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Start in St. John's -

Most visitors to Newfoundland and Labrador will want to spend a few days exploring the provincial capital, St. John's. Discovered in 1497 not as an established settlement but as fishing grounds, it first appeared on a 1519 Portuguese map as São João, though some believe it was named earlier for the Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot), who possibly visited what later became known as Newfoundland during his exploration of coastal North America.

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Explore the provincial capital -

Much of St. John's is representative of an architectural style unique in Canada, with many houses painted in bright colors. Indeed, the downtown neighborhood is nicknamed Jelly Bean Row for the vivid facades overlooking the streets. Elsewhere, the architecture reflects St. John's place as one of the first British colonial capitals.

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Signal Hill National Historic Site -

Signal Hill overlooks the city and is noticeable for two reasons. It was here in 1901 that Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal. Additionally, the solid outline of the landmark Cabot Tower commemorates the 400th anniversary of John Cabot's voyage.

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Basilica of St. John the Baptist -

Consecrated in 1855, the imposing St. Basilica of St. John the Baptist was at one point the largest church building in North America. Highlights inside include 'The Dead Christ,' sculpted in Carrara marble in 1854 by renowned Irish sculptor John Hogan, as well as a beautifully ornate gold leaf ceiling.

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The Rooms -

In sharp contrast to St. John's traditional veneer is The Rooms, a relatively new cultural facility that showcases through a series of collections and exhibitions the heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador, with special emphasis on wildlife and natural history, contemporary art, and the many diverse populations of indigenous peoples who have called the province home.

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Gros Morne National Park -

Ice-blue fjords and soaring mountains blanket Gros Morne National Park, one of the most spectacular natural features in eastern Canada. Geological wonders exposed here include oceanic crust and mantel rock, rare and outstanding formations that prompted UNESCO to designate the park a World Heritage Site.

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Western Brook Pond -

Carved out by glaciers 25,000 years ago, Western Brook Pond is one of the most dramatic of the park's many fjords, a landlocked water feature of impressive grandeur.

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The Tablelands -

The Tablelands in the southwest of the park appear more like a barren desert than traditional Newfoundland. This is a region of exposed earth that is elsewhere more than 1.5 km (1 mi) beneath the surface. The mantle was thrust violently upwards by colliding tectonic plates millennia ago.

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Lobster Cove Head -

Lobster Cove Head marks the northern side of the entrance to Boone Bay, which separates into two fjords: the East Arm and the South Arm. East Arm, the deeper of the two, is practically surrounded by the park. Historic Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse dates back to 1898, its bright beacon marking the northern side of the entrance to the bay. Inside is a modest museum.

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Great Northern Peninsula -

The Great Northern Peninsula is the largest and longest peninsula of Newfoundland. The town of St. Anthony serves as the main hub for northern Newfoundland and southern Labrador.

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L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site -

The peninsula is especially known for the L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site. This is one of the most important Norse settlements ever discovered, built by the Vikings around the year 1000.

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Leif Eriksson's Vinland? -

The site was rediscovered in 1960—to date the oldest known European community in North America and certainly the only authentic trace of Viking settlement in the New World. It may well be the Vinland, the land of wild grapes in North America that was visited and named by the Norse explorer Leif Eriksson.

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Living history -

What you see today is a careful reconstruction of the settlement built around the original remains of the buildings that once stood here. A second Viking attraction on the Great Northern Peninsula is Norstead, an engaging living-history museum.

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Follow the Viking Trail -

The Viking Trail follows the length of the Great Northern Peninsula. An invigorating coastal walk, the trail passes a number of wonderful natural attractions, one being the rock formations of Arches Provincial Park.

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Arches Provincial Park -

The series of photogenic arches stand as the result of sea wave erosion over thousands of years.

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Call in at Port au Choix -

Also on the Viking Trail is the aboriginal burial ground at Port au Choix National Historic Site. Secluded Port au Choix is also worth exploring for its traditional fishing town atmosphere and the Point Riche "pepperpot" Lighthouse, built in 1892 and still active.

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Greet the "New World" at Bonavista Peninsula -

Arguably the best known of Newfoundland's peninsulas is Boavista, supposedly the location that John Cabot identified as the "New World" in 1497. A statue of the navigator and explorer stands at Cape Boavista near the old lighthouse.

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Welcome to Trinity -

Boavista Peninsula holds a pleasant surprise for visitors in the shape of Trinity, a delightfully old-fashioned fishing town that contains a number of buildings recognized as Registered Heritage Structures by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site -

You won't go short on lighthouses in Newfoundland, and Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site south of St. John's has the province's oldest lighthouse, which stands on the most easterly point of North America.

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Torngat Mountains National Park -

For those seeking a true wilderness experience, the remote and forbidding Torngat Mountains National Park ticks all the boxes. Occupying the northernmost tip of Newfoundland and Labrador, this wild and rugged environment can only be explored with prior permission from officials at the Torgnat Mountains Basecamp and Research Station.

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Have a whale of a time -

A bonus for anyone venturing this far north is the incredible number of humpback whales that congregate in the coastal waters between May and September.

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Chill out at "Iceberg alley" -

Besides admiring these gentle giants, iceberg viewing is another favorite Torngat Mountains pastime. Huge sculptured chunks of ice float freely in a channel known as "Iceberg Alley."

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Witless Bay Ecological Reserve -

Wildlife enthusiasts, and especially ornithologists, will be richly rewarded by a boat cruise to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. Vessels depart from the town of Bay Bulls and steer a course near the four islands of the reserve, the nesting sites for more than 260,000 pairs of puffins—North America's largest Atlantic puffin colony.

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A world of birds -

Among the other astonishing array of birdlife protected by the reserve are common murre (pictured), black-legged kittiwakes, and the world's second-largest Leach's storm-petrel colony, all of which spend the summer here.

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Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve -

Birdwatchers and explorers gather on the southwestern Avalon Peninsula at Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve to witness another magnificent wildlife spectacle—one of North America's largest seabird colonies comprising thousands of pairs of northern gannets and numerous other species of feathered marvels. Prime real estate here includes the famous "Bird Rock" sea stack (pictured).

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Twillingate and the kittiwake coast -

The hike across Crow Head towards Long Point Lighthouse near the fishing village of Twillingate affords jaw-dropping views over what's known as the kittiwake coast.

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Terra Nova National Park -

A fabulous all-year destination and popular with families and watersport enthusiasts, Terra Nova National Park carries with it the Latin name for Newfoundland, which also happens to be the original Portuguese name given to the region. This is the place to enjoy some outward-bound camping during the summer. In winter it's all about cross-country skiing.

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Hike the East Coast Trail -

You could walk forever and still not tread everything Newfoundland has to offer. A good start is to follow the East Coast Trail out of St. John's at Cape St. Francis. This breathtaking hike runs south to Cappahayden, with Instagram wonders such as Berry Head Arch set along the way to halt you in your tracks.

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Placentia, claimed by the Spanish, French, and British -

Placentia was founded by the French in 1662 as Plaisance. The site, however, was occupied long before by an indigenous population known as the Little Passage people. Basque fishermen settled here at the beginning of the 16th century. In the early 18th century, the British were handed the colony, who renamed it Castle Hill. The whole area is now a designated historical site.

Sources: (History) (Biography) (Nature Canada)

See also: Out and about in British Columbia

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