Lighthouses harken back to a time when seafaring meant more than switching on a GPS. These days, the only thing more nostalgic than touring these towers of yore is staying in one. At the Quirpon Island Lighthouse Inn, just past the northernmost tip of the Island of Newfoundland, Canada, guests are treated to a salty taste of life in a working lighthouse that dates back to the 1860s. The 10 rooms in the restored keeper's station are decorated with hand- made quilts and locally crafted furniture reminiscent of the original 19th-century decor. Spend the day watching orca and humpback whales from the cliffs above the Labrador Sea; trekking through the berry fields that cover the four- square-mile island for a picnic; or paddling among the seals, dolphins and sea otters that flit among the channels. Back at the inn, freshly baked bread and mussels straight from the island's sheltered coves make for a mariner's supper, and only the beam from the lantern room -- automated since 1996 -- colors the evening sky. It's a sojourn so peaceful, chances are you'll want to repeat the journey. Just let the beam of light guide you. linkumtours.com
More Beacons With Beds
- Help the lighthouse keepers at Veli Rat watch over the Croatian island of Durgi, as they have since 1849. lighthouses-croatia.com
- Stay at the Troubridge Island Lighthouse, which has guided ships to south Australia's shores for more than 150 years. 08-8852-6290
