Newfoundland

Newfoundland - Destination Overview
  • Location: Newfoundland,Canada -
  • Nearest Airport: St. John's International Airport

ICEBERG ALLEY

Iceberg alley signifies to outstretch of the Atlantic Ocean that extends from the arctic to Newfoundland.  A large amount of iceberg that drifts through Iceberg Alley originates from the coast of Greenland. Lumps of the glacier break off in the spring and summer and north-south currents take them along the Baffin Bay and into the The Labrador Sea where they eventually melt. Iceberg Alley can be best appreciated from the land or sea. Iceberg season starts in April and ends in June. Boat tours are organized along the shores of Iceberg Alley.

These enormous chunks of ice are approximately 10,000 years old. The pure water of these icebergs is used to make vodka, gin, rum, and beers by local breweries.

How to reach: You can drive to St. Lewis, Battle Harbour, Red Bay, Point Amour, St. Anthony, La Scie, Twillingate, Fogo Island, Change Islands, Bonavista. The first four can be accessed by car ferry from the island of Newfoundland year-round.

Hotels nearby:

  • HI
  • The Duckworth
  • Hillview Terrace Suites

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MUSEUM OF WHALES AND THINGS

Museum of Whales and Things is well known for the anarchic collection of maritime artifacts, art, and really whatever else happens to be around. The museum showcases skulls, antlers, bones on large scale construction techniques. Ben Ploughman's quirky Museum of Whales and Things is located in an old Basque fishing port on the western Newfoundland coast. Ploughman's art is more than worth a look both in the Museum and in his studio next door especially for pieces as "Crucifixion of Cod" and "A Smirk for Mona or Lisa". Most of his extraordinary work is made up of hand-carved, hand-painted wooden pieces remade from old lobster trap wood. 

 There is a small golf course behind the building. If you are a fan of whales, golf, or folk art, this attraction has you covered.

How to reach: 3-hour drive from Deer Lake Airport.

Hotels nearby:

  • Sea Echo Motel
  • Torrent Inn

Restaurants nearby:

  • Anchor Café

RED BAY

Red Bay is a desolate fishing village on the coast of Labrador, full of Spanish gold and shipwrecks. If you like isolation and natural beauty then this is the place to visit. To reach Red Bay, one must travel through the western coast of Newfoundland, an astounding drive through jagged rocks and pine trees. Red Bay is a place of interesting box-like houses, few roads but the town's mystique comes from its natural beauty and history. Red Bay is a quiet place, surrounded by rocks and hills. The town has an anachronistic feel with an aura for centuries. Three trans-oceanic ships have been discovered off the coast of Red Bay. Red Bay has a cemetery nearby that holds remains of 140 whalers.

How to reach: can be reached via ferry from St. Barbe to Blanc Sablon

Hotels nearby:

  • Whalers Restaurant &Cabins
  • Red Bay National Historic Site
  • Oceanview Resort

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FERRYLAND LIGHTHOUSE

Ferryland Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse that has been reincarnated as a perfect picnic place. The lighthouse is located beyond the colony of Avalon in Newfoundland. The lighthouse is a tourist and archaeological destination based on its history. The Ferryland Lighthouse was built to guide sailors. It consists of plaques that narrate the stories of many of the shipwrecks that occurred offshore before and after the lighthouse was constructed.

Two friends started a picnic business in 2004 after restoring the building. Earlier it was abandoned .visitors can bring their picnic food or can buy at the restaurant that operates in the lighthouse. Walk among the rock and heather, find the perfect spot, spread out a blanket, and enjoy watching whales.

How to reach: You can drive to Ferryland from St. Johns

Hotels nearby:

Restaurants nearby:

  • Canton Restaurant
  • Bally Haly Golf & Country Club

BELL ISLAND MINE MUSEUM

Bell Island mine museum is located on the bell island, Newfoundland. This erstwhile iron ore mine becomes alive with alluring stories of its history.

The history of the mines and its fascinating stories make it so special. Bell Island is a part of the Avalon Peninsula. The iron ore mine began its operation around 1895 and then people moved here in a large amount.

Then instantly, Bell Island became the largest producer of iron ore in the British Commonwealth. British Commonwealth, one of the most prosperous and second-largest communities in Newfoundland. The mine became the source of employment for thousands including young children. it was dangerous work in difficult conditions without any specific safety. The place features a walking tour of the shaft with passionate guides. Tourists are also treated to the scenic beauty of rugged cliffs and deep blue water.

How to reach: The the ferry will bring you to cross the bay to Bell Island

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ALBUM ROCK

A distant milestone named for an amusing photograph taken by a   photographer and his crew of graffiti artists. The rock is placed on a beach adjacent to the community of Ship Cove.  Album Rock Trail leads from the side of highway 430 road down to the beach. In Ship Cove, the community center houses a small exhibition about Paul-Émile Miot and early photography in Newfoundland.

Anyone driving across the island of Newfoundland will notice a large number of names spray-painted on rocks along the highway. On the very tip of the Great Northern Peninsula, there's a reckless monument to the art of scrawling words on rocks.

As the story goes, Miot desires to use the scene as the cover of an album of his Newfoundland photographs. There's no proof that the photo was ever used in this way, but for 160 years the landmark has been known as Album Rock. Though the white words painted on it more than a century ago have long since faded, the name they inspired continues to stick. Today, a small interpretive panel and gazebo beside the rock commemorate Miot's whimsical photograph.

How to reach: From Highway 430, take the exit for St. Lunaire-Griquet, then turn off toward Ship Cove. Album Rock Trail leads from the side of this road down to the beach.

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 THE TABLELANDS

The jagged spread has been squeezed up precisely from the bowels of the Earth. On the surface of the park, there is an area known as the Tablelands. In this area rock from earth's mantle has been thrust up towards the surface of the earth due to the area's unique plate tectonics in a process called subduction.

While the rock is not red, the rust yellows of the thousands of rocks seemingly scattered at random around this otherwise lush, green park will provide you an otherworldly experience. The hike to the Tablelands is less then half a mile from the parking lot yet once the cars disappear from view, its out-of-this-world time.

There is one central trail but no guidance whatsoever when you get there. You are free to climb up to the top of the surrounding hills and enjoy the scenery from the top or take a break near the small stream that runs through the middle of the area.

How to reach:  Drive into the southern area of the park on Route 431 from Wiltondale. Just before you reach Woody Point follow the sign for Trout River to stay on 431. It's quite a sharp switch-back turn. You'll climb a steep hill and The Tablelands appear before you.

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SIGNAL HILL

 An Italian scientist called Guglielmo Marconi witnessed three faint clicks on a receiver at Signal Hill—the letter "S" in Morse code. Few people originally realized it, but those clicks hoarded a transformation in telecommunications.

Signal Hill had an exciting history even before the revolutionary wireless message reception. It was first a fort constructed by the British military in the 17th century. During the 1890s, Ross's Valley Hospital regulated on Signal Hill to isolate fever, smallpox, and epidemic patients from the general population, but given the bluff's remote locale, it was never used to capacity, abandoned in the early 1900s, and destroyed by fire in 1911.

Visitors today can visit Cabot Tower, which contains an exhibition on the Nobel Award-winning Marconi and his achievements. Visitors can hike an extensive trail system along the cliffs to enjoy beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean and frequent whale sightings.  The Visitor Interpretation Centre and Heritage Shop is open daily from mid-May to mid-October. 

How to reach: You can drive to signal hill

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L'ANSE AUX MEADOWS

L'Anse Aux Meadows is situated at the northernmost tip of Newfoundland in Canada. Representing the furthest known exploration on the part of the Vikings, L'Anse aux Meadows is a made up of eight simple buildings made of sod over wooden frames.

This settlement is thought to be the famed Vinland, a place immortalized in Viking sagas as a distant outpost. L'anse aux Meadows would have been used as a stopping-over point to restore food and provisions before exploring further west, probably New Brunswick, or traveling east back to Greenland. 

The Viking buildings are widely considered to be either homes or workshops, and many are related to ironworking, carpentry, and boat repair. Archaeological evidence indicates that it was in use for about 15 years before it was discarded. Whether they left the place due to weather, food, boredom, or were chased off by the Indigenous peoples is a mystery, but it seems like they didn't leave in haste, and took most valuables with them.

How to reach: Fly to Blanc Sablon, car ferry, drive 

Hotels nearby:

  • The Big Blow
  • Valhalla Bed and Breakfast

Restaurants nearby:

GANDER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LOUNGE

The small airport in distant Newfoundland that encouraged a the hit musical is also a modernist architectural masterpiece.

Gander is a small town in central Newfoundland which is about 60 miles from the eastern coast, which elongates into the North Atlantic Ocean. It's a moderately populated part of the province, which is sparsely populated itself. But it's in critical spot for aircraft flying over the North The Atlantic Ocean, which is how the airport came to hallmark on the world stage. Before the Gander International Airport opened in 1938, Newfoundland's fields were the jumping-off points for early transatlantic pilots like Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh. 

During World War II, Gander was the only operational airport in this marine area, and it became the main staging point for the movement of Allied aircraft to Europe.

 Gander's global importance as a blowdown point faded when jumbo jets started crossing the Atlantic nonstop in the 1960s. Air traffic dwindled and with it the need for a large airport terminal.

  For now, the Gander International Airport Authority has determined that the departures lounge, along with its murals, sculptures, and furniture, will remain intact and isn't going anywhere.

Hotels nearby:

  • Sinbad Hotel & Suites
  • Albatross Hotel
  • The Country Inn Motel

Restaurants nearby:

  • The Oasis Lounge
  • Legends Lounge and Grill
  • Gander International Airport