8 Interesting Facts About Bermuda's Historic Lighthouses
Each more than 150 years old, Bermuda's two historic lighthouses have more than a few tales to tell – not to mention sweeping views of the island, great whale watching and photo-worthy sunset scenes.
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Bermuda is home to a pair of historic beacons: St. David’s Lighthouse on St. David’s Island and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse in Southampton Parish. Here are just a few reasons why these two iconic island structures are so celebrated.
1. 185 Steps
That’s how many you’ll have to climb to get to the very top of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. There’s no elevator, but the panoramic ocean view makes the work out worth it.
2. Whale Watching
St. David’s Lighthouse offers great views, too – and it’s an ideal spot for watching humpback whales in the spring as they make their annual journey to northern feeding grounds. Climb the 85 steps to the top and watch for these magnificent mammals.
3. Keep on Shining
Gibbs Hill Lighthouse first started shining on May 1, 1846 and has been flashing out its beam to seafarers ever since. St. David’s is the younger of the two lighthouses, having been completed in 1879.
4. Ironclad
Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is one of the oldest cast iron lighthouses in the world. Why is cast iron a good material to use when building a lighthouse? Because it is watertight and weathers well, even in a salt-air environment. Maybe that’s why Gibbs Hill still looks so good after all these years.
5. Beacon of Light
The powerful beam of light from Gibbs Hill Lighthouse can be seen from up to 40 miles out at sea – and by airplanes at 10,000 feet and 120 miles away. The lighthouse’s lens is capable of shining a light equivalent to half a million candles. Standing 55 feet high (and 208 feet above sea level), St. David’s light has a range of 20 nautical miles.
