Explore by region
Pick a coast, not the whole island
Newfoundland is roughly the size of Iceland, and the drive from St. John’s to the Great Northern Peninsula takes the better part of two days once you stop for anything. Choosing a region early is the single decision that improves a Newfoundland trip most.
Avalon Peninsula
Cities, sea stacks, and the most easterly light in North America
The Avalon carries the island’s biggest city and some of its emptiest headlands within the same afternoon. You can eat a proper dinner on Water Street, then stand at Cape Spear an hour later with nothing between you and Ireland.
- St. John’s is the hub; most day trips run 30 minutes to 2.5 hours
- Year-round, with seabird colonies busiest from late May through July
Eastern Newfoundland
Bonavista, Trinity, and coastlines cut into long fingers of rock
Eastern Newfoundland is where the island starts to feel properly spread out. The Bonavista Peninsula alone can absorb three days without repeating a view.
- About 3 to 4 hours from St. John’s to Bonavista
- Late May through October, with icebergs possible in spring
Central Newfoundland
Twillingate, Fogo Island, and the ice that drifts down the Labrador Current
Central Newfoundland turns its back on the highway and runs out to the sea in a tangle of causeways and islands. This is the coast most associated with icebergs, though nothing about ice is guaranteed.
- About 4.5 hours from St. John’s to Twillingate
- Iceberg viewing peaks late May to early June in most years
Western Newfoundland
Gros Morne, the Tablelands, and a fjord cut through a billion years of rock
This is where Newfoundland stops being scenic and turns geological. Gros Morne National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because the rock here helped prove plate tectonics, and you can walk on exposed mantle in an afternoon.
- About 8 to 9 hours from St. John’s to Rocky Harbour
- June through early October for full park services
Great Northern Peninsula
A long road north to the only confirmed Norse site in North America
Route 430, the Viking Trail, runs the full length of the peninsula with the Gulf of St. Lawrence on one side and the Long Range Mountains on the other. It is a long drive, and the reward at the end is worth arranging your whole trip around.
- About 4.5 hours from Deer Lake to St. Anthony
- June through September; many services close outside that window