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Island of Newfoundland
Home 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 centre, with a good natural harbour 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 harbour 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.
Terra 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. An interpretive centre 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 Centre at Musgrave Harbour honours 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.
The 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 centre 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.
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