A Canadian favorite
Massive icebergs float in the waters along the shoreline of Newfoundland.
Courtesy Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism
Of the half million annual tourists that visit the province, 80% are fellow Canadians from the mainland — only 100,000 visitors are foreign. So while the rest of world has yet to discover the province’s Ireland-like charm, Canadians have been coming here for decades and hold it with even higher regard than some of their more renowned provinces, including British Columbia and Alberta.
Newfoundland’s distinctive good looks are a big, if not primary, reason for that. That goes for the entire coastline as well as the bigger national parks in the western region.
Although the island is not as volcanic, mountainous or glacier-filled as the titular Iceland comparison, it’s just as colorful, enjoys significantly more wildlife and will cause nearly ever visitor to wonder in awe, “Where in the world am I?”
Stunning sights
For the few who venture to Newfoundland, most of them come for one (or all) of the following: the immortal views of Western Brook Fjord (which is ironically called a “pond” but looks like a slightly shorter Yosemite flooded by navy blue water), year-round whale sightings (both humpback and minke), and blue arctic icebergs that migrate every summer by the thousands down from Greenland to Newfoundland’s northern and eastern shores.
The fjord itself can be boated in three hours, hiked via the eastern gulch in a day to the picturesque top, or included as part of a multiday backpacking trip along the Long Range Traverse through greater Gros Morne National Park, the highest-rated attraction on the island.
Wildlife encounters
In the popular town of Bonavista, visitors stand the greatest chance of whale sightings. An hour away, they can also hike the island’s second best hike — the jagged and emerald covered sedimentary rock of the Skerwink Trail, which overlooks the ocean.
But the most moving “animal” isn’t even an animal. When encountered, 10,000-year-old icebergs can hiss, crackle and pop while glowing a luminescent and lively blue.
World heritage
L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site displays 1,000-year-old Norse or Viking archaeological settlements.
Courtesy Dru Kennedy Photography/Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism
Contrary to what you remember from grade school, the first-known European presence in North America happened on the appropriately named Newfoundland.
Located on the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula, L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site displays 1,000-year-old Norse or Viking archaeological settlements.
You can find it at relaxing Cape Spear, where an 1836 lighthouse marks the most easterly point of North America. You can find it along the East Coast Trail, which serves as the spiritual if unofficial “last section” of the Appalachian Trail. And you can certainly find it in the delectable and colloquial bakeapple (aka “cloudberry”) jam, the world-class seafood and the independent but welcoming residents.
Earth’s four corners
In a word, Newfoundland is otherworldly, even if it’s far less familiar than Iceland. Furthermore, Newfoundland has that “corner of the world” feeling.
Is Newfoundland the next Iceland? Probably not.
But it doesn’t have to be for you to enjoy its isolated and alluring scenery, landscapes that time forgot and scenic sea encounters. For now, Newfoundland remains a well-kept and sleepy secret.
Best time to visit: May-June for icebergs; June-August for heavenly hiking weather; May-September for whales. Getting there: From the United States. one or two connecting flights are required to get to St. John’s.
