Backpack and Snorkel Travel Guide for the Bonavista Peninsula in Newfoundland - Newfoundland Purple Travel Guide
The towns of Bonavista and Trinity are among the oldest settlements in Newfoundland. We provide detailed information and a self-guided tour with the best things to see and we show lots of photos so you know what you can expect.
The Bonavista Peninsula has a population of about 12,000. The two largest towns are Bonavista where about 3,200 people live, followed by Trinity Bay North with 1,650 inhabitants.
Italian explorer John Cabot likely landed at Cape Bonavista in 1497 and claimed this part of the New World for the King of England.
When Cabot first saw what is now Bonavista, he apparently said ‘O Buon Vista’ (=Oh, Happy Sight).
In the 16th century, Bonavista became one of the most important towns in Newfoundland due to its proximity to rich fishing and sealing grounds to the north.
Due to the decline of the fishing industry in Newfoundland, Bonavista is actively shifting towards a tourism-focused economy.
Bonavista has a subarctic climate due to its low water temperatures and it is one of the windiest places in Canada.
The climate you can expect during your trip to Bonavista is shown here:
Today, Trinity is a tiny village with a population of 76, which is a far cry from the 6,000 people who used to live here in the 18th century. Trinity got its name from Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real who arrived here on Trinity Sunday in 1500 or 1501.
Fishermen from England started using Trinity as a seasonal location in the 1570s and eventually merchants from Poole (England) settled here in the 18th century. Trinity soon became an important town and, at one time, Trinity exported upwards of 1/3 of all cod, seals, and train-oil that was produced in Newfoundland.
Because of its importance, the city was captured and burned down by the French in 1696 and 1705 and again captured by the French a little over 50 years later. Each time, the British were able to retake the city.
Trinity’s decline started in the mid-19th century when more and more business shifted to St. John’s.
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Where to stay in the Bonavista Peninsula
Our proposal is to stay in the Trinity area or anywhere to the north in the Bonavista Peninsula. Distances are not that large, so driving between destinations is easily doable.
Click on the map below to see what is available:
The View Golf Resort (price & availability)
We decided to stay at The View Golf Resort in Princeton. This resort rents entire apartments and has beautiful ocean and sunset views.
If you decide to stay at the resort, then our suggestion is to do today’s itinerary first and then check in at the hotel at the day’s end.
We arrived at the resort after 6pm and there was a sheet of paper near the entrance saying that, after hours, one must call a specific phone number to talk to the manager. While that was no problem for us, we can imagine that visitors from overseas may not have a phone that works in rural Newfoundland. In this case we recommend contacting the manager by email in advance to make arrangements so that you know to which room to go.
To get to the resort, turn off the paved Bonavista Bay Highway onto a gravel road by the resort sign and follow the gravel road for about 2,200 ft (670 m) until it ends. The main building, where you can find the manager and where the food service is, is right in front of you. To get to the building where your apartment is, turn around and drive to the light grey building that you can see to your left.
The apartments are of a good size. Ours had two bedrooms and it was nice, clean and had a fully equipped kitchen.
There is a balcony with an ocean view that can be used by anyone in the entire building in front of the kitchen and living room windows.
Outside the apartment are a communal washer and dryer – you will need to get the access key from the manager.
Self-guided tour of the northern Bonavista Peninsula
If you plan to take the whale watching zodiac tour in Trinity, then make sure to leave St. John’s early enough. Also, pack lunch or allow time for lunch in Trinity or somewhere along the way. Be advised that there are no fast-food restaurants in this part of the world and lunch in some of the privately owned small restaurants may easily take an hour.
A = St. John’s
B = Trinity area
1 = Trinity Eco-Tours
2 = Trinity
3 = Upper Gun Hill trail
4 = Skerwink trail
5 = Port Rexton Brewery
Whale or iceberg watching boat tour with Trinity Eco-Tours
If you are visiting between mid-May and mid-September, then you are in for a treat, as you can join a 2h zodiac boat tour with Trinity Eco-Tours. Depending on the time of year, you will see icebergs (May & June) and/or whales (July & August, but you may see some in May & June).
Make sure to plan your arrival in Trinity so that you can join a boat tour which, at the time of writing, starts at 1pm or 4pm and on select dates also at 7pm. It is advisable, but not always necessary, to book your tour on their website in advance.
During the tour, your guides will point out the different whale species that you are seeing. Bring your camera, but make sure to protect it from water and from falling into the sea.
Trinity
After the tour, take 30min to explore the tiny town of Trinity with its colorful houses and the harbor.
There is no specific route – just walk around.
Upper Gun Hill trail
There are a Lower Gunhill Trail and an Upper Gunhill Trail. The Upper Gunhill Trail brings you a wonderful view of Trinity Bay.
The trailhead can be found at the gravel lot at the end of West Street near the Rising Tide Theatre in Trinity.
The trail goes straight up the hill for about 0.6 miles (1km) to the viewpoint. At the viewpoint, there are several signs with information about the history of Trinity, historic photos of the town and two restored cannons.
If you have taken the Trinity Eco-Tour zodiac ride, then we propose to skip this trail, because otherwise you may run out of time.
Skerwink trail
This is one of the best hikes during your Newfoundland trip – don’t skip it!
There is a small parking lot next to the trail head. The trail is a moderately difficult 2.9-mile (4.6 km) hike, which frequently runs near steep drops. So, make sure that you always stay on the trail.
The trail is hiked clockwise and it is very well maintained. It frequently has boardwalks covering areas that get muddy after rain, and stairs to help you manage difficult terrain.
There are still some areas that will be muddy after rain, but you can usually squeeze by the muddy areas without stepping into the mud.
There are many areas where you have absolutely wonderful views of the ocean, beaches, steep cliffs rocks in the water, and beautiful tree-covered hills.
Towards the end of the trail, you will get to White Cove Beach. The trail leads inland from there and shortly after passing the lake to your left, you will come to an area that is covered with low-growing blueberry plants.
1 = Skerwink Trail Trailhead
Port Rexton Brewery
Port Rexton Brewery is a local microbrewery. They produce a wide variety of beers and have them on tap in their tasting room. There is also a deck in front of the building in case you don’t want to sit inside or the inside is packed with people.
We ordered the 4-beer sampler, selected three beers, and asked them to recommend the fourth. As it turned out, their recommendation, the Gluten-Free Raspberry Sour, turned out to be my wife’s favorite. I really liked the Bonavista Biennale Golden Ale.
Behind the building is a food truck in case you want to buy a sandwich and/or fries.
You may now want to go to eat dinner here or go to a restaurant of your choice and then drive to your hotel.
This concludes your tour for today.
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