Torngat Mountains National Park
If you think you know this place like the back of your hand, perhaps you should take another look.
Brigus, Conception Bay
Special Offers If you can’t decide how you want to enjoy your summer, we have a few ideas. Actually, we have a lot of ideas that will inspire you to spend it here at home.
Your Newfoundland and Labrador Vacation Getaway Whether you’re in the mood for a rustic retreat, a boat tour, theatre, fine dining, hiking, or a bit of everything all at once, you’re certain to find the perfect vacation package for you. You better get started. After all, summer’s almost here. Packages and Deals starting at
$
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Take a trip back in time. Summer is the perfect time to learn a little more about the 9,000 years of history and heritage this place holds. Anywhere you go, you can be sure to find many colourful, yet powerful glimpses into our shared past. Be sure to pay a visit to one of our 9 National Historic Sites, including Port au Choix, a prehistoric burial and habitation site on the west coast, and Ryan Premises, a complex linked to the fishing industry on the east coast. And, along the way, make sure you check out a few of our 13 Provincial Historic Sites, like Quidi Vidi Battery and the Heart’s Content Cable Station. After all, it’s not really about where you find yourself, it’s what you find along the way.
The Discovery Trail
Five places to forget about modern life: Provincial and National Historic Sites
1. Red Bay National Historic Site DAY 1 Watch sparks fly at the historic Green Family Forge in Trinity. Then take in a Rising Tide Theatre play - a must-see. At Port Union, discover the life and times of William Coaker who organized small-boat fishermen into a powerful political force in the early 20th century.
2. L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site 3. Commissariat House Provincial Historic Site
DAY 2 Explore the many quaint and scenic root cellars nestled into grassy slopes in Elliston. You can almost taste the salt in Bonavista at the Ryan Premises National Historic Site, and the lighthouse, a Provincial Historic Site, marks the landing of John Cabot who “discovered” Newfoundland in 1497.
4. Boyd’s Cove Interpretation Centre 5. Mockbeggar Plantation Provincial Historic Site
Go online for more trip ideas and information on packages and offers: NewfoundlandLabrador.com
Gros Morne National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Take a walk in our park. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the many parks and reserves found here is the wide range of experiences you can have. Each visit gives you a different perspective, a uniquely special take on this place we call home. Try spending a few days (or perhaps much longer) exploring one of our 13 provincial parks, and enjoying activities like birdwatching, hiking, kayaking, swimming, boating, camping and much more. Discover the cascading waterfalls in the Cataracts, the sea-carved rock formation at The Arches, or the sandy beaches of Gooseberry Cove. Whether you’re looking for some time in a rugged and unspoiled environment or in a more family-friendly space, you’ll find it here. Be sure to take your time looking for it. The view is incredible.
Two World Heritage Sites
Five places to get lost or found: Provincial and National Parks
1. Terra Nova National Park DAY 1 Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites grace Newfoundland’s west coast. In Gros Morne National Park, feel the power of a land 20 times older than the Rockies. Go for a boat ride in a fjord and take in a play at Cow Head.
2. Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve 3. Dungeon Provincial Park
DAY 2 Explore 3,000-year-old aboriginal history at Port au Choix National Historic Site. In St. Anthony, see where Dr. Wilfred Grenfell healed the sick a century ago. Feel the ancient history of the Viking settlement, L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, where the first European adventurers set foot in North America over 1,000 years ago.
4. Gros Morne National Park 5. Torngat Mountains National Park
Go online for more trip ideas and information on packages and offers: NewfoundlandLabrador.com
Skerwink Trail, Trinity East
Outdoor adventure, one trail at a time. It’s understandable, really, to think you know this place so very well. But it’s an entirely new experience to follow more than 200 hiking trails along rugged coastlines, sandy beaches and secluded historic footpaths. Each trail yields something new and unexpected. For example, the East Coast Trail will lead you to places rich in beauty and history, like La Manche, an abandoned fishing community near Bauline East. And a challenging 3-km hike to the top of Twillingate Trail is rewarded with a spectacular view of Twillingate Island, its communities and coastline. Meander along the Skerwink Trail in Trinity East to see sea stacks, including one popularly known as the Music Box for the sounds created when the wind blows over it. Whether you choose a casual stroll or a rugged journey, you’re bound to uncover new places still waiting to be discovered.
Hikes in the Big Land
Five places to find a little breathing room: Hiking and Walking Trails
1. East Coast Trail DAY 1 In Forteau, walk the trail to see blue irises, and maybe marmots – also known as groundhogs. Visit L’Anse Amour and hike to find a 7,500-year-old aboriginal burial site. Discover a trail in Point Amour that leads to an old shipwreck, the HMS Raleigh, which managed to run aground right under the nose of the second-tallest lighthouse in Canada.
2. Skerwink Trail 3. Alexander Murray Trail
DAY 2
4. Gros Morne National Park
Immerse yourself in the past at Red Bay National Historic Site where Basque fishermen toiled, rendering blubber into oil in the 16th century. On Saddle Island, notice the oddity of broken red Iberian clay tiles scattered among the grey pebbles of Labrador’s beaches.
5. Boney Shore Trail
Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, Bannerman Park, St. John’s
Get swept off your feet. Around here, there are always plenty of reasons to celebrate. Though this place is teeming with exciting festivals and events all year long, it’s particularly true in the summer. It’s a time when everyone comes together to have a laugh, sample delicious local food and get swept away by lively music. There are hundreds of festivals and events that celebrate music, dance, drama, comedy, literature, film, sports, or just having fun. Whether you’re in the mood to take in some theatre at the All Around the Circle Dinner Theatre in Crow Head, fill your stomach at the Brigus Blueberry Festival, or have a time in St. John’s, you’ll find that there are so many ways to join in. So even if you think you know this place, take the summer to celebrate getting to know it all over again. And again.
A St. John’s Time
Five excuses to celebrate: Festivals and Events
1. Deer Lake Strawberry Festival WEEKEND 1 The last Thursday of July in St. John’s means one thing: George Street Festival. Meet at the Prince Edward Plaza stage at 5pm and let the show begin. Bands play throughout the weekend until Tuesday, so check out the lineup and enjoy wandering the Street, day or night.
2. Great Labrador Canoe Race
MID-WEEK
3. Exploits Valley Salmon Festival
The first Wednesday in August is the Royal St. John’s Regatta - a much-loved event that’s been a holiday in St. John’s since at least the 1820s. It’s a day when crews of rowers head to Quidi Vidi Lake for the races, while a huge garden party attracts thousands to lakeside. Order your fish and chips early.
4. Southern Shore Shamrock Festival
WEEKEND 2 The first weekend in August features two eclectic festivals. In leafy Bannerman Park, the annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival attracts the finest traditional performers from all over, while downtown, the Buskers Festival brings streetwise flavour to music, clowning and general merrymaking.
5. Grand Bank Regional Theatre
Go online for more trip ideas and information on packages and offers: NewfoundlandLabrador.com
Triton, Notre Dame Bay
Take a breather. You know the old saying: you can never have too much of good thing. Well, it’s particularly true on these shores, especially when you think about the abundance of whales, birds and icebergs that grace our coastline. In fact, you might say that we’re the summer destination of choice for over 22 species of whales and dolphins that come to snack on the bountiful marine life found near Witless Bay and the Strait of Belle Isle. It’s an extraordinary spectacle, and one that can’t be matched. Except, of course, by the stately arrival of an iceberg so large it’ll give you the shivers.
Adventure Central
Five places to chill out: Whale and Iceberg Spots
1. St. Anthony DAY 1 Explore the trails of Terra Nova National Park where you can watch bald eagles diving and fishing in the ocean. Drop by Newtown, sometimes referred to as ‘the Venice of Newfoundland,’ which is built on 17 tiny islands and is rich with quirky, homespun architecture. See icebergs in Twillingate, a town that runs alongside ‘Iceberg Alley’ - and be sure to keep an eye out for whales.
2. Twillingate 3. Bonavista 4. Witless Bay
DAY 2 Take the ferry to scenic Fogo Island and immerse yourself in Tilting’s Irish culture, the town of Fogo’s historic attractions, and Joe Batt’s Arm. Then take another ferry ride over to neighbouring Change Islands to explore the rich fishing heritage of the area before bedding down for the night.
5. Battle Harbour
Go online for more trip ideas and information on packages and offers: NewfoundlandLabrador.com
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