At the edge of North America, on one of the four corners of the world, Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the best places to see and appreciate nature in all its glory. Dramatic coastlines, sweeping barrens, thick boreal forests, and ancient rock formations – the natural, wild beauty of this place surrounds you at every turn. The living landscape is its own wonder – teeming with seabirds, moose, caribou, and rich marine life.
Home to three National Parks, one National Park Reserve, Newfoundland and Labrador also boasts 18 wilderness and ecological reserves, and breathtaking botanical gardens.
Videos far, far off the beaten path
The sun rises here first, on the most easterly point on the continent. We’re closer to Ireland than Calgary or Vancouver, and having our own time zone is just one example of the off-kilter nature of this place.
With more than 29,000 kilometres of coastline, it's not hard to spot plenty of whales, seabirds, and icebergs. There are 22 species of whales alone, including the world's largest migrating population of humpbacks. Flying high above are, give or take, 35 million seabirds, which is why Newfoundland and Labrador is aptly named the seabird capital of North America. And if iceberg watching is something on your list, Iceberg Alley is the best place on the continent to see these 10,000-year-old frosty giants.
There's no shortage of wildlife in Newfoundland and Labrador. The pristine landscape and abundance of large and small game make for incredible sightseeing, by car or hike. For example, in Gros Morne National Park the moose population density is one of the highest in North America (so be cautious driving, especially at dusk or dawn). The park is also home to woodland caribou and black bears.
Our provincial flower – the insectivorous pitcher plant – can be found, among other wildflowers like rare orchids and plants, in bogs and marshland. Burnt Cape Ecological Reserve on the Great Northern Peninsula is home to unique and rare flora along a coastline with fantastic limestone topography, which has been eroded by water. But of all the wonderful surprises our landscape holds, the most delightful just might be our sweet, fresh berries. Try a handful of blueberries, partridgeberries, blackberries, or bakeapples, also known as cloudberries.
The unique geological landscape of Newfoundland and Labrador attracts scientists and rockhounds from across the globe. It tells the remarkable story of Earth's evolution, and features some of the oldest rocks in the world. The Johnson GEO CENTRE, carved out of the ancient rock of Signal Hill in St. John's, is a great place to begin your geological journey of the province.
For a fascinating lesson on plate tectonics – and a chance to walk on the Earth's mantle – visit the Tablelands in Gros Morne National Park. Torngat Mountains National Park in northern Labrador is home to 3.9-billion-year-old rocks – some of the oldest on the planet.
The spectacularly preserved fossils found at Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve on the Avalon Peninsula are 565 million years old. It's the oldest, most diverse assemblage of multicellular life ever found on Earth.
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