Newfoundland

Named for the colour of the cliffs along the shoreline, Red Bay is the best preserved of the more than one dozen 16th century Basque whaling stations that dotted the coast from Labrador to Quebec and the Strait of Belle Isle. The bay is the site of several sunken 16th century galleons as well as whaling vessels, and is considered one of the most important underwater archaeological sites in the Americas. It is a Parks Canada National Historic Site because of the numerous well-preserved cultural resources related to early whaling, fur trading, as well as the legacy of ship design and innovation, including the chalupa.

It took Mother Nature 485,000,000 years to mould Gros Morne National Park into the geological and visual wonder we know today. Encircled by tiny seaside communities, and encompassing forests, freshwater fjords, bogs, barren lowlands, moose, and striking cliffs and shorelines, Gros Morne National Park is world- renowned for its complex geology. Gros Morne National Park's spectacular beauty provides the perfect backdrop for all kinds of outdoor adventures, particularly hiking. Theatre and music: Areas of unusual and inspirational beauty often lure artists and writers, and Gros Morne National Park is no exception. There are several excellent sandy beaches in the park. Enjoy warm, summer days by pitching your tent in campgrounds along the shores of the ocean, ponds, lakes or rivers in the area.During the winter, try your hand at Nordic skiing and snowshoeing throughout the park. 

Twillingate is a small island in the North Atlantic and one of the most picturesque outports in all of Newfoundland and Labrador. Twillingate is affectionately known as the Iceberg Capital of the world. Many of these 10,000 year old iceberg giants float by quietly each year and people travel great distances just to chance a glance.

The Town of Deer Lake is located at the intersection of the Trans Canada Highway and the Viking Trail on Newfoundland and Labrador’s west coast and is truly a four season tourism destination.  During the summer tourist and residents enjoy swimming, canoeing, kayaking, boating, and wind surfing on the crystal clear waters of the lake. Top quality recreational facilities, community playgrounds and picturesque walking trails can all be found in the town. 

The natural beauty, dramatic indented coastline and rugged wooded landscape are the most distinctive features of Newfoundland's first national park, Terra Nova. Moose, black bear and other wildlife move about freely in the forests and marshy bogs. At the edge of the sea, herds of whales cavort within sight of the shore and many species of birds circle the islands and shores encompassed by the 396 square kilometre park.

St. John's is a city that feels like a town. St. John's rises above the harbour surrounding the natural inlet, up to Signal Hill what is said to be the birthplace of the British Empire. The windy streets and wooden houses occupy the view with few tall buildings and the industry confined to the south side of the harbour squeezed along a single road between the harbour and the hillside. For centuries life in ST JOHN'S has focused on its harbour, a dramatic jaw-shaped inlet approached through the 200-metre-wide channel of The Narrows.

Do you want to immerse yourself in the stark, surreal winter beauty of Canada? Then take an Atlantic Canada holiday in winter. Do you want to soak up the summer sun and party away the nights under a canopy of million stars? Then go on a holiday to Atlantic Canada in summer.

There are ample charms to be discovered in Atlantic Canada in every season. If it is not Mother Nature putting up a show for you, then the locals invite you to let down your hair and eat, drink, and make merry. Explore this region at different times of the year; you will be amazed to discover that every season has its own special color, shape, scent, tune, and flavor.

Winters Warmed by Festive Lights

The locals are not the ones to balk at a few inches of snow and some gusts of wind. So even during the depths of winter, Atlantic Canada turns into a gigantic playground where locals and visitors meet to have fun. Winter here is a time for festivities—Snow West, Corner Brook Winter Carnival, Nova Scotia Icewine Festival, Jack Frost Children’s Winterfest, FROSTival, and Ice Carnival are some of the prominent winter festivals in the region when Man infuses color into the silvery white landscape and fills the wintry hush with peals of laughter and sounds of gaiety.

Spring: A Time to Head Outdoors

The spring air is definitely contagious. The warm sunny days are perfect for hikes and rides. Mother Nature sheds Her white wintry cloak and puts on a fresh coat of colors; it is a great time to hit the little-known trails of the Gros Morne National Park and drive down the Cabot Trail, past the multi-hued forests flanked by the azure seas. Spring is also the time to shrug off all vestiges of wintry laziness and get busy partying. With the Maple Capital of Atlantic Canada Festival and the Frye Festival underway, those with a sweet tooth and bookworms can happily spend their days indulging in their loves.

Summer Tunes

Summer is the official whale-watching season in Atlantic Canada. Belugas, pilots, humpbacks, minkes, and sperms throng (Yes, they do teem the seas!) the coasts of Newfoundland & Labrador and Nova Scotia during the summer months. And if you are around Newfoundland & Labrador during your Atlantic Canada holidays, you might even be lucky to spot a spotted blue whale. You can go whale-watching on a boat or a kayak or really get up, close, and personal with these gigantic mammals by snorkeling with them.Summer is also the time when the streets of Charlottetown and Halifax get run over by musicophiles, out to shake a leg and swing to the beats of country, rap and rock, blues, and jazz. The Evolve Festival, Halifax Rocks, Cavendish Beach Music Festival, and New Glasgow Riverfront Jubilee are some prominent summer music festivals of Atlantic Canada.

Autumnal Hues and Mystery in the Air

Leaf-peepers, ahoy! Autumn in Atlantic Canada presents a dizzying sight. The maple, larch, and poplar forests of New Brunswick take on brilliant shades of red, orange, gold, and fuchsia, and it seems the landscape is on fire. The temperatures have not yet plummeted to freezing lows, so you can be outdoors for as long as you want and gaze at the leaves changing color against the blue skies, the white lighthouses, the silvery sands, and a mysterious autumnal haze that casts surreal shadows on the ground and seems to make everything flicker.The hues of autumn spill over to the dinner table as well. Indulge, a food and wine festival, beckons foodies looking out for gastronomic adventures with colorful platters, an assortment of tastes, and exotic aromas that have hidden in them centuries of traditions.