Bonavista

Bonavista is a city in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located at the northern tip of the eponymous Bonavista Peninsula.

Understand
Bonavista is where modern North America began. On June 24th 1497, Giovani Caboto (John Cabot), an Italian explorer sailing under the British flag for King Henry VII, made landfall in the New World. "O Buona Vista," meaning "Oh Happy Sight," he was said to exclaim after nearly two months at sea. News of the existence of this New Found Land&mdash;and the riches of the Grand Bank fishery&mdash;spread throughout Europe after Cabot's return journey across the Atlantic. In the last decade of the 19th century, Bonavista was a booming town that serviced the 20,000 people living on the peninsula. Long a regional centre for the cod fishing industry, the closure of the fishery in 1992 saw Bonavista's population of approximately 6,500 cut in half to its present population of 3,500.

Today Bonavista is experiencing a resurgence thanks to a sustainable snow crab fishery and a booming tourism sector. It is home to some of the friendliest folk in Newfoundland, and boasts several of the province's most important historic sites. Be prepared to get engaged in long and wide-ranging conversations. As tourism is a major industry, and wanes during the winter, many businesses are closed November–April, or longer. But in July and August, things are in full swing.

Get in
Many visitors travel to Newfoundland via the ferry from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to either the Town of Port aux Basques on Newfoundland's southwest coast, or to the terminus in Argentia (Seasonal) near St John's. You can also travel here via a number of international airlines which travel to St. John's International Airport, or a few regional airlines that fly to Gander.

By car
There are three access points to the Bonavista Peninsula in order to get to the Town of Bonavista. The most western access junction is at Port Blandford (Route 233), the Bonavista Overpass (Route 230), or at the Town of Clarenville (Route 230-A). St John's is about 3½ hr away, while Gander is about 3h away.

By thumb
Hitchhiking in rural Newfoundland is relatively easy, though of questionable legality. It is pleasant when the weather is nice. Friendly locals and eager tourists often cover long distances. Be prepared to wait if stopping in an area with little traffic.See Hitchwiki for more.

Get around
Bonavista is a pedestrian's delight. The gentle topography is appealing but it is the rich cultural landscape which makes for enjoyable walking in the community.

There is a complex network of roads and laneways connecting the central area of the town known as the Harbour and Church Street to various sections of the community bearing age old names such as Canaille, Mockbeggar, Rolling Cove, Red Point, Bayley's Cove and Bakeapple Marsh. This all makes Bonavista a superb place to wander.

As the topography is relatively flat, traffic is light, drivers are courteous, and even more distant sites are seldom more than a few kilometres apart, travel by bicycle is also pleasant.

See

 * Bonavista is noted for the authenticity of its 19th-century (and earlier, and later) outport architecture. Check out the historic churches: Memorial United Church (completed 1923; 37 Church St) and St Joseph's Catholic Church (Completed 1842; 5 Sweeneys Ln) continue to offer regular religious services, while Alexander for All Souls Mortuary Chapel (completed 1897; 70 Coster St E) can sometimes be visited as a historic site. Civil society buildings include the Orange Hall (1907; 14 Sweetland's Hill), which once had the largest membership of loyal Orangemen in Canada; Court House (1900; 1 Church St), still featuring whipping post, stocks, and a cannon from World War I; the Garrick Theatre (opened 1945), which often hosts a cinema or live entertainment; and wooden Fishing Flakes, raised wooden platforms located throughout town, which were once used to store and dry salt cod.

Do
Most visitors to Bonavista come for the scenery, the cultural history, and the chance to view rare North Atlantic wildlife:
 * Iceberg season begins as the arctic sea ice melts, and winds and currents blow broken glacier chunks south along the Newfoundland and Labrador coasts. Since Bonavista is a north-facing town on a long peninsula, icebergs are easily trapped in its vicinity. At peak iceberg season in May and June, dozens of icebergs can be spotted from shore or from nearly any scenic viewpoint (see below).
 * Puffins can be found all along the coast, though they are elusive. A marine bird, they only come to shore to breed and raise their young, which they do in earthen burrows. This tends to take place between roughly mid-April and mid-August. Because they also go back to sea to fish, the best time to spot them on the Bonavista cape is in the evenings, beginning a few hours before sunset, when they come back to feed their young and rest.

Whale watching
Twenty-two species of whale call Newfoundland home at various points in the year, returning in cyclical migrations to fish its rich fish stocks. With a little bit of patience and a lot of luck, they can be spotted from any vantage point with a view of the sea. In Bonavista, they've even been known to come right into the inner harbour! In practice though, it's exceptionally rare to spot them without a boat.

Three companies run whale watching tours from Bonavista port:



Groceries and supplies
Beer is available for purchase at any of the 3 gas stations located on the main highway at the entrance to town, or at the 3 convenience stores, located in the south, centre, and north of the town.



Eat
Most local restaurants are only open during the summer tourist season.

Sleep
There are a number of hotels and B&Bs in Bonavista, in addition to a wide selection of vacation rental properties.

Connect
Cellular service is provided by Telus/Bell and their subsidiaries and network users (including Virgin, Koodo, PC Mobile, and Public Mobile). SIM cards are available at the Bell distributor, Custom Computer Centre (23 Church St). Rogers and its subsidiaries and network users (including Fido, Chatr, and 7/11 Speakout) do not have service in the Bonavista Peninsula region.

WiFi is available for customers at many restaurants and hotels.

Scotiabank (64 Church St, Bonavista) is the only bank in the area, but there are also ATMs at Walkhams Pub, Irving Gas Station, and Bonavista Convenience.

There is a full-service Canada Post in the centre of town.

Go next

 * Explore Trinity and other areas of the Bonavista Peninsula
 * Terra Nova National Park
 * St. John's
 * Twillingate
 * Gander
 * Saint Pierre and Miquelon