Newfoundland... come take the road less travelled
Sometimes, you have to take the road less travelled before the real journey begins.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the journey can be as colourful as stories told around the kitchen table, or as colourful as the fishing huts we can visit on our trips in Newfoundland. As meandering as the thousands of kilometres of coastline. As surprising as a humpback whale breaching in the mist. Or as comforting as bakeapple jam cooked our chefs that will make for us on our journey. These are places that will travel with you, wherever you go, long after our time together.
Favourite Destinations of people that have travelled here with me
There are places on this earth that continue to live inside of you long after you’ve travelled on. Places where you’ll find yourself among the friendliest of unfamiliar faces, some of whom may become lifelong friends. Why not start your visit in one of my most popular places?
Gros Morne
It took 485 million years for Mother Nature to create Gros Morne National Park, a place unlike any other on earth. A UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 1,805 square kilometres, the park is a never-ending series of wonders and delights, and a demonstration of the spectacularly raw and enigmatic beauty of the physical world.
You can hike the amazing landscape along the earth’s mantle, or climb to life-changing summits. Travel along the water through fjords carved by glaciers millennia ago, leaving behind towering cliffs and thunderous waterfalls. Alongside the natural wonders are highlights of a cultural heritage rich in humour and creativity – festivals, music, art – found throughout the park in towns like Cow Head and Woody Point.
Codroy Valley
Green. The deepest and most vivid shades of green, perfect for long meadow walks and lazy picnics. This is Codroy Valley, a collection of 15 communities tucked away in western Newfoundland. Sheltered by the Long Range Mountains, boasting temperatures milder than the rest of the island, a haven for birders, nature lovers, adventurers, historians, and travellers alike.
Dramatic churches stand on cliffs overlooking the ocean, and clouds float over traditional farmlands dotted with grazing Newfoundland ponies.
But your highlight with me is the lighthouse at Cape Anguille, the most westerly point of the island… and Ann always takes care of us when we are there.
Cape St Marys
Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve is a wonderland for birdwatchers and photographers alike. Thousands of gulls, razorbills, common murres, black-legged kittiwakes, northern gannets, and double-crested and great cormorants nest here. Where 20,000 scoters, oldsquaw, harlequin, dovekies, thick-billed murres, and kittiwakes winter.
This captivating area is one of seven protected seabird ecological reserves. Its natural beauty makes it perfect for nature walks and offers some of the best seabird photography in Newfoundland.
Trinity and Bonavista
History, friendliness, and steadfast authenticity are woven into every aspect of the Trinity area. The town offers beautifully restored fishing rooms and saltbox houses, accommodations in historic buildings, and top-rated dining experiences. Nearby you’ll get a chance to hike along the coast on one of the province’s most popular trails. Or take a boat tour and see some of our breathtaking coastline from a different perspective as you watch for whales, birds, and icebergs.
But a real highlight between Trinity and Bonavista is the Puffin colony in Elliston. Elliston's puffin viewing site offers the closest view of the largest puffin colony in North America. Better yet, you can photograph them from land. Puffins fly close to viewers and often land on the cliffs just several feet away.
When Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto (or John Cabot as he is locally known) first discovered North America in 1497, his first words were “O buono vista!” When translated into English, this phrase means “Oh happy sight!”, which is certainly fitting for what would become the town of Bonavista, the historic site of Cabot's landing.
Twillingate
Imagine yourself seated on a patch of long grass, looking out over the pristine waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Fishing boats bounce softly over the waves as the light from the setting sun reflects off the side of a 10,000-year-old iceberg. This is just a tiny piece of the beauty you will experience with me in Twillingate.
Quirpon Island
But the highlight form me on my Newfoundland tours is always a stay in a historic 1922 lighthouse inn still operating on a deserted island at the northern tip of Newfoundland. Seascapes that just beg to be photographed, rainbows that show up as the sea fog reseeds, and of course, the Orcas and humpbacks that are frequent visitors, often coming so close to shore you can almost touch them. Watch from our comfortable indoor viewing station, take our zodiac or guided kayak tours to get a closer view, or just relax and watch the northern lights that can appear in this northern part of Newfoundland.
Please check out all the Newfoundland Trips I am leading on my website.
All my Newfoundland trips that are focused on landscapes can be found here. https://www.kevinpepperphotography.com/canadian-landscape-workshops
My wildlife focused workshops can be found here. https://www.kevinpepperphotography.com/wildlife-workshops-in-canada