Exploring Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland is a large island located off the east coast of the North American mainland. It is part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Newfoundland Island is separated from the Labrador Peninsula by the Strait of Belle Island. It is separated from Cabot Breton Island by the Cabot Strait.

Gros Morne National Park has a landscape of fjords, mountains, and dense forests. Here you'll find unique wildlife and plants. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Western Brook Pond offers hiking trails and sightseeing boat excursions in the landlocked fjord. Visitors enjoy boating, swimming, fishing, camping, and rock climbing.

Also within the national park are the Long Range Mountains which are the oldest mountains on Earth.

L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site is a green plain with moorland at the northern tip of the Great Northern Peninsula. This historic site was once a Viking settlement. There is a reconstructed long house, a workshop, and a stable. Costumed interpreters demonstrate life as it was in days past.

The Viking Trail is a signposted route taking visitors the length of the Northern Peninsula from Gros Morne to L'Anse and across the Strait of Bell Isle into Labrador.

Bonavista is the best-known peninsula in Newfoundland. Here in 1497 explorer John Cabot sighted the “New World”.

At Cape Bonavista is a statue of Cabot.

Along the coast puffins and whales can be seen.

The old lighthouse is a provincial historic site dating from 1843 and was restored in 1870.

Also in Bonavista is the Dungeon Provincial Park with a large collapsed sea cave with a natural archway.

Torngat Mountains National Park is located at the northernmost tip of Newfoundland and Labrador. It faces east toward Greenland. The park has no roads or signage. The coastline is jagged with fjords and mountain islands with the tallest peaks in Canada.

Among the popular activities here is “iceberg alley” where you can see massive chunks of glacial ice.

Boat tours take visitors to see the biggest group of humpback whales in the world. Other species include pilot whales, sperm whales, orca, sperm whales, and minkes. There are also dolphins, porpoises, and polar bears. Bird watchers can see bald eagles and other birds of prey like owls, falcons, osprey, and hawks.

The four islands of the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve are the nesting sites for over 260,000 pairs of puffins. This is the largest Atlantic puffin colony in North America. Puffins are the province's official birds. Boat tours give visitors up-close looks.

At Cape St. Mary's you can find around 24,000 northern gannets. The birds nest on the rocks and dive-bomb into the ocean. Other seabird species include black-legged kittiwake, common murre, razorbill, and great cormorant.

Twillingate is a traditional fishing village in Newfoundland on the northern coast known as the Kittiwake Coast.

Nearby is the Long Point Lighthouse from where you can see whales.

Castle Hill National Historic Site is located between Highway 100 and Placentia. It is the site of historic English and French fortifications and an interpretive center.

Terra Nova National Park is known for its fjords. Visitors enjoy kayaking and canoeing in the summertime as well as camping. In the winter there is cross-country skiing.

Red Bay National Historic Site has the remains of Basque whaling boats that were recovered. An interpretive center informs about history.

Gander is a small town in northeastern Newfoundland that was made famous by the Broadway musical “Come From Away'. The story revolved around the planes that were rerouted here during 9/11 and how the community welcomed people from all around the globe. At the time Gander International Airport became the busiest airport in the world.