Bonavista Peninsula

The peninsula that holds Trinity, Newfoundland's best-preserved historic fishing town. Visit to see puffins, whales and icebergs, and walk the clifftop coastal trails.

The Bonavista Peninsula lies on the east coast of Newfoundland, between Trinity Bay and Bonavista Bay. It extends about 100 km northeast from near Clarenville on the Trans-Canada Highway (Route 1). On the southern side, the town of Trinity is Newfoundland's best-preserved historic fishing and trading town, with wooden churches, merchant premises and colourful houses ringing the harbour. In summer, the Rising Tide Theatre stages its outdoor 'Trinity Pageant' performances, and Trinity is the most common base for exploring the peninsula. At the north end, the town of Bonavista is said to be where John Cabot landed in 1497. It has the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse, the Ryan Premises National Historic Site and the collapsed sea cave in Dungeon Provincial Park. Nearby Elliston offers close views of puffins from the cliff edges and has more than 100 traditional root cellars. Between the two towns, about 50 km apart and a 1-hour drive, Port Union is a company town built by the Newfoundland Fishermen's Union and is also the site of the Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark.

The best season is June–August. Puffin nesting (late May to early August), humpback whale feeding (June–August) and drifting icebergs (most numerous in May–June) all coincide, and outdoor theatre and most museums open only from late May to September. September brings fewer visitors and good autumn colours, though some facilities begin to close. Getting there: from St. John's, it is about 3 hours' drive via Route 1 and Route 230 to Trinity. There is almost no public transport on the peninsula, so driving is essential. A stay of 2–3 days is suggested: one day in Trinity and on the Skerwink Trail, one day in Bonavista and Elliston, plus a half day for a whale-watching boat trip. Note that the coast is windy and foggy, so bring a windproof jacket even in summer. The cliff trails have no railings, so when watching puffins do not step past the warning lines. Accommodation is scarce in peak season, so book ahead.

Top sights

• Trinity Historic District – Newfoundland's best-preserved fishing and trading town, where the harbourside wooden churches, merchant buildings and colorful houses form…
• Skerwink Trail – A 5.3 km clifftop loop around the eastern peninsula of Trinity, with sea stacks, sheer cliffs and views over Trinity town. It is hailed as…
• Cape Bonavista Lighthouse – A red-and-white striped lighthouse built in 1843 and restored to show the daily life of a 19th-century keeper, with puffins often seen on t…
• Elliston Puffin Viewing Site – One of the few places in North America where you can watch Atlantic puffins up close from land, with the bird island only about a dozen met…
• Trinity Bay Whale Watching Tours – Board a speedboat or tour boat at Trinity's wharf to see humpback whales, minke whales, seabirds and icebergs in Trinity Bay.
• Elliston Root Cellars – Known as the 'Root Cellar Capital of the World,' the village is dotted with more than a hundred traditional stone cellars built half into t…
• Ryan Premises National Historic Site – A cluster of white buildings belonging to a 19th-century salt cod trading firm on the Bonavista harbour, telling the story of Newfoundland'…
• Mockbeggar Plantation Provincial Historic Site – A fishing merchant's residence and fish stages on the Bonavista harbour, showing life for fishing families and political figures in the ear…
• Dungeon Provincial Park – A huge circular sinkhole formed when the roof of a sea cave collapsed, with ocean water rushing in through two arches; horses often graze o…
• Rising Tide Theatre – A theatre by the harbour in Trinity, staging summer productions on Newfoundland history and the street-walking pageant 'New Founde Lande Tr…
• Fort Point (Admiral's Point) – Ruins of an 18th-century battery and a lighthouse at the mouth of Trinity Bay, with views over Trinity town and the bay, where humpback wha…
• Port Union Historic District – The only company town in North America built by a union, with the headquarters, factories, and row housing of the Fishermen's Protective Un…
• Tickle Cove Sea Arch – A red rock sea arch on the shore of Bonavista Bay, reachable by a short trail and a popular photo spot on the peninsula's northwest coast.
• Random Passage Film Site – A TV set village in New Bonaventure, recreating a 19th-century Newfoundland pioneer fishing settlement with wooden cabins, fish flakes, and…

Where to eat

• Mifflin's Tea Room – A tea room in a historic building serving Newfoundland classics such as fish cakes and fish and brewis.
• Skipper's Restaurant – A seafood restaurant inside an old harbour inn overlooking Bonavista harbour, known for local lobster, snow crab and bl…
• The Boreal Diner – A seasonal casual fine-dining restaurant sourcing from local farms and its own front-yard garden, known for seafood and…