Part 4: Newfoundland Island – Northern Peninsula
We couldn’t have started the last leg of our wanderings around the island of Newfoundland in a more beautiful place than Arches Provincial Park.
This small piece of Newfoundland’s coast provided us with a truly marvelous and unforgettable place to spend the night, a walk along the coast to the arches themselves, and, as the icing on the cake, the sunset. More photos of Arches Provincial Park.
The next day, we set off towards the northern peninsula of this beautiful island.
The first stop was the historic site of Port aux Choix. It is located in the west of the Great Northern Peninsula. It is dedicated to the ancient human civilization that existed here thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, as well as the local rare nature. These are unique limestone barrens and rugged coastlines with bays and forests. Plus, the seals have ensured the existence and life of people since time immemorial. They provided food, clothing, and shelter. And we were happy to observe the seals as they played in the small cove.
On the next road north, we used the parking lot at the beginning of the White Rocks trail in the village of Flower’s Cove twice as an overnight – on the way north and also on the way back. It is extensive, a small shop is nearby, and the trail is just 1 km long, so you can warm up your legs after sitting in the vehicle. And not to mention that in the even smaller village next door in Green Island Cove, floating icebergs literally create an alley.
More photos of White Rocks Trail.
The earliest known evidence of European presence in the Americas is found at the tip of Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula. Over 1,000 years ago, Norse expeditions sailed from Greenland and built a small encampment of timber-and-sod buildings near the stunning backdrop of rugged cliffs, bog, and coastline. The fascinating archaeological remains of the Viking encampment were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. So we enjoyed the historic place, L’Anse aux Meadows, very much.
From the parking lot, the beautiful Birchy Nuddick hiking trail leads along the coast to the Viking encampment. We also had the opportunity to enjoy the fascinating subarctic tundra with views of glaciers and the distant snowy hills of mainland Labrador, which we will soon cross.
More photos of L’Anse aux Meadows and Birchy Nuddick Trail.
Gull Pond Municipal Park provided a pleasant shelter for the next night. Only a few similar places exist in the entire area around St.Anthony, and the campgrounds were still closed. Fortunately, there are also a few travelers of our type during this period.
St.Anthony greeted us with a spooky driveway and foggy weather. Therefore, the popular Fishing Point viewpoint did not provide the views we and other visitors expected. The entire bay was covered in fog. Only St. Anthony down there was sunny. But the trail in the vicinity was still enjoyable. The amazing subarctic nature and rugged coastline created a magical feeling. So, the icebergs were not visible. But we learned from the info boards that the icebergs that appear in this area have been on their way from Greenland for one to two years. Parking is quite comfortable; only daily parking is allowed.
More photos of Fishing Point Municipal Park.
Road No. 430, leading north of the Great Northern Peninsula, is called the Viking Trail. It leads from the town of Deer Lake to where the Vikings settled 1000 years ago and ends in the village of Goose Cove East. At its end, a small parking lot at the trailhead of the Pumley Cove trail is located. The fog did not arrive here, so we could once again enjoy the beautiful nature and the surrounding views.
On our last evening on this beautiful island, we were able to enjoy the scenery of floating icebergs.
We really don’t want to leave Newfoundland. We spent 18 wonderful days here, which we will never forget. And we would love to come back here. However, we want to continue seeing and experiencing even more. In front of us is Labrador. To see its beauty, we have to take a ferry to the town of Blanc Sablon in the province of Québec, from which it is only a few kilometers to the Labrador border. Marine Labrador operates the ferry. When booking the transport, we were surprised by the price. For a motorhome and 2 people on a 1.45-hour ferry, the cost is only 42 CAD. The ship was comfortable and quiet, and we saw the surrounding floating icebergs.
After disembarking at Blanc Sablon, in the territory of Québec, we found a pleasant refuge before continuing to Labrador. Goodchild Park offers 9 RV sites, including a dump station and free water refills. Peace is precisely what we appreciate. It is an ideal place before or after a ferry ride. As animal lovers, we were delighted to have one hungry groundhog in the neighborhood.
More photos of the ferry LabradorMarine and Goodchild Park.
May 2025