Newfoundland & Labrador Nature Experiences
Atlantic Canada’s most easterly province of Newfoundland and Labrador is a treasure trove of spectacular wildlife experiences and opportunities to reconnect with nature. Whilst travel restrictions remain in place for Canada, many of these experiences are booked far in advance, making this period of planning an ideal time to discover all the delights the province offers visitors who want to get back into the wild following months of lockdown.
FOREST HIKE
This woodland trail takes hikers across Dover Fault – name-checked in the award-winning musical Come From Away – where two continental plates continue to pull apart from each other. The uncrowded coastline and blanket of forest all the way to the shore are a hikers paradise, with the opportunity to spot a plethora of birdlife including the Atlantic puffin, gannets, storm petrels, kittiwakes, short eared owl and the wonderfully alliterative piping plover. Hare Bay Adventures offers a wealth of knowledge on the area including the popular Away in the Woods three hour guided hike for £43 per person with multi-day and fishing adventures also available.
STAY AND PICK
Newfoundland and Labrador has an abundance of local produce including lots of delicious berries. Barbour Living Heritage Village in Newtown has created a Stay and Pick Package for wannabe foragers to learn about all the hidden gems that only locals know. The two day break includes finding berries, learning how to make amazing jam after a traditional ‘boil up’, creating a berry pie, a tour of the local village, dinner at the local Olde Shoppe Restaurant and a stay in a choice of a waterside heritage property or glamping in the great outdoors. The Stay and Pick Package is £287 per couple for a two night stay including accommodation with breakfast, dinner, berry picking, culinary lessons and a guided tour.
BARNACLED BEAUTIES
It’s been said that it is like a ballet, but all the dancers are covered in barnacles, and Linkum Tours’ zodiac whale watching trips offer the best seats in the house along the famous Iceberg Alley. The entire coastline of Newfoundland and Labrador plays host to a variety of whales throughout the year, but the real treat is the epic combination of icebergs and whales. Their colossal scale is a wonder to behold on a zodiac boat trip where guests can get close to the ‘bergs as they travel on their annual migration south. Whilst always maintaining a safe distance from the magnificent mammals, wildlife spotters will still get an amazing whale experience as they breech and swim by, plus there are always a couple of cheeky dolphins ready for a photo opportunity. Zodiac trips explore the waters around L’Anse Aux Meadows and Quirpon Island, iceberg viewing is advisable from April to early June and the cost is £34 per person.