Standing on the ferry’s outer deck we watched as the flat topped mountains of Newfoundland got closer and closer. The town of Port aux Basques started to come into view. Seeing the rocky shore scattered with cute houses and mountains in the distance, we already knew we’d love Newfoundland.
Port aux Basques
We were about to explore the final province on Our Great Canadian Roadtrip. We took the ferry from North Sydney Harbour in Nova Scotia to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. The seven hour ferry ride to Canada’s most eastern province was smooth and went by quickly. Midway through the trip we checked Google Maps on our phones and noticed that ferry was on the TransCanada Highway. It really is a coast-to-coast route!
As the ferry approached port we felt a warm welcome from the brightly coloured homes in Port aux Basques. This harbour town is a great introduction to what Newfoundland has to offer. Spread out along the jagged shore colorfully painted homes shone in the setting sun.
The homes are built on harsh, rocky ground, showing the resilience of the people. It helped us understand the nickname for Newfoundland as ‘The Rock’.
Port au Port Peninsula
Most visitors to Newfoundland head straight for Gros Morne National Park or the more populated side of the island on the east coast. If you have time though, plan to explore the province’s western side. The scenic drive on Port au Port Peninsula to its tip at Cape St. George is a great option.
It had rained heavily the night before we drove on the coastal road to the Cape St. George. The result was the formation of new waterfalls along the coast. Dozens of small waterfalls were cascading straight off the steep cliffs beside the road and into the ocean. It made the pretty coast even more spectacular.
Hidden Falls
Seeing these small pop-up waterfalls let us know we should stop at an actual waterfall. True to its name, Hidden Falls is tucked away below the highway. As we were driving on the short approach road, we couldn’t imagine that an impressive waterfall was close. The ground seemed too flat but then, all of a sudden we had a steep descent to reach the shore. From the parking lot we could see the powerful waterfall. Huge blasts of water cascaded down the short drop. The water was rushing from the waterfall directly into the rough ocean where dramatic waves crashed into the rocks just off shore. It was definitely worth a stop.
Cape St. George
The cliffs became taller and taller as we drove along the coastal road. The final stop at the end of Port au Port Peninsula is why we highly recommended this detour. Cape St. George was exactly what we had hoped to see. Standing high above the rough waves of the Atlantic, we admired the long, steep coastline. For as far as we could see were shear, rugged cliffs. It is a breathtaking view.
The cape is also an important nesting ground for gannets. We watched as dozens of these large white birds flew overheard on their way to fish in the deep, rough ocean.
Corner Brook
The main city in western Newfoundland is Corner Brook. Located at the mouth of the Humber River as it enters Bay of Islands, it has a nice setting. Receiving over 5 m of snow in the winter, nearby Marble Mountain is a popular downhill ski resort.
With this amazing coast we couldn’t wait to see the rest of this scenic province.
Tips for Visiting Newfoundland
- The TransCanada Highway in Newfoundland is shaped like a horseshoe as it travels along the west, north and eastern edge of the island province. There are smaller highways leading to the various capes, but in order to get from east to west, you have to drive all around the northern edge. There are no shortcuts across the island. It will take a full day to drive from one side to the other.
- If you’re planning to rent a car or RV, the best advice is to book early. Even when there isn’t a worldwide pandemic, there are not be many available.
- Newfoundland Standard Time is 30 minutes ahead of Atlantic Standard Time do don’t forget to change your watch.
- Don’t confuse St. John’s, Newfoundland’s capital city, with St. John in New Brunswick.
Getting to Newfoundland
Marine Atlantic ferries travel between Sydney, NS and western Newfoundland’s Port aux Basques (7 hrs) twice a day and to the eastern province’s Argentia a few times a week. If traveling to or from Argentia it is a long 16 hour trip, usually overnight. The best way would be to arrive at one port and leave from the other so you can tour the province. During Covid however, the ferries were booked weeks in advance and we weren’t able to coordinate schedules so ended up driving back to Port aux Basques. Another ferry travels between Blanc Sablon, Quebec and St. Barbe on the Great Northern Peninsula. It’s a much shorter ferry ride, but the drive to reach Blanc Sablon is quite long.
Most flights travel to St. John’s, but there are also international airports in Stephenville and Gander. Gander is famous for accepting planes from the US during 9/11.
Where to stay in Western Newfoundland
Camping – We found the provincial park campgrounds in Newfoundland to be excellent. They are reasonably priced, have clean facilities and often nice settings. In western Newfoundland we recommend Barachois Pond Provincial Park, JT Cheeseman Provincial Park and in Gros Morne National Park we loved our site at Green Point.
Hotels, Bed & Breakfast – There are many cities and towns near the TransCanada Highway in Western Newfoundland. Depending on what you want to see, consider staying in Port aux Basques, Corner Brook, Stephenville or Deer Lake.
Read more about Newfoundland in our posts – The Adorable Town of Trinity, Bonavista Peninsula, Gros Morne National Park, Vikings in Newfoundland, Conception Bay, St. John’s, Signal Hill, and Day Trips from St. John’s.
To read more of our stories from Canada, click here.
For more pictures from our travels around the world visit Gallery on monkeystale.ca
To read stories from other parts from Canada click here, or other countries visit Destinations.
If you like what you read please comment or share, with credit, using one of the links below.
79 responses to “The Scenic Coast of Western Newfoundland”
I could be tempted to emigrate to this province.
Me too 😊
Wonderful places ! Happy New Year !
Thanks Diana!
Thanks Diana, Happy New Year!
Still have not done that part of the Rock. Obviously we have to get back. Newfoundland is a big province and starting at the West coast, driving to St John’s and leaving form there can save a lot of time. Thanks for sharing. Allan
It is a very big province and so many great spots. We missed a lot too, but somehow I know we’ll go back. Thanks for reading Allan! Maggie
Some terrific coastal shots there Maggie – made more atmospheric by the weather conditions. Even though it wouldn’t have been your original travel plan it’s obviously been great to explore so many new parts of your own country
Yes that was about the only good thing about this pandemic. Glad we have a bug backyard to explore 😊
I always find provinces or states sitting at the frontier of a nation endlessly captivating. They are geographically so close to other countries, but their fates are determined all the way in a center of power that is often located far from the borders. When I saw your photos of the western part of Newfoundland I immediately thought of this. Can’t wait to read more from this easternmost province of Canada!
That is definitely true for Newfoundland. They are close, but so far away. Newfoundlanders have many endearing qualities that are only found in Newfoundland. I hope to bring some of that out in future posts. Thanks for your comments Bama, Maggie
Happy New Year and happy new discoveries! 😄😉
Thank you, Happy New Year to you too!
Thanks.
No snow that far north? Maybe you were there in the summer.
Haha yes it was summer, but it’s actually south of Calgary! Happy New Year Bill!
This certainly looks like a beautiful coastline and very dramatic in parts. I’m excited to see more of the province in your future posts!
Thanks Sarah, we loved Newfoundland, hope you enjoy the rest of it too 🙂 Maggie
And I appreciate how you always include a few maps – very helpful 🙂
Oh good, I thought most people won’t know Canada very well so I included them. Glad to know they help 🙂 Maggie
spectacular coastline ,love the Gannets.
Thanks, yes it is one of the nicest coastlines we saw on this trip. The gannets were a nice surprise! Thanks for reading! Maggie
Newfoundland is one of those places I am so excited to see! I learned a lot about it from watching 22 Minutes, considering so many of the presenters are from Newfoundland
I’ve only been there twice and loved it both times. The people are so friendly and quirky, you can tell why so many are comedians, it just comes naturally.
I was truly impressed to find that out about Newfies! Never seen that before
Somewhere, I have always wanted to visit is Port au Basques. Thank you for the lovely inspiration.
We hadn’t expected such a cute town. We thought it would be an ugly harbour town, but quite the opposite. Hope you get there some day:) Maggie
I hope to visit someday. Yes😊
How timely. You have provided more visuals of this area that I am re-reading about in a great book: The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. Cheers!
Glad I could be of assistance 🙂 I’ve never read it, but if you’re re-reading maybe I should. Maggie
Impressive coastline and a great opening paragraph!
Thanks so much! Newfoundland has quite a few impressive views 🙂 Maggie
Looking at your beautiful pictures of hauntingly beautiful coastal scenery I can see that Newfoundland & Labrador are the stuff that adventure travellers’ dreams are made of untamed landscapes, rare wildlife, and rich history. One of the places I always longed to see was Gros Morne National Park – I still hope to make it one day! Thanks for sharing, Maggie 🙂 Wishing you the happiest of New Years. Aiva xx
Newfoundland does have it all for lovers of gorgeous, rugged landscapes and a strong culture. Gros Morne is next, I hope it continues your desire to visit 🙂 Happy New Year to you and your family Aiva! Maggie
I can only echo the sentiments of other readers. Such a stunning stretch of coastline, and one we would surely love to see for ourselves one day. Pleasingly rugged in parts and with such charming clusters of huddled homes. Glad you tracked down those tricky to locate falls.
Thanks Leighton, I’m glad its rugged good looks came through 🙂 Newfoundland is a hardy place with so much warmth from the people. Thanks for your comments 😉 Happy New Year! Maggie
Looking at your photos, there must have been many stops on the road each time the landscape called for a photo, especially along the coast. This is not easy to combine with the long distances. It’s true that driving from the west to the east of the island takes a lot of time, so much so that I preferred to make two trips. The one to the west coast was done by taking the ferry at Blanc Sablon, QC, which is a shorter crossing, but after driving the Translabrador Highway. Waiting to see again Gros Morne and L’Anse aux Meadows.
Yes we stopped a lot on this section of the trip. We couldn’t help ourselves! I forgot about the ferry to Blanc Sablon. I actually thought it was in Labrador not QC. We only found out about it as we drove to L’Anse aux Meadows. I’ll add it to the post. Thanks for your comments. Maggie
Yes yes yes…I’ve been waiting to see your photos of Newfoundland as it’s high on my Canada wish list! Looks so rugged and yet welcoming at the same time. So much to explore and so much history dating back to the Vikings…which in itself is pretty impressive. Thanks for taking us on such a wonderful cross Canada tour…and I see there is still more to come 🙂
I had been to Newfoundland before but it was winter and I was there to work at Canada Games so I really didn’t see much. This trip was everything we wanted Newfoundland to be. Wild coast, cute towns and incredibly friendly people. There will be quite a few more posts as we have so many pictures from many different places. The only thing we really missed was icebergs because it was too late in the year. Happy New Year Linda! Maggie
What a great post Maggie!
Cape St. George, Newfoundland and Hidden falls look really great!
Also, Port aux Basques. looks like you are in north Norway or Faroe islands. Very nice location.
Thanks for sharing and again, best wishes for 2022.
Thanks so much! Newfoindland has many of these amazing landscapes, we had a great time exploring. The towns are also very picturesque on rough, rocky shores. I can easily see the comparison to Faroe Islands in the landscapes and Norway in the towns. We love Newfoundland! Happy New Year and all the best for 2022. Maggie
What a beautiful place this is! Feels straight out of a dream.
Yes there are so many unbelievable views in Newfoundland. Happy New Year!! Maggie
Lovely pictures! We visited Newfoundland a few years ago and had such an amazing time. The scenery is stunning and the people are so friendly. I would return in a heartbeat. Looking forward to hearing about your time in Gros Morne.
We absolutely love Newfoundland! I had been a few years ago but it was winter and I was working so didn’t see much. I’m sure we’ll go back too 😊 Maggie
Great photos. Need to get back there. It has been too many years since I have been to Newfoundland.
Thanks you! Newfoundland is an amazing place isn’t it?! Maggie
Incredible! I love the coast and cliffs and the waterfalls. I feel like I could just sit on the edge for hours and watch the waves.
Yes it’s quite an amazing coastline. We kept stopping every few minutes to look and take pictures. Happy New Year Chelsea! Maggie
It is truly breathtaking! So lucky you’ve been able to get there, there is so much to see, and Canada is so big😉
Yes it was a very long drive, but so worth it to spend time on the east coast, and we’re so glad we went to Newfoundland. We absolutely loved it. Maggie
It really is a scenic coast – absolutely beautiful 🙂 I’d never get anywhere pulling over for photos haha!
Haha! We did pull over a lot! Maggie
So so beautiful! I can’t wait to read more about this province and your trip!
The landscapes in this province are so unique and so incredible. Add to that the cute towns and incredibly friendly people, we loved it:) Maggie
We went across on the ferry to Port aux Basques in July . We loved exploring the area all of Newfoundland. Gros Morne was so amazing. Looks like you enjoyed your outing. Anita
We fell in love with Newfoundland! We went to the Maritimes as soon as they opened up. It was a great time to explore that partner Canada.
Oh, that coastline is so dramatic! Is St. John the easternmost point of North America? It looks like it from your maps.
It is, and about 15 km from St. John’s is the most eastern point. St. John’s will probably be our last post in the series, and one of our favourite places on the entire trip 🙂
you did it! it really is like the end of the earth!
HaHa it does feel like it! No wonder adventurers we’re so leery of sailing here!
some splendid coastline there
✨🙏🕉☀🌙⚖🪔🕊♾🈚☯🌍🐲🙋♂️
Yes the views are fantastic! Thanks for your comments! Maggie
It’s such a spectacular, dramatic coastline! What a wonderful place to end your cross-country tour. The long ferry ride must have made it seem even more of a special conclusion.
You’re right the ferry ride really was a great way to start and end our final leg. Newfoundland is truely a landscape lover’s dream:) Maggie
The gannets alone would be reason enough to go visit. But the incredible scenery is also very inviting. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos.
It was incredible watching those huge birds flying over the cliffs. Thanks for your comments Tanja, Maggie
These pics don’t do the west coast of Newfoundland justice.
I had been away for 50 years and 33 since my last visit.
I had seen the west coast before but this time it was pure magic.
If I lived there, I would be in tears, every day, because of the beauty.
[…] from Newfoundland – St. John’s, Signal Hill, Day Trips from St. John’s, Trinity, Western Newfoundland, Conception […]
[…] Previous Post Previous post: The Scenic Coast of Western NewfoundlandNext Post Next post: Vikings in Newfoundland –Visiting L’Anse aux Meadows […]
[…] Atlantic ferries travel between Sydney, NS and western Newfoundland’s Port aux Basques (7 hrs) twice a day and to the eastern province’s Argentia a few times a week. If traveling to or […]
[…] Atlantic ferries travel between Sydney, NS and western Newfoundland’s Port aux Basques (7 hrs) twice a day and to the eastern province’s Argentia a few times a week. If traveling to or […]
[…] Atlantic ferries travel between Sydney, NS and western Newfoundland’s Port aux Basques (7 hrs) twice a day and to the eastern province’s Argentia a few times a week. If traveling to or […]
[…] more posts from Newfoundland – Colourful Communities in St. John’s, Western Newfoundland, Day trips from St. John’s, Gros Morne, Vikings in Newfoundland, Bonavista Peninsula, […]
[…] Atlantic ferries travel between Sydney, NS and western Newfoundland’s Port aux Basques (7 hrs) twice a day and to the eastern province’s Argentia a few times a week. If traveling to or […]
[…] from Newfoundland – St. John’s, Signal Hill, Day Trips from St. John’s, Trinity, Western Newfoundland, Conception […]
[…] We also saw thrombolites on the western coat of Newfoundland, Canada. You can read about those here. […]
[…] We also saw thrombolites on the western coat of Newfoundland, Canada. You can read about those here. […]