Ferryland
The Lighthouse
Shore
A two-kilometre walk to a lighthouse perched above the Atlantic. A gourmet picnic basket waiting at the top. Whales in the bay. Icebergs on the horizon. And 400 years of history in the cliffs below.
Newfoundland
Where Gourmet Picnics
Meet 400 Years
of History
Ferryland is one of the most rewarding half-day or full-day trips from St. John’s a small community on Newfoundland’s Southern Shore where the sea has shaped everything: the history, the landscape, the food, and the way people live. Located about 90 minutes south of the capital along the Irish Loop (Route 10), Ferryland is compact, characterful, and surprisingly deep.
Its two headline experiences are unmistakable. The Ferryland Lighthouse Picnics have become one of the most celebrated dining experiences in Atlantic Canada a 2 km coastal walk to a headland lighthouse, where a gourmet picnic basket awaits with locally made food, panoramic Atlantic views, and the very real possibility of watching humpback whales and icebergs from your blanket. Reservations fill weeks in advance. This is not an experience to leave to chance.
In the town below, the Colony of Avalon is one of North America’s most significant early European archaeological sites a 17th-century settlement founded in 1621 by Sir George Calvert, where active excavations continue to uncover artifacts and stories from the earliest years of European life in the New World. The interpretive centre brings this extraordinary history to life beautifully.
Ferryland Lighthouse
Picnics — One of
Canada’s Best Experiences
The Ferryland Lighthouse Picnic has become one of the most talked-about dining experiences in Atlantic Canada — and justifiably so. It combines a beautiful coastal walk, a dramatic lighthouse setting, panoramic ocean views, outstanding local food, and the almost surreal possibility of eating your lunch while watching humpback whales breach and icebergs drift past on the Atlantic horizon.
The concept is simple. Walk the 2 km trail from the parking area to the Ferryland Lighthouse headland — a gorgeous coastal walk in its own right, passing through meadows and coastal scrub with views opening over the Southern Shore. At the lighthouse, collect your gourmet picnic basket prepared by the Lighthouse Picnics team: fresh local sandwiches, soups, salads, charcuterie, baked goods, and beverages, all made with locally sourced Newfoundland ingredients. Set up your blanket on the headland and eat with the Atlantic stretched out before you.
The Lighthouse Picnics are enormously popular and book out quickly — often weeks or even months in advance for July and August summer weekends. Plan ahead and book online at lighthousepicnics.ca as soon as you know your dates. The experience operates seasonally, weather permitting, from late spring through early fall.
Book Online in Advance
Reserve your picnic at lighthousepicnics.ca — essential in July and August. Pick your time slot and group size. Credit card required to hold reservation.
Walk the 2 km Trail
Park at the Ferryland Lighthouse Picnics site on Lighthouse Road and walk the scenic 2 km coastal trail to the lighthouse. Allow 30–40 minutes each way.
Collect Your Picnic Basket
At the lighthouse, collect your gourmet basket filled with locally made food and beverages. Blankets and servingware provided.
Enjoy with Whales & Icebergs
Find your spot on the headland and eat with the Atlantic spread before you. Whales are regularly visible from June–August. Icebergs in May–June.
Inside the Ferryland Lighthouse Experience
All eight photographs from the Ferryland Lighthouse and surrounding headland — the coastal walk, the views, the lighthouse structure, and the Southern Shore coastline.
The Colony of Avalon —
Where North America’s
History Was Written
The Colony of Avalon is one of the oldest and most thoroughly excavated early European settlements in North America. Founded in 1621 by Sir George Calvert — who would later become the first Lord Baltimore — the colony was an ambitious attempt to establish a permanent English settlement on Newfoundland’s Southern Shore. The community thrived for decades before being attacked and burned by French forces in 1696.
What makes the Colony of Avalon extraordinary is the sheer scale and quality of the archaeology. The site has yielded over 500,000 artifacts — the largest collection of 17th-century material culture in North America — and active excavations continue to uncover new finds each summer season. Visitors can watch archaeologists at work in the dig trenches, handling centuries-old ceramics, glass, coins, and domestic items that tell the story of daily life in Newfoundland’s earliest English settlement.
The interpretive centre and museum present the artifacts and stories in compelling detail, contextualising Ferryland within the broader history of English and European settlement in the New World. A visit to the Colony of Avalon, combined with the lighthouse picnic, makes for one of the richest full days on the Avalon Peninsula.
The Best of Ferryland
Ferryland rewards visitors who give it a full day the lighthouse walk, the picnic, the Colony, a whale watching scan from the headland, and a leisurely drive home along the Southern Shore.
The Ferryland Lighthouse headland is one of the finest land-based whale watching viewpoints on the Avalon Peninsula. Humpback whales feed in the waters off Ferryland from June through August, and the elevated headland viewpoint makes sighting their blows and breaches surprisingly easy. The lighthouse picnic becomes a whale watching experience with the right timing.
The Southern Shore between Bay Bulls and Trepassey is one of the finest iceberg viewing stretches on the Avalon. From late April through June, ancient Arctic icebergs drift south along this coastline. The Ferryland Lighthouse headland offers unobstructed views of the open Atlantic — in peak years, multiple bergs can be visible simultaneously from the same spot.
The world-class East Coast Trail runs directly through Ferryland, connecting this section of the Southern Shore to over 300 km of spectacular coastal hiking across the Avalon Peninsula. The Ferryland sections offer cliff walks with dramatic views, sea stack formations, and coastal meadows — accessible as day hikes from the town.
Activities in Ferryland
From archaeology to Atlantic picnics — a full day in Ferryland covers some of the richest historical and natural ground on the Avalon.
The signature Ferryland experience — walk the 2 km coastal trail to the lighthouse, collect your gourmet picnic basket, and eat with the Atlantic before you. Whale and iceberg spotting from your blanket. Book weeks in advance for summer. lighthousepicnics.ca
Book at lighthousepicnics.caExplore North America’s most thoroughly excavated 17th-century English settlement. Watch archaeologists at work, view 500,000+ recovered artifacts, and explore the museum’s interpretation of early colonial life. Open seasonally June–October with guided tours.
Jun–Oct · Guided ToursHumpback whales feed in the waters off Ferryland from June through August. The lighthouse headland is an excellent free land-based viewpoint. Boat tours from Bay Bulls (30 minutes north) with O’Brien’s and Gatherall’s provide closer encounters throughout the summer.
Jun–AugThe Southern Shore from Ferryland to Trepassey offers some of the finest iceberg viewing on the Avalon Peninsula. May and early June are peak season. The lighthouse headland is a superb vantage point — combining with the picnic experience in late May–June creates the perfect Ferryland visit.
Apr–Jun PeakThe world-class East Coast Trail runs through Ferryland — 300+ km of cliff-side hiking along the Avalon coastline. The Ferryland sections are accessible as day hikes with dramatic coastal scenery, sea stacks, and wildlife viewing. Trail maps at eastcoasttrail.com.
Year-RoundThe coves and inlets around Ferryland have been productive fishing grounds for 400 years. Recreational cod jigging, sea trout fishing in local ponds, and charter boat fishing are available from local operators during the summer season.
Summer SeasonFerryland’s combination of lighthouse, ocean, coastal meadows, historical ruins, and seasonal wildlife makes it one of the most photogenic locations on the Avalon Peninsula. The lighthouse headland at golden hour — with the Atlantic turning copper below — is extraordinary. Early morning visits avoid the summer crowds.
Golden Hour BestFerryland sits midway along the 312 km Irish Loop scenic drive around the Avalon Peninsula’s southern tip. The drive south from Ferryland to Cape Race and Mistaken Point UNESCO World Heritage Site is spectacular — wild, remote coastal roads with virtually no traffic and extraordinary views.
Day Drive · Route 10Ferryland on
the Irish Loop
Ferryland sits on the Irish Loop — a 312 km scenic coastal drive around the southern Avalon Peninsula that is one of the great coastal drives in Atlantic Canada. Most visitors combine Ferryland with other stops along the loop, making it an excellent full-day road trip from St. John’s.
The loop passes through some of the most spectacular and least-visited coastal scenery in Newfoundland, with tiny outport communities, dramatic headlands, and the wild south coast opening up as you drive further from the capital. Key stops along the loop from St. John’s heading south include:
How to Reach Ferryland
Ferryland is a 90-minute drive south of St. John’s on Route 10 — straightforward, scenic, and easy to combine with other Southern Shore stops.
📅 Book the Picnic Months in Advance
The Ferryland Lighthouse Picnics are one of the most popular summer experiences in all of Newfoundland. July and August weekend slots can fill up months in advance. As soon as you have travel dates, go to lighthousepicnics.ca and secure your reservation. Weekday slots and shoulder season (June, September) are much easier to book at shorter notice.
🧊 Come in Late May for Icebergs
The Ferryland headland offers exceptional iceberg viewing in late May and early June — you can combine the lighthouse picnic with iceberg watching for an extraordinary experience. Check icebergfinder.com before you go for real-time sighting reports along the Southern Shore.
🌧️ Dress for Coastal Weather
The lighthouse headland is fully exposed to the Atlantic. Even on warm inland days, the coastal point can be 10–15 degrees cooler and often foggy or breezy. Bring a warm layer, a wind-proof jacket, and comfortable walking shoes for the 2 km trail in each direction. The picnic experience is outdoors in all weather.
🌊 Make a Day of the Irish Loop
Don’t drive straight back to St. John’s after Ferryland. Continue 30 km south to the spectacular Mistaken Point UNESCO World Heritage Site near Portugal Cove South, or detour to Cape Race. The further south you go on the Irish Loop, the more remote and rewarding the landscape becomes.
Tips for Visiting Ferryland
The Walk is Part of the Experience
Don’t rush the 2 km trail to the lighthouse. The coastal meadows, seabird activity, and harbour views on the way out are beautiful in their own right — and the slow approach makes the view from the lighthouse headland all the more dramatic when it finally opens up before you.
Late May–June is the Best Window
Late May and early June offer the finest Ferryland experience: icebergs visible from the headland, early whale season, the lighthouse picnics in full swing, and quieter summer crowds. The combination of icebergs and whales viewable from your picnic blanket is genuinely extraordinary.
Visit the Colony Before the Lighthouse
Spend the morning at the Colony of Avalon before heading to the lighthouse in the afternoon. The historical context of early colonial life in Ferryland makes the landscape around you far richer as you hike out to the lighthouse point.
Pack Binoculars for the Headland
The lighthouse headland is perfect for whale and iceberg watching, but you’ll see significantly more with binoculars. Bring a good pair for scanning the horizon — whale blows, breaches, and the distinctive blue-white flash of icebergs are all much more visible with magnification from the point.
Arrive for Sunrise in Summer
If you’re a photographer or early riser, the drive down Route 10 from St. John’s before dawn and arrival at the Ferryland lighthouse for sunrise is spectacular — the Southern Shore fog burning off the Atlantic in the early morning light is one of the finest photographic opportunities on the Avalon.
Continue South to Mistaken Point
Ferryland is 30 km north of Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve — a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 565-million-year-old Ediacaran fossils in the coastal cliffs. Guided tours run twice daily from late spring through fall. It’s one of the most scientifically significant stops in all of Atlantic Canada, and almost nobody goes.
Common Questions About Ferryland
Plan Your Ferryland Visit
Walk to the
Lighthouse.
The Picnic Awaits.
Ferryland is 90 minutes south of St. John’s and one of the most rewarding stops on the entire Avalon Peninsula. Book your lighthouse picnic and plan your Irish Loop day trip.