St. John’s is the capital of Newfoundland and the oldest community in Canada. In this city, colourful neighbourhoods blend into historical sites giving the visitor plenty of interesting places to explore. One of the best known sites to explore is the historic Signal Hill.
After driving across Canada on Our Great Canadian Roadtrip we were ready to explore St. John’s, Newfoundland. A city where the people are as vibrant as the neighbourhoods. As we learned, once you’ve visited St. John’s, it will remain in your heart for a long time.
The Narrows
The uniqueness of this city begins on its eastern edge. A small slit of water called The Narrows provides the only access into the large St. John’s Harbour. Both sides of the passage are dominated by rocky hills as if hiding what’s inside.
The waters around St. John’s were once full of cod fish. Local folklore says that you could walk across the water on the backs of the fish. This rich resource resulted in many battles to control the fishing industry and The Narrows became a strategic point to protect the inner harbour. Early fishermen did this by stringing a defensive rope between the two shores at the thinnest part of The Narrows. Copying this idea, after the 7 Years War, the British military installed a 174 m defensive chain between Chain Rock in The Battery and Pancake Rock in Fort Amherst. The chain was tightened to prevent enemy ships from entering the harbour. In WWII it was changed to a submarine net and apparently did stop a submarine missile during WWII. You can still see evidence of the chains on the rocks.
Signal Hill
The north side of The Narrows is dominated by Signal Hill which overlooks the passage and St. John’s Harbour. From the top you can even see Cape Spear, Canada’s most eastern point. Today instead of cod, the harbour is filled with large freighters.
Signal Hill was an important spot in defending the harbour from the 17th century until after the Second World War. It has since been designated a National Historic Site. Near the top of the hill we found a few canons from the 1860s. They were likely considered high-tech at the time with iron wheels that ran on a curved track allowing 120° of angle of fire. The last canon could spin all the way toward the harbour in case ships got through The Narrows.
In 1887 Cabot Tower was built on the highest point of the hill to commemorate 400 years since John Cabot first landed on Newfoundland’s shores. Built of red sandstone, the three story tower can be seen from most parts of downtown St. John’s.
As its name implies Signal Hill has been used to transmit signals for centuries. Long before ship-to-shore radios existed, signalmen on Signal Hill kept track of ships sailing toward The Narrows and the port of St. John’s. They used flag signals to communicate details of arriving ships to people in the harbour below.
As if to further confirm the appropriateness of the hill’s name, in 1901 Guglielmo Marconi received the world’s first transatlantic wireless signal on Signal Hill. He strung the antenna from a kite flying 500 feet above. Also, 1920 Marconi received the first trans-Atlantic transmission of a human voice on this same spot.
Signal Hill National Historic Site is operated by Parks Canada. There are a few short hikes on the hill and unlike most national parks, the hikes are open to everyone for free. The various trails take you to different lookout points and scenic coves around the hill.
The Battery
At the base of Signal Hill, on one side of The Narrows, is one of St. John’s most charming communities called The Battery. Wooden historic homes seemingly cling to the rock as they climb above the ocean. Viewing it from across The Narrows, it seems as if the homes were built in the most implausible places.
As you can imagine, it’s not possible to drive through The Battery, but you can park your car before it and walk on the winding lanes. The sidewalk seems to come to an end until, in true Newfoundland friendliness, it continues across one home’s front porch! It’s actually the only way to get to the end of town. Their front porch is used quite often as a sidewalk since it connects to North Head Trail, one of the hiking trails in Signal Hill National Historic Site.
Fort Amherst Lighthouse
From the top of Signal Hill you can see down to Fort Amherst Lighthouse on the other side of The Narrows. A defensive fort was built on this site in the 1770s but none of this historic fort remains. The ruins of a WWII military compound are still there. They are below Fort Amherst Lighthouse, but are off limits to visitors. The lighthouse is now automated and is also not accessible. You can stay at lighthouse keeper’s residence though. It operates as a B&B. It would be a great place to see the first sunrise of the day.
Cartography enthusiasts will find this interesting. If you look at a current map of the island of Newfoundland there’s a good chance it’s based on one drawn in 1767. At the end of the 7 Years War, the British needed a detailed map of Newfoundland’s coast. James Cook was hired to survey and map the island. With close to 29,000 km (18,000 miles) of convoluted coastline to survey, this was quite the task. Cook was so good at his job as cartographer that his maps are still used today.
Don’t forget to explore the rest of St. John’s. You can read more about what to do in our post Colourful Communities in St. John’s.
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. There are quite a few potholes across the province so drive with caution.
- Watch for moose while driving, especially between dusk and dawn. With 125,000 moose on the island there are, on average 700 moose-car collisions per year.
- 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 many available.
- Newfoundland Standard Time is 30 minutes ahead of Atlantic Standard Time so do don’t forget to change your watch.
- Don’t confuse St. John’s, Newfoundland’s capital city with Saint John in New Brunswick.
Where to stay and eat on Avalon Peninsula
There are many hotel and B&B options are in St. John’s and surrounding communities. Staying in or near downtown St. John’s allows you to experience the energy of this vibrant city. George Street is a popular pedestrian street in downtown with many restaurants, pubs and shops.
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. Another ferry travels from Blanc-Sablon, Quebec to St. Barbe on the Great Northern Peninsula. This ferry is much closer to L’Anse aux Meadows, however it is a long and difficult drive to reach the Quebec Port.
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.
Read more about Newfoundland in our posts – The Adorable Town of Trinity, Western Newfoundland, Gros Morne National Park, Vikings in Newfoundland, Conception Bay, St. John’s, Bonavista Peninsula, and Day Trips from St. John’s.
To read more of our stories from Canada, click here.
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To read stories from other parts from Canada click here, or other countries visit Destinations.
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67 responses to “Explore Signal Hill in St. John’s, Newfoundland”
I’d love to explore Cabot Tower because it looks so forbidding.
It sure does. We weren’t allowed jn because of Covid but I think it’s usually open. Maggie
Excellent post, as always Maggie. We loved our explorations here, but only looked at the Battery from afar. James Cook did phenomenally accurate work on exploring and mapping a good chunk of Canada, N.Z., Australia and the South Pacific. Love your posts on the Rock. Allan
Thanks Allan, yes I think Newfoundland was the first map and because he was so good he was hired for the others. The Battery has to be the coolest neighbourhood. Thanks for your input! Maggie
Thanks for bringing back memories. It has been about 30 years since I have been to St John’s. I had a college roommate from there.
Your welcome. It was our first time and we fell in love with it! Thanks for reading Joseph, Maggie
Wonderful post filled with beautiful pictures and great details. I really enjoy the details.
Thank you! Maggie
I love how you have woven interesting history and fabulous photos throughout this post.
Thanks so much, there’s so much history there to tell! Thanks for reading, Maggie
I’d like to visit this area. It looks almost alien to my midwest sensibilities. Your photos bring it to life and have me contemplating when we might get there.
You really should, it’s such a quirky, unique and wonderful city. Glad we’re inspiring you to visit. Maggie
Wow! I love St. John’s just from reading this. It’s so colorful and beautiful. I now know where the Cabot Trail got its name, and also enjoyed the information about Marconi. We saw a Marconi site on Cape Cod Massachusetts a few years back, so it was interesting to see another piece of telegraph history.
We love St. John’s too, glad it’s vibrancy shone through. I hadn’t heard of Marconi until we visited, he had quite a fascinatingly life. I didn’t know he was also in Cape Cod. Thanks for reading Diana! Maggie
non avrei mai immaginato che il Canada fosse così bello.
I never imagined Canada is so beautiful.
It has a lot of beauty throughout, but St. John’s has is in a class of its own. Thanks/Grazie Maggie
What a great post! Loved the photos and history!
Thanks!
I have a fond memory of hiking the trails around Battery Point unaware of the harbour’s past history. Thanks for the interesting info.
Your welcome! Isn’t Battery a great neighbourhood? There can’t be many like it! Thanks for commenting!!
Looks like a beautiful place to explore. People in the Battery community must have to either walk in their groceries, supplies, construction/repair supplies or bring them in via boat. I can’t imagine doing that in the winter. It must take hardy people to live there.
I think they are very hardy. Residents can drive to their door but they do have to be very good drivers down narrow, steep winding lanes and I wouldn’t want to do it when it’s icy. It is a fascinating place! Maggie
Great post! Looks like another fantastic adventure!
Thank you! It was a great trip! Maggie
Newfoundland has such a rich history and yet it is a modest and unassuming locale.
Thank you for the great detail as always. A great reading journey😊
That’s very true Suzette, they are truly salt of the earth people. Thanks for reading!! Maggie
Yes, exactly. It was my pleasure Maggie. Cheers.
Cabot Tower and that surrounding area reminds me of Edinburgh Castle!
It’s not quite that grand but it does have a great setting! Thanks Claire! Maggie
I certainly love unique settings and history, so I wouldn’t agree with a complete carbon copy of Edinburgh Castle. Reminders are nice, but it’s best to appreciate the uniquemess 🙂
A very charming place, it seems.
It’s impressive that Captain Cook’s map has had so much staying power.
Seeing so many houses built right at the water’s edge makes me wonder how often they get battered and flooded in severe storms, and if rising sea levels are a concern there, too.
Hmm that’s interesting, I have never heard anyone talk about their concern of rising sea levels. Captain Cook must have had a remarkable mind. Thanks for reading Tanja! Maggie
I always learn so much from your posts!
I often read about Marconi at school for his inventions. To visit a place associated with one of his works must be really cool. And with the imposing yet beautiful Cabot Tower and the picturesque Battery, I think I will love St. John’s.
I think you will too! It’s such a great city where history and community are interwoven. Maggie
The views from the Battery are amazing 🙂
Thanks it’s an interesting neighbourhood!
All your posts about Newfoundland makes me want to return! Signal Hill is such a beautiful area and it’s amazing to think how some of these houses were constructed along the steep rocks. I didn’t know that the keeper’s residence at Fort Amherst Lighthouse was a B&B. That sounds like it would be a neat place to spend the night.
I wish I knew ot was a B&B earlier, it would be a great place to stay. There aren’t many capital cities like St. John’s are there. Maggie
I love those little houses clinging to the cliffs of The Battery. That’s the essence of determination! 🙂
That’s very true! It was such a fascinating community to see, much differently than my boring typical neighbourhood 😊 Maggir
Your whole trip in that part of Canada looked stunning…cold, but stunning! 😉
St. John’s is a lovely town!
It is! 😊
Another great looking outpost, you found some truly fascinating and unusual places, some, like this, with great history. We can just imagine waking up in that lighthouse keeper’s cottage – that would be a great place to stay.
I wish I knew before we went that we could stay in the lighthouse. It would have been an amazing sunrise from it. Maggie
What a wonderful area to explore as the views of John’s and the North Atlantic are simply staggering! Looks like you can spend oodles of time exploring various trails. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
We fell in love with St Johns. Signal Hill has such to offer with great trails to small coves or to city views. Thanks for reading and your comments Aiva!
The walk up Signal Hill is a good memory.Climbing between the cliff and the ocean allows to appreciate the marine temperament of the place, then at the top the view of the bay gives the illusion of flying over the city.
It’s such a special area isn’t it? So much history woven in the fabulous landscape. Thanks for your comments 🙂 Maggie
[…] and dynamic, friendly people. The city has a rich history that begins on its edge, on Signal Hill, and permeates throughout many parts of its core. You’ll need a few days to explore all that […]
You had such beautiful views from Signal Hill. And those houses at The Battery look so pretty all nestled against the rocks – I was wondering, how did the people got their furniture to their houses if you can’t drive there? And love the lighthouse (again) – I would love to spent a night close by!
Signal Hill looks beautiful, Maggie. I love the idea of walking across someone’s porch. Unless it’s mine, perhaps!
It was very Newfoundland friendly! I’m not sure I would want it on my porch either!! Maggie
I really have to get to this part of NFLD. Maybe this summer.
There are so many historical places and cute spots on Avalon and Bonavista Peninsulas. You’ll love it! Maggie
Que magníficos recuerdos me traen tus relatos de viajes. Os invito a conocer los míos. Es un placer compartir experiencias viajeras. Saludos
What great memories your travel stories bring me! I invite you all to also know my travels. It is a pleasure to share traveling experiences. The bests regards
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Thank you, sorry, this was in my spam folder and I didn’t see it until now. I’ll check out your link. Maggie
I really like your blog. Thank you very much, Maggie. Cheers
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