The province of Newfoundland and Labrador consists of the Island of Newfoundland and the mainland plateau region of Labrador which borders the province of Québec. Most areas are accessible by road, with the exception of Newfoundland’s northwestern interior and Labrador’s northern extremities. Visitors should consult the provincial tourism office for information on tours to these remote regions.
Island of NewfoundlandSoutheastHome to the majority of Newfoundland’s population, the Avalon Peninsula is full of historic settlements dating back to
the 17th century. Trinity records the history of European explorers’ first encounter with the ancient Beothuk people. The town of Placentia, like many of the older towns of this region, was established by Basque fishermen almost 500 years ago. It later became the French capital of Newfoundland in the 17th and 18th centuries. On Newfoundland’s southeast coast lies the seabird ecological reserve of Witless Bay, which is home to thousands of Atlantic Puffins and over one million northern seabirds.
The provincial capital and a busy port, St John’s is the region’s economic and communications center, with a good natural harbor that is bounded by hills. Water Street is one of the oldest shopping streets in North America and still bustles with activity. Signal Hill, the reception point for Guglielmo Marconi’s first transatlantic radio transmission from England in 1901, is Canada’s second-largest national historic site and offers a good view of the town and harbor to the west. The Quidi Vidi Battery is worth visiting. The Rooms (open 2005) include the old Newfoundland museum (formerly located at 285 Duckworth Street, A1C 1G9, St John's), the provincial archives and the provincial art gallery.
CentralTerra Nova National Park is an area of scenic rugged coastline adjoining Bonavista Bay, which also boasts an 18-hole golf course. The Burin Peninsula in the south has some beautiful coastal villages. At Fortune, a ferry runs to the island of St Pierre, which is officially part of France. A current passport is required to embark at Fortune. Fishing trips to the remote and barely accessible interior can be arranged at Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor. However, for anything except roadside fishing, visitors require the services of a licensed guide or outfitter, either of which can be found all over the island. Packages vary, depending on the location and the species being fished. An interpretive center and excavation site at Boyd’s Cove on the Kittiwake Coast recounts the history of Newfoundland’s mysterious Beothuk people, who once populated much of Newfoundland’s shores. Driving tours through the Kittiwake coastal area begin at Gander and wind through the fishing communities of Bonavista Bay and Notre Dame Bay. The Banting Interpretive Center at Musgrave Harbour honors the life and history of the Canadian scientist Sir Frederick Banting, co-discoverer of insulin. Icebergs can be seen from the sandy shores of Cape Freels. Further south are the communities of Greenspond, a small fishing village that dates back to the 17th century, and Indian Bay, which is known for its sport fishing opportunities. Blueberry fields abound in Indian Bay, which is a popular stopping point during the warm sunny months of August and September.
NorthwestThe Long Range Mountains dominate the western seaboard, along which runs a 715km- (444 mile-) coastal road affording good views of the fjords, mountains and beaches. Corner Brook, the island’s second city, set in a deep inlet halfway up the coast, is an outfitting center for expeditions to the lakes and rivers of the interior, many of which are accessible only by air. Wiltondale Pioneer Village demonstrates everyday life in the 19th century. Newfoundland’s west coast, the French Shore, has vibrant folk traditions.
The Great Northern Peninsula is a wilderness area of outstanding scenic beauty. It is best seen from Gros Morne National Park, a blend of rugged mountains, deep fjords and bays on the Gulf of St Lawrence. There are regularly scheduled boat tours. A national historic site at nearby Port au Choix pays homage to the Maritime Archaic People, whose local history dates back more than 5000 years. At the northernmost tip of the peninsula at L’Anse aux Meadows (which, like Gros Morne, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site) lie the restored remains of the earliest European settlement in the New World, a group of six sod houses built by Norsemen around the year AD 1000.
LabradorThe largely undisturbed wilderness of Labrador, which lies northwest of the Island of Newfoundland, has only 27,000 inhabitants, and can be reached by air or by ferry from the port of St Barbe on Newfoundland’s northern coast. The 16th-century Basque whaling station of Red Bay on Labrador’s southern coast is the oldest industrial complex in the New World. Close by, the Labrador Straits Museum has displays on the Maritime Archaic Indians who built a burial mound nearby at L’Anse-Amour around 5500 BC. Much of Labrador is undeveloped and, except in the few isolated towns and Inuit, Innu and Métis coastal villages, uninhabited. There are two principal road systems in Labrador, one which connects the inland mining town of Labrador City with the eastern inlet of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and a coastal highway that extends along the eastern coastline and links most of the region’s Atlantic fishing villages. Both provide opportunities for short day tours. Longer trips to the Labrador interior can be arranged through the many tour operators and outfitters that service the Labrador region. There's also a summer car ferry service between Lewisporte on Newfoundland's northeast coast and Happy Valley-Goose Bay on Lake Melville in Labrador. It sails from Lewisporte once a week. Winters can be bitterly cold in Labrador and travelers should come prepared. Labrador City, near the Labrador-Quebec border, is a favorite destination for snowmobiling, cross-country and downhill skiing.
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