10 Sweet Summer Spots in Newfoundland and Labrador
Published April 18th, 2025
Photos by Jennifer Bain and Jay Kana unless otherwise noted.
With the “Elbows Up” movement in full swing and Canadian tourism becoming increasingly popular, it’s an excellent time to discover, or rediscover, our captivating country.
So you’re looking at Newfoundland & Labrador for a summer visit and asking yourself “what’s there to do in Newfoundland & Labrador in summer?” So, so, so much! It’s superb for family road trips, a guys and or gals trip, a couples getaway or a solo adventure.
If one of your summer travel destinations is Newfoundland & Labrador, we’ve got a stellar list for you to either follow or include in your exploration of this beautiful part of Canada.
Jennifer will get things started:
Twillingate
Let’s start this trip with something that sets this province apart — icebergs. People flock here from around the world with dreams of seeing the melting 10,000-year-old glacial giants that float by on their way south from Greenland and Nunavut. Now of course there’s no guarantees — that’s always up to Mother Nature. But the northern and eastern coasts have been dubbed Iceberg Alley for a reason and the season typically runs from April to June.
In Twillingate, the “Iceberg Capital of the World,” I’ve seen icebergs from shore, from tour boats and from kayaks. For daily intel on where the bergs are, check out Newfoundland and Labrador Iceberg Reports, a Facebook group created by retired teacher Diane Davis that has more than 96,000 members.
Fogo Island
My summer isn’t complete without multiple partridgeberry jam tart ice cream cones from Growlers in Joe Batt’s Arm. Partridgeberries (better known by IKEA shoppers as lingonberries) grow here and across the province, and Purity’s Jam Jams are a beloved local cookie. Pair these two things with homemade vanilla ice cream and you’re in for a memorable treat.
With 2,200 people living in multiple communities, Fogo Island is more than the world-renowned Fogo Island Inn. There’s excellent hiking, quirky community museums and boat trips to the Little Fogo Islands to see puffins and look for whales. There’s an impressive arts scene and plenty of craft shops where homemade quilts are the ultimate souvenir.
Gander
The National Trust for Canada has called the international lounge at Gander International Airport “the most important modernist room in Canada.” This tiny airport at the eastern edge of North America was once a refuelling stop for planes flying across the Atlantic and its glamorous departures lounge hosted royalty, politicians and celebrities. Shuttered for years, the lounge was miraculously preserved. I got a few sneak peeks from security guards, but this mid-century gem wisely reopened in 2022 as a free public space. The lounge is before security, so everyone’s welcome to come and admire the retro furniture, art and giant mural, then head up to the mezzanine to dive into the history.
Gros Morne National Park
“Shaped by colliding continents and grinding glaciers, Gros Morne’s ancient landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” says Parks Canada. People come to Gros Morne National Park for three big reasons — to walk on a rare exposed portion of the Earth’s mantle at the Tablelands, to boat along Western Brook Pond (a glacier-carved, landlocked, freshwater fjord), and to climb Gros Morne Mountain. I’ve done the first two but am still working up to the 17-kilometre hike on the “big lone mountain.” The lively town of Rocky Harbour makes the perfect base for park adventures.
L’Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site
Here at North America’s only authenticated Viking site, Parks Canada tells the story of the first known Europeans to set foot on this continent. Fun fact — it wasn’t until the 1960s that a bronze cloak pin was discovered here and a settlement full of wood-framed peat-turf buildings was finally uncovered. Near L’Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site, look for the statue of Norse explorer Leifur Eiríksson in the community of L'Anse aux Meadows, and visit Norstead, a living history site with a full-scale replica Viking ship.
Battle Harbour, Labrador
Aerial image photo credit: Barrett & MacKay Photo Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism
I’ll never forget that time I took the ferry from St. Barbe, NL, to Blanc Sablon, QC, and then drove north to Labrador and took another boat to a wee, car-free island called Battle Harbour. Run by a historic trust, this restored 19th-century outport fishing community was once the salt fish capital of the world. Now it’s part of the Battle Harbour Historic District National Historic Site and a rare spot where you can sleep in a national historic site. Communal meals are included in your stay, and Daphne Smith’s dinner rolls are to die for.
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Okay, so technically the quirky archipelago of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is part of France, but it’s just 20 kilometres from the southern coast of Newfoundland and the two places cross-promote each other. So take the passenger ferry from Fortune (most car rentals aren’t insured to go to Europe) or fly Air Saint-Pierre from St. John’s to this self-governing territorial collectivity of France to eat foie gras, drink French wine and delve into the bootlegging history. Be sure to explore both smaller St. Pierre (“the culture island”) and larger Miquelon-Langlade (“the nature island”)
And now, over to Jay to bring us home!
Petty Harbour
Only 15 minutes from St. John’s brings you to a whole new world at Petty Harbour.
This postcard village is filled with vibrant colours and take your time as you stroll through this active fishing village. Ocean Quest Adventures also launches out of Petty Harbour, so if that’s on your itinerary, get there extra early to explore the area.
There’s also a cool mini aquarium and in fact, it’s Newfoundlands first catch and release aquarium, complete with interactive exhibits.
If you’re only stopping in for a short while, be sure to get a scoop of two of ice cream or a sundae or, well, lots of other cool, sweet treats from Tinkers Ice Cream Shop.
Originally named Petit Havre (meaning small harbour) by the French, it evolved into Petty Harbour by the English settlers.
Cape Spear
Welcome to the most easterly point of land, excluding Greenland, of course, in North America! If you get up early enough, you can catch the first sunrise in North America - pretty cool bragging rights!
Speaking of bragging rights, Cape Spear is home to to a historic lighthouse and the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s a Parks Canada National Historic Site and there’s hiking and walking trails aplenty. You’ll certainly get your daily steps in here!
There are also old bunkers and gun barrels from World War 2 on site.
Ferryland
A little over an hour south of St. John’s brings you to Ferryland on the Avalon Peninsula. One you park, take a few minutes to admire the views and sounds of Back Cove.
From there, it’s about a 10 minute walk to the Ferryland Lighthouse, where you’ll find the good people at Lighthouse Picnics. Select from a few delicious food options, vegetarian choices included, a drink and dessert, and find a spot on the hill where you can enjoy the food and of course, the magical views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Afterward, wander the area and soak in the atmosphere and relaxing vibe.