Coastal Sites: 6 of Florida's East Coast Lighthouses to Add to Your Boating Bucket List
Florida’s East Coast has a nautical history involving shipwrecks, trade routes and treasure-seeking explorers. Lighthouses have lit the way for decades (and in some cases, centuries). If you are renting a dock or slip anywhere near St. Augustine, Cape Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale or Miami, look them up the next time you’re out on the water.
Amelia Island Lighthouse
The white brick Amelia Island Light, located in Fernandina Beach, is the oldest in Florida. Built in 1839, it is operational but currently unavailable for climbing. It stands 64 feet tall and has 69 steps. There’s an oil storage house and a keeper’s house on the property.
St. Augustine Lighthouse
The St. Augustine Lighthouse is a popular tourist stop due to its easy access and beautiful location. Visitors walk through a wooded path to get to the black and white spiral-striped lighthouse. The light is privately owned, active and climbable. At 167 feet in height, you’ll have stunning views of the surrounding waterways. There’s also a gift shop to commemorate that climb.
Built in 1871, the lighthouse was restored in 1994 and 2000. The original keeper’s house is on the property. Bonus: St. Augustine Light is supposedly haunted and has appeared on the TV show Ghost Hunters. Nighttime ghost tours are offered if you dare.
Cape Canaveral Lighthouse
Located on the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the iron Cape Canaveral Lighthouse is an active beacon. It just recently re-opened to the public so now’s your chance to visit. It’s 151 feet tall with 179 steps to the top. Visitors can climb to the fifth floor.
First built in 1868, to warn ships of the dangerous offshore shoals, it was moved further inland in 1894. The lighthouse features alternating bands of black and white horizontal stripes with a black lantern.
Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse
At 175 feet tall, the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is the tallest in Florida (and one of the tallest in the U.S.). It’s located about 10 miles south of Daytona Beach near Lighthouse Point Park on the Atlantic. The red granite tower with black trim was built in 1887 and is a National Historic Landmark.
The light is open for climbing, and the property has three original keepers’ houses as well as a special exhibit building of Fresnel lenses. The original first-order lenses from Ponce Inlet and Cape Canaveral are there. For those not in the know, a Fresnel lens has a series of rings that concentrate the light into a narrow beam that can be seen from up to 20 miles away. This was breakthrough technology for lighthouse illumination.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse
Operated by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society, the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse stands along the 120-acre Outstanding Natural Area which offers wildlife viewing, lagoons, birdwatching and hiking trails. At 108 feet tall, it is active and open to the public for climbing. There’s an adjoining museum and a gift shop as well as a pioneer house and hiking trails.
Built between 1854 and 1860 to warn ships of the reefs along the coast, it’s rumored to have the oldest first-order Fresnel lens in the state. The red brick tower offers beautiful views by boat if you’re looking for a day trip from your Riviera Beach or North Palm Beach private boat slip rental.
Cape Florida Lighthouse
The active Cape Florida Light is located at the end of Key Biscayne in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. The area is just south of Miami and makes a great excursion from a private boat slip rental in Key Largo or Fort Lauderdale. Built in 1846, the 95-foot tall whitewashed brick tower has a black lantern.
It replaced a lighthouse that was damaged in the Second Seminole War. After climbing 112 steps to the top, you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Miami skyline and Stiltsville. There’s an original keeper’s house, kitchen and privy (outhouse), along with a museum and a gift shop.
What’s your favorite East Coast Florida lighthouse?
