Bonavista Peninsula

Bonavista Peninsula is a large peninsula to the north of the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is named for and should not be confused with Bonavista town, its second largest urban centre, at the tip of the peninsula, which is covered in a separate article, and Bonavista Bay, the body of water immediately to its north. The water to its south is called Trinity Bay, with the term "Trinity" being used by a wide variety of towns and businesses.

Understand
The peninsula is approximately 85 km long and averages about 20 km in width, spanning from Clarenville in the south to historic Bonavista town in the north. The total population is roughly 20,000, spread between 10 incorporated towns (of which Clarenville and Bonavista are the largest by a substantial margin), and 17 registered communities, most of which contain several additional hamlets.

The peninsula is home to some of the oldest settlements on the island of Newfoundland, particularly the towns of Bonavista and Trinity. Italian explorer John Cabot is reported to have landed at Cape Bonavista in 1497 claiming this part of the New World for the King of England.

The communities and towns on the Bonavista Peninsula are in a slow decline as the importance of the fishing industry decreases. Geographically isolated from major population centres, the provincial government has been attempting to diversify the local economy; most notably in tourism where the region is blessed with spectacular landscapes adjacent to the ocean.

Get in
The Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1) passes through Clarenville, at the base of the peninsula, on its way from the provincial capital, St. John's, to the regional centre of Gander. From Clarenville, Regional highway 230 spans 45 km to the tiny community of Southern Bay, and then deviates along the southeast coast through Trinity North (the 3rd largest town on the peninsula) to Bonavista. At Southern Bay, a separate fork of the highway, labelled 235, follows the northwest coast to Bonavista. Nearly all other routes through the peninsula are unpaved.

DLR bus runs once a day from the Memorial University Student Union Centre in St. John's to Port Blandford, at the base of the peninsula (3 hr 15 min, $44 as of June 2019).

Get around
Until the beginning of the 20th century, most of the towns on the peninsula were outports, accessible only by boat. A short-lived railway provided limited passenger service for a time, and was later usurped by the existing highway system. As such, transportation in the area is heavily dependent on cars. A few taxi and passenger van services provide limited and expensive service through the area. If you plan to travel by bus or by thumb, check with your hotel or host for advice.

Do

 * English Harbour Arts Centre, English Harbour
 * Historic Trinity
 * English Harbour Arts Centre, English Harbour
 * Historic Trinity
 * Historic Trinity

Buy
Thanks to the inspiring scenery and seasonal stream of tourist traffic, the region is blessed with a large number of art and craft galleries. A traditional fishing centre, the seafood is top-notch, and decorative shellfish traps and sealskin products are also available for purchase.

Eat

 * Angie's Old Style Country Diner, Little Catalina
 * Angie's Old Style Country Diner, Little Catalina
 * Angie's Old Style Country Diner, Little Catalina

Mid-range
There are B&Bs and vacation homes available throughout the peninsula.

Connect
There are a few post offices. There is no cellular service on the Rogers network.

Go next

 * Bonavista, the town at the northern tip of the peninsula
 * Clarenville, the town at the southern tip of the peninsula
 * Terra Nova National Park, the nearest National Park
 * Gander, home to the nearest airport offering commercial flights
 * St. John's, the Provincial capital and largest city on the island
 * Eastern Newfoundland, the wider region of which this is just a small part
 * Twillingate, a popular town about 4 hours to the north, famed for its icebergs
 * Gros Morne National Park, among Newfoundland's most popular destinations