Frommer's Newfoundland and Labrador by Andrew Hempstead

Author:Andrew Hempstead
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Published: 2012-02-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6: Eastern Region

Eastern Region

The Eastern Region of Newfoundland and Labrador is the smallest region of the province, but it would be a mistake to equate the depth of its attractiveness to its diminutive size. On the Bonavista Peninsula, you’ll find the twin communities of Trinity and Bonavista. Bonavista is the fabled landing spot of old-world explorer John Cabot, while Trinity is renowned for its historically accurate architectural restorations.

Turning to the region’s polar opposite, the Burin Peninsula, you’ll discover a seemingly barren area that is really a treasure-trove of glacial deposits and the favored stamping grounds of 16th-century privates and privateers. Their modern-day equivalents can be found in the rum-runners who still smuggle bootleg hooch from the French colonies offshore.

Yes, France’s border actually extends this far across the Atlantic, to the tiny islands off the south coast of Newfoundland—St. Pierre and Miquelon. You can get there by plane or via passenger ferry from the town of Fortune, at the foot of the Burin Peninsula.

Clarenville is the region’s figurative center of gravity. It’s roughly halfway between the Bonavista and Burin peninsulas, and is the main service center for the area. For that reason, it’s not so much a destination as it is a base for exploring the rest of the region.

Although I say elsewhere that I’m generally following the same regional divisions as the provincial tourism guide, that’s not entirely true in this section. The provincial tourism guide stops the Eastern Region boundary at Port Blandford, but I’m stretching it as far west as Glovertown. Why? Because you’re more likely to tour this area from a Clarenville base than from the doubly distant town of Grand Falls–Windsor. Between the two towns is Terra Nova National Park. Not as well known as Gros Morne, this park also presents a more subdued landscape than its western cousin. Its sandy freshwater pond, children’s interpretive programs, less strenuous walking trails, and nearby urban attractions make it more appropriate as a family vacation destination. That said, it still has backcountry appeal for the more adventurous souls.

If you are lodging in any of the communities just outside the park, a full-day tour of Terra Nova will give you a very good idea of what the park has to offer. But if you’re camping, the scenery and terrific outdoor facilities can keep you occupied for a full week and more.

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