NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR’S BATTLE HARBOUR and GREAT NORTHERN PENINSULA

From Port-aux-Basques, drive through the Codroy Valley and Corner Brook as you make your way northwards. Drawn to its rich marine resources, the Port au Choix area has been a crossroads to Indigenous and European cultures for over 5500 years. Visit Port au Choix National Historic Site to learn more. Overnight in this small fishing community.*Start of trip for those joining from Corner Brook

Your travels continue up the Great Northern Peninsula to St. Anthony. See where the Vikings once had a settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site. The reconstructions of three Norse buildings are the focal point of this archaeological site, the earliest known European settlement in the New World. Exhibits highlight the Viking Lifestyle, artifacts and the archaeological discovery of the site. Later, learn about the legacy of medical missionary Sir Wilfred Grenfell in St. Anthony.

Travel to St. Barbe to board the ferry to Blanc Sablon. After the crossing, continue to Labrador - Canada’s Last Frontier - and travel to Battle Harbour, a living commemoration of the life and society created there by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Situated on a small, near-shore island, Battle Harbour was for two centuries the economic and social center of the southeastern Labrador coast. Today it is one of the most magical tourist destinations to be found anywhere. Restoration - not rebuilding - is the hallmark of Battle Harbour. Enter a time warp when you step on the dock at Battle Harbour. Your comfortably restored accommodation at Battle Harbour Heritage Properties offer fabulous views of the island.

This morning, take a guided walking tour of the settlement and learn the fascinating history of Battle Harbour. This afternoon, enjoy a leisurely boat tour on the waters around the Battle Islands. Cruise along the rugged coastline to view a number of smaller fishing villages still active today. Enrich your experience at Battle Harbour by observing the neighbouring communities etched back in time, living a life similar to the island’s forefathers.

Say farewell to Battle Harbour as you return to Labrador’s mainland. Visit Red Bay National Historic Site, a former Basque whaling station and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also stop at Point Amour Lighthouse. Standing 33 metres above the Labrador Straits, the lighthouse is the tallest in Atlantic Canada and the second highest in the country. Spend a third night in Labrador, this time in L’Anse au Clair.

Return to the island of Newfoundland today. In Torrent River, learn about the province’s most successful salmon enhancement project at the Salmon Interpretation Centre and Fishway. Continue to the community of Cow Head, your home for the next two nights.

Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stretches across over 400,000 acres of western Newfoundland as part of the towering Long Range Mountains. Encircled by tiny seaside communities, and encompassing forests, freshwater fjords, bogs, barren lowlands, striking cliffs and shorelines, this area is also world-renowned for its complex geology. It was here that geologists proved the theory of plate tectonics. Experience Gros Morne from Bonne Bay on a boat cruise. Live commentary throughout the tour highlights the geological wonders, the rich cultural history and the diversity of this fascinating bay, situated in the heart of the Park. Visit The Tablelands: this mountain of flat-topped rock of a kind usually found only deep in the earth’s mantle is a truly awe-inspiring sight.

Venture on to Deer Lake for a visit to the Newfoundland Insectarium, a world-class attraction featuring thousands of live and mounted insects, arachnids, and arthropods from around the world. Enjoy a beautiful indoor garden filled with live tropical butterflies. Afterwards, it's off to Port aux Basques to board a relaxing overnight Marine Atlantic ferry to North Sydney ' your port of entry for the province of Nova Scotia.*End of trip for those who joined from Corner Brook.

This morning, arrive in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Return to Halifax today, taking with you fond memories of this truly one of a kind experience!