In 1497 when the navigator John Cabot landed his ship, the Matthew, at Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland became the very first British colony and Cabot became the first European to reach the North American mainland. That is, if you don’t count the Vikings, who arrived about five hundred years earlier.The entire British Empire started here and Saint John’s is the city that started it all - the first of what were to be the American colonies. A beautiful historic part of Canada.
Canada - Newfoundland - Whale Watching in Canada
For some of the best land-based whale watching in the world go to Cape St. Mary’s, 200 km east of Saint John’s. You can stand on the cliffs and gaze down on the whales as they lazily cruise the shoreline in search of food. However, to get really close to whales you have to meet them on their territory and this means a boat trip. To see a glossy 30-tonne humpback whale slide alongside you, cock an eye at all on board, and with a swish from his blow-hole and a flick of his flukes (his tail), sink beneath the waves, is fantastic! Whale watching tours are very popular.
Canada - Newfoundland - Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve
So what, else, you might ask, does Britain’s oldest colony have to offer the visitor? A lot. As well as watching the whales frolic you can sit on a rock surrounded by North America’s largest colonies of sea birds; the Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve seabird sanctuary is an incredible wildlife spectacle. You can go fishing for salmon, trout and tuna; explore hundreds of pretty fishing villages and eat some of the freshest fish you’ll find anywhere in the world. You can walk through forests where woodland caribou and moose make their home and, in complete contrast, enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life in Corner Brook on the west coast, and the capital Saint John’s on the east. Both have excellent hotels, fine restaurants, and great shopping.
Canada - Newfoundland -The Capital, Saint John's
Saint John’s is best explored on foot; its hilly streets with brightly painted houses are reminiscent of San Francisco. Water Street has been the centre of activity in the city for over four hundred years and is lined with craft shops, restaurants and pubs which offer toe-tapping traditional Irish music. There are over 3,000 Newfoundland folk songs and wherever you go music will be played and people will sing.
Every visitor eventually makes it up to the top of Signal Hill where Cabot Tower stands. It was from a spot just below the tower that Marconi, in far away England, received the first transatlantic wireless signal on December 12, 1901, ushering in the modern world of communications.
Canada - Newfoundland - Open Spaces
Although Newfoundland is an island it’s a big island. Visitors from smaller countries need a day or two to become accustomed to the space and openness. Traveling by car gives a real sense of how big it is - all major car rental companies are represented in Saint John’s.
There are many reasons to visit Newfoundland: it’s different, it’s historic, and it’s beautiful. It’s also safe - it has the only police force in North America that does not carry guns.
Pocket History of Atlantic Canada
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