was a ship builder named Michael Kearney and his assistant keeper was William Costello. The Costello family continued as the primary keepers of the light at Ferryland for 100 years. The lighthouse is still operational but it is now automated. The lighthouse dwelling was abandoned and fell into disrepair until it was restored by Lighthouse Picnics and reopened in 2004.
Emma at Ferryland Lighthouse
Unfortunately, when we entered the lighthouse to inquire about purchasing a picnic lunch we learned that they had to be reserved ahead of time as all the food is prepared on site and the kitchen can only produce a set number per hour. Our only hope was to wait and see if someone cancelled or didn’t show up for their lunch.
The complaining escalated to a fever pitch at this point because starvation was, apparently, at hand if we didn’t get food to eat as soon as possible. We were about to give up and try and buy some chocolates or cookies to tide the kids over when we were informed that there had indeed been a cancellation and we could order a picnic lunch.
Sitting outside the lighthouse
Lighthouse Picnics is staffed by ladies who make all the food fresh at the lighthouse each day. Local and organic ingredients are used as much as possible and the smell of freshly baked goods greets visitors as soon as they enter the lighthouse. Once we had perused the menu and ordered our lunch, we were given a picnic blanket and wandered a bit while waiting for our meal to be prepared.
Reading the picnic menu
Exhibit inside lighthouse
Ready for a picnic
After a short wait we had our picnic lunch – chutney-glazed ham and brie for the adults and ham and cheddar for the kids, homemade brownies and fresh lemonade served in Mason jars – and set about finding the perfect spot along the headland to enjoy it.
Our picnic lunch
Yummy picnic lunch
I don’t believe that I have ever eaten in a place as breathtakingly beautiful as this. Sitting on the clifftop with the backdrop of the historic lighthouse and surrounded on three sides by the crashing waves of the Atlantic, we just relaxed and enjoyed our delicious lunch, the company and the spectacular view.
Relaxing at Ferryland
Emma at Ferryland Lighthouse
Coastal view
Katie at Ferryland
It was difficult to finally leave the Ferryland Lighthouse and Katie summed up how we all felt when she declared that she wished we had spent the entire day there.
Enjoying the view
If ever you find yourself in Newfoundland, reserve a picnic lunch and drive to Ferryland – it just may be the most memorable day of your vacation.
Ferryland Lighthouse
What You Need To Know
- Ferryland is approximately an hour’s drive from St. John’s (about 80km south on Route 10);
- The Lighthouse is about a 2km walk from the start of Lighthouse Road;
- Lighthouse Picnics are available seasonally – generally from the end of May to the end of September;
- Reservations may be made by phone or email – contact information is available here;
- Hours are 11:30am – 4:30pm;
- Comfortable walking shoes are a good idea for the trail to the lighthouse and for exploring the headland;
- There is an indoor seating area in the event of rain;
- Restrooms are available on the 2nd floor;
- The cost of a picnic lunch is approximately $25, $12 for a child’s lunch (four of us shared two lunches and we had plenty);
- VISA, Mastercard, and debit cards are accepted for payment as well as cash.
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Michele @ Malaysian Meanders
Chocolate cake at a lighthouse? Totally worth the walk!! That picnic looks amazing, and you now have me craving ham and brie. Do you know how hard that is to find in Malaysia? You’ve convinced me to reserve a picnic here someday.
Mary {The World Is A Book}
What a wonderful place to have a picnic! I love the surrounding scenery and how peaceful it looks. This is such a great idea and yummy on your picnic feast! Looks like it was worth it amidst the starvation complaints 🙂
Tonya @ The Traveling Praters
I’m a huge fan of lighthouses and this one gets bonus points since it’s such a lovely location for a picnic!
Lucky for you that they had that lunch cancellation! My kids and husband are one grumpy bunch once they get hungry!
Becca@RWTYM?
Sounds like fun and the picnic lunch looked delicious!!! What a neat experience to say you had a picnic on the coast, under a lighthouse!!
Thanks for linking up!
eileen at FamiliesGo!
we had a great experiene driving and camping in New Foundland before kids. I loved it Though driving those big distances with kids is a little intimidating I’d love to take Tiny Traveler back to St. Johns and GrosMorne.
Allison
I love lighthouses, and a picnic lunch like that would make a visit even more special. Hooray for the cancellation! Thanks for sharing your experience and the great photos!
Lisa Goodmurphy
The picnic was amazing – delicious homemade food, a spectacular view, and a gorgeous day – it simply could not have been a better afternoon!
Lisa Goodmurphy
It was wonderful and, at the end of the day, the one who was doing the most complaining about starving if she had to walk one more step actually enjoyed it as much, if not more, than the rest of us! 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
I love lighthouses too but I have never seen anyone having a picnic at one until this! Thank goodness for the no-show or our day would have gone way downhill. My older daughter has been the same since she was a baby – the second she gets hungry we hear about it!!
Lisa Goodmurphy
It was a lot of fun, Becca – there can’t be a more beautiful spot than Ferryland to have a picnic!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Newfoundland is definitely a big province and really takes at least 2 weeks to see properly. We only had 1 week so we concentrated on St. John’s, the Avalon Peninsula, and Terra Nova Park. Gros Morne just seemed like too far of a drive with kids for the time we had. Will definitely return to see Gros Morne and L’Anse-aux-Meadows.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks, Allison! I don’t know what it is about lighthouses but I love them too! You can’t imagine how relieved I was when we found out that there was a no-show and we could have a picnic!!
Kate @ Wild Tales of...
I love your story, and happy ending! I was so worried for you and your family when you said they had to reserve ahead of time. Thank goodness for cancellations & not giving up 🙂 Such a beautiful lighthouse. I can’t wait to explore eastern Canada more.
Jessica
You pack an amazing picnic lunch!
Stuart
You can’t beat a good family walk to a lighthouse.. something about being close to the sea, cliffs and a clear thing for everyone to aim for! This one looks great… with all the right ingredients, espcially in the picnic. Somehow many of our long distance journeys have always started and finished at lighthouses too… I guess because they mark the beginning and end of the land. Interesting places… we just had one of our best ever lighthouse walks on The Faroe islands.
Amy
Oh Lisa! I am so glad shared this and I’m so jealous! We were suppose to cruise into St. Johns, but the captain cancelled that port because of the hurricane last month. We were still able to visit Halifax though, and I thought about you wondering when you were traveling to St Johns. I’m glad you missed the bad weather!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks, Kate – I don’t think the afternoon would have gone quite so well if we hadn’t been able to get food! 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
Ah, that was the beauty of Ferryland, Jessica, all I had to do was pay for it! 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
I love lighthouses and being by the sea – I could easily spend the day sitting and looking at the water! Will definitely stop by to read about your Faroe Islands experience.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Oh Amy, I am so sorry that you weren’t able to stop in St. John’s – the weather can be so unpredictable along the coast! We were in Newfoundland from August 17th – 24th and other than some wind and chilly weather the first couple of days it was fine. I hope you enjoyed Halifax. It’s one of my favourite cities and Katie is considering going to university there – we made time for a campus tour while we were visiting.
Kenya G. Johnson
Nice pics! That’s wonderful that you got in on a cancellation. The lunch looks good too. ~TALU