When most people think about Newfoundland and Labrador, a few things usually come to mind first: puffins, whales, icebergs, cod fish, colourful houses, and dramatic coastal scenery. And these iconic sights were all high on my list to see when I went on my trip.
But the more time I spent traveling around the province, the more I realized that its history is just as compelling as its landscapes.
Newfoundland and Labrador has been home to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. It was also one of the earliest places in North America reached by Vikings, and then Europeans.
When European settlers arrived, Newfoundland and Labrador began to be shaped by the cod fishery, the growth of small coastal fishing communities known as outports, and, centuries later, the resettlement program that saw many of those communities relocated.
This history is still visible everywhere, from archaeological sites and abandoned fishing communities to museums, churches, lighthouses, and living Indigenous traditions.
But what I found especially interesting was how these stories connect. Understanding the Beothuk (Indigenous Peoples of Newfoundland) naturally led into learning about European settlement.
Visiting former fishing communities helped explain the merchant economy that shaped towns like Trinity.
And attending the Miawpukek First Nation Powwow was a reminder that Mi’kmaq culture continues to be celebrated, shared, and passed from one generation to the next.
This guide covers seven places and experience in Newfoundland and Labrador that helped me better understand the province’s history.
Ktaqmkuk, the Mi’kmaq name for the island of Newfoundland, is the traditional territory of the Beothuk and the Mi’kmaq.
- 1. Visit The Beaches Archaeological Site
- 2. Drop By the Beothuk Interpretation Centre
- 3. Visit the Exploits Islands
- 4. Attend the Miawpukek First Nation Annual Powwow
- 5. Visit the Historic Town of Trinity
- 6. Bring Newfoundland’s History Together in St. John’s
- 7. Visit Cape Spear National Historic Site
- See Newfoundland & Labrador Through Its History
1. Visit The Beaches Archaeological Site
If you want to learn Newfoundland and Labrador’s history, this is where I would start.
Located in Hare Bay, about 40 minutes east of Gander, The Beaches doesn’t look especially remarkable at first. It’s a narrow stretch of beach accessible only by boat, with a small wharf, picnic tables, and views across the bay.
If I hadn’t visited with local guide and historian Duane Collins, I probably would have assumed it was simply a nice place to spend an afternoon relaxing.
But at The Beaches, there’s more than 5,200 years of history beneath your feet.
The Beaches is one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most important Indigenous archaeological sites. Archaeological evidence shows it was occupied over thousands of years by the Maritime Archaic peoples, the Dorset peoples, and later the Beothuk.
Early in our walk, Duane led us into a wooded area and pointed out a series of shallow depressions in the ground. They were the remains of Beothuk mamateeks, semi-subterranean winter homes that I would have walked right past without realizing what they were.
Archaeologists have identified 11 of these house pits at The Beaches, dating to one of the final periods of Beothuk life before European contact.
What struck me most was how this specific location had been chosen by humans, thousands of years ago, as a perfect place to live. It makes sense why.
Sheltered waters brought salmon, trout, herring, smelt, and eels close to shore, nearby forests provided wood, and local rhyolite was used to make stone tools. It had everything people needed to build a community.
Throughout the tour, Duane noticed and pointed out details I never would have spotted myself. He spotted flakes of rhyolite along the shoreline, explaining they were the waste left behind from thousands-of-years-old tool making.
To me, they looked like ordinary rocks. To him, they were clues that helped tell the story of the people who once lived here.
It’s hard to even conceptualize just how long ago humans were living at The Beaches. But Duane put it into perspective: “When the first Maritime Archaic people were living here, the pyramids hadn’t even been built yet,” he told me.
Walking around The Beaches made the history of Newfoundland and Labrador feel much more real to me. It’s one thing to hear that people have lived here for 5,000+ years, but it’s another to stand in the remains of one of those communities.
If you’re interested in learning the province’s history, I’d start here. You can book a day trip to The Beaches with Duane Collins, through Hare Bay Adventures.
Next, head to the Beothuk Interpretation Centre in Boyd’s Cove, where you’ll learn more about the Beothuk people and the events that led to their disappearance as a distinct culture.
2. Drop By the Beothuk Interpretation Centre
After learning that people had lived in Newfoundland for thousands of years, the next piece of the story was to learn more about the Beothuk People.
The Beothuk Interpretation Centre is in Boyd’s Cove, about 45 minutes north of Gander on Newfoundland’s northeast coast. It’s a small museum built beside the remains of a Beothuk village uncovered by archaeologists in the 1980s.
Inside, you’ll find exhibits about Beothuk life and artifacts recovered from the archaeological site. Then, follow the 1.5-kilometre trail through the woods to the site itself.
I really enjoyed this walk. The trail is easy to follow and has interpretive signs along the way explaining Beothuk life, the surrounding landscape, and the archaeological discoveries made here.
There are also a few viewpoints overlooking the bay before you arrive at the remains of the village, where you can still see the depressions in the earth, which are Beothuk house pits.
Just be warned, during the summer the blackflies and mosquitos on this trail can be intense! I was glad to have long sleeves and pants on for protection.
The Interpretation Centre also explains what happened after Europeans arrived in Newfoundland.
As settlement expanded along the coast, the Beothuk gradually lost access to many of the rivers and shorelines they depended on for food.
Combined with violence and introduced diseases, these pressures had devastating consequences. By 1829, the Beothuk as a distinct people had been lost.
It’s a difficult history to learn about, but an important one.
Visiting both The Beaches and the Beothuk Interpretation Centre helped me realize that Newfoundland’s story didn’t begin with European settlement, and that colonization fundamentally changed the lives of the people who had called this island home long before Europeans arrived.
To better understand what happened after Europeans arrived, continue to the Exploits Islands, where Beothuk and settler histories intersect.
3. Visit the Exploits Islands
I visited the Exploits Islands with Paul Langdon from Adventures Newfoundland, who met us in Lewisporte before taking us across the Bay of Exploits by boat.
As we cruised between the islands, Paul pointed to a cliff with a reddish hue along the shoreline. “A lot of people believe that’s one of the places where the Beothuk People might have collected red ochre,” he told me.
Red ochre held deep cultural significance for the Beothuk. They used it to colour their clothing, tools, canoes, and their bodies.
The Exploits Islands were part of the traditional territory of the Beothuk for millennia. But in the late 18th century, Europeans began establishing fishing settlements there, drawn by the opportunities to fish for cod, and sheltered harbours.
As permanent settlements spread along the coast, the Beothuk were systematically displaced and pushed inland into the Exploits River system, cutting them off from the coastal rivers and shorelines they depended on for food.
Combined with violence and introduced diseases, this displacement contributed to the devastating decline of the Beothuk population.
For me, the Exploits Islands were where several parts of Newfoundland’s history started coming together.
They tell the story of how European settlement reshaped the lives of the Beothuk while also introducing the fishing communities that would define the province for generations.
In the 19th and early 20th century, these islands were home to thriving fishing communities. Families built homes, churches, schools, wharves, and fishing stages, creating close-knit outports where life revolved around the sea.
Then, in the 1960s, Newfoundland and Labrador’s resettlement program encouraged many residents from the Exploits Islands to relocate to larger communities on the mainland, where there was better access to essential services.
As more families left, the population steadily declined, eventually leading to the closure of the local school and other services.
Paul told us that today, just one person lives on the islands year-round, and the rest of the colourful houses have become seasonal summer homes.
Without Paul, I think I would have appreciated the islands for their scenery. Instead, I found myself imagining what everyday life looked like here when hundreds of people called these communities home.
Boats would have been coming and going from the wharves, there would have been lots of children walking to and from school, and families whose lives revolved around the fishery.
While in the Exploits Islands, Paul welcomed us to his home for lunch. His wife, Joanne, had prepared an incredible spread of homemade Newfoundland dishes.
Over bowls of moose soup, fresh bread, smoked mackerel, and homemade jams, they shared stories about growing up in the Bay of Exploits, local traditions, and life in rural Newfoundland today.
One story still makes me laugh. As we walked toward the house, Paul pointed to the fence around his back deck and said,
“Do you know why I had to build that? We have a local fox who kept stealing my shoes. One day it ran off with a $400 pair of orthopedic shoes.”
Spending time with Paul and Joanne in the Exploits Islands reminded me that Newfoundland’s history isn’t something you only encounter at historic sites. You can also find it around kitchen tables, in conversations with locals, and in the stories people share.
And while the Exploits Islands tell the story of European first contact and resettlement, elsewhere in the province Indigenous communities continue to celebrate and share traditions that have been passed down through generations.
4. Attend the Miawpukek First Nation Annual Powwow
After learning about Newfoundland and Labrador’s Indigenous history, one of the most meaningful experiences you can have is attending the Miawpukek First Nation Powwow, which is held on the first weekend of July in Conne River.
The annual gathering celebrates Mi’kmaq culture through traditional drumming, singing, dancing, Indigenous artisans, food, and community, welcoming both Mi’kmaq families and visitors from across Newfoundland and Labrador.
The powwow starts with the Grand Entry, when dancers, Elders, veterans, the Eagle Staff, and flags enter the arbor (the arena where dances are performed) together, followed by a full day of traditional and social dances, drum groups, and sweat lodges.
If you’ve never attended a powwow before, don’t worry, visitors are genuinely welcome to attend the Miawpukek First Nation Powwow.
The emcee explains what’s happening throughout the day, including etiquette, photography, and opportunities to participate, making it an approachable experience even for first-time attendees.
When I attended the Miawpukek First Nation Powwow, I could really feel the joy of everyone throughout the day.
It was really special to experience a celebration and sharing of Mi’kmaq culture. I think it’s valuable for non-Indigenous people to attend and learn, but the powwow is also an important tool for passing Mi’kmaq cultural traditions down to younger generations of the Miawpukek First Nation.
5. Visit the Historic Town of Trinity
By this point, I’d learned about Indigenous history and life in Newfoundland’s outports. Now it was time to learn about the industry that connected so many of those communities.
Trinity is one of the best-preserved historic towns in Canada, with dozens of colourful 18th- and 19th-century saltbox houses, churches, and merchant buildings overlooking the harbour.
Walking through town brings Newfoundland and Labrador’s early settlement history to life, because the well-preserved buildings make it feel like you’ve stepped back in time.
Trinity was first settled by Europeans in the 16th century and later became an important centre for the cod fishery and merchant trade.
A great place to start your visit is the Ryan Premises National Historic Site, where you can learn how the merchant system worked.
Under this system, fishing families often sold their catch to local merchants in exchange for supplies, equipment, and credit, making merchants central to both the cod trade and daily life in many Newfoundland communities.
Afterwards, spend some time wandering around Trinity’s streets, popping into local shops and galleries, or join one of the excellent guided walking tours.
Hearing the stories behind the homes, churches, and merchant buildings gave me a much better understanding of what life looked like here during the height of the fishery.
For an incredible view in Trinity, hike Gunn Hill. It’s a short (1.5 kms) but steep climb above town, but once you make it to the top, you’ll have panoramic views over Trinity Harbour, Trinity Bay, and the colourful historic buildings.
Along the way, there are old cannons and interpretive signs you can look at, explaining the hill’s role in defending the harbour.
Standing at the top, I could see why Trinity became such an important fishing settlement. The sheltered harbour and views over the bay made it a perfect place for ships to anchor and for people to keep watch over the coastline.
After spending time in former fishing communities like the Exploits Islands, Trinity helped me understand the business side of the cod fishery.
Until then, I’d mostly been learning about the people and communities shaped by fishing. Here, I finally understood how the merchant system connected them all.
6. Bring Newfoundland’s History Together in St. John’s
By the time I reached St. John’s, I’d learned a lot about Newfoundland and Labrador’s past, and it was a really helpful foundation to have before visiting the capital city.
St. John’s is one of North America’s oldest cities. Founded in the early 1500s, its streets have been shaped by centuries of fishing, trade, immigration, military history, and rebuilding after the Great Fire of 1892.
St. John’s has several fantastic museums where you can delve deeper into various aspects of Newfoundland and Labrador’s history. But first, just walk around!
I started my walk around the city by wandering down Water Street, one of the oldest commercial streets in North America, and then to the harbour, where fishing boats, cargo ships, and cruise vessels still arrive today.
There’s lots of historic landmarks along the way, like the Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Government House, and the Colonial Building, where Newfoundland’s legislature met before Confederation.
And of course, admire all the Jellybean Row houses!
I’ll be honest, before visiting St. John’s, I thought that Jellybean Row was one specific street. But it’s actually a nickname for all the brightly coloured heritage homes scattered throughout the city’s older neighbourhoods, many of them dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s.
No one knows for certain why they’re painted such bold colours. Some people believe it helped fishermen spot their homes from the harbour in foggy weather, and others say it was simply a way to use paint leftover from painting boats.
You can spot Jellybean Row houses throughout downtown St. John’s, but some of the best streets to wander are Gower, Duckworth, Prescott, Bond, and Victoria Streets. The steep side streets connecting Water and Duckworth Streets are also great places to see these colourful homes.
Once you’ve spent time walking the streets, make The Rooms your first museum stop.
As the province’s largest museum, archive, and art gallery, The Rooms covers Indigenous cultures and archaeological discoveries to European settlement, Confederation, and modern-day Newfoundland and Labrador.
There are also exhibits on military history, natural history, and Newfoundland art, making it one of the best places to understand how the province’s many stories fit together.
St. John’s also has many smaller museums that focus on specific histories, and I found them really fascinating.
The Newfoundland & Labrador Pharmacy Museum explores how medicine and pharmacy evolved in the province over the past 200 years. The museum is inside a former pharmacy that’s been restored to its early 20th-century appearance.
The exhibits explain how prescriptions were prepared, the treatments people relied on, and what visiting a pharmacist would have been like a century ago.
I got to take part in a fun tradition while at the Pharmacy Museum – I took a shot of cod liver oil!
Traditionally, cod liver oil was a common household remedy in Newfoundland because it was rich in vitamins A and D and was believed to help keep people healthy, particularly during the long winters when fresh fruits and vegetables were scarce.
I also loved the Newman Wine Vaults Provincial Historic Site. Housed in one of the oldest surviving buildings in St. John’s, the museum tells the story of how Newman’s port wine was aged in Newfoundland before being shipped to England.
I’d never heard about Newfoundland’s connection to port wine, and it was one of the most surprising things I learned in St. John’s.
From St. John’s, it’s a quick trip east to Cape Spear, where you can learn about Newfoundland’s strategic role on the Atlantic and how it became connected to major events like the Second World War.
Inside the Pharmacy Museum
7. Visit Cape Spear National Historic Site
Cape Spear felt like the perfect place to wrap up this itinerary. Every stop before this had explained another piece of Newfoundland’s story, and Cape Spear showed how the province’s location has very much shaped its history, well into the modern era.
From St. John’s, it’s only about a 15-minute drive to Cape Spear National Historic Site, the easternmost point in North America and one of the best places to learn about Newfoundland’s maritime and military history.
The site is home to Newfoundland’s oldest surviving lighthouse, built in 1836.
I highly recommend visiting the site when the old lighthouse is open for visits. You can wander through the keeper’s house, where the lighthouse keeper and their family lived year-round so the light could be maintained and ships could safely navigate the coast.
After visiting the house, I chatted with a couple of the staff, who told me lighthouse keepers would have earned the equivalent of about $100,000 a year in today’s dollars. It sounds like it was a pretty good gig!
After visiting the original lighthouse, it’s worth walking over to the new automated lighthouse, which was built in 1955 and continues to guide ships along Newfoundland’s coast today.
But Cape Spear isn’t only about lighthouse keepers. Its location also made it strategically important during the Second World War.
There is a trail you can follow around the site, which takes you to the coastal gun batteries and underground bunkers that were built to help defend nearby St. John’s and protect Allied shipping routes across the North Atlantic.
After learning about thousands of years of history, Cape Spear shows how Newfoundland and Labrador has continued to play a role in recent history, too.
See Newfoundland & Labrador Through Its History
Something worth mentioning is that this itinerary doesn’t cover all of Newfoundland and Labrador’s history.
For example, one of the province’s most important historic sites is L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, the only confirmed Viking settlement in North America and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It wasn’t on our road trip route this time, but it’s at the top of my list for my next visit.
Before this trip, I knew Newfoundland and Labrador had a fascinating history. I just didn’t realize how much understanding that history would change the way I experienced the province.
The accents and music I heard, food I ate, colourful fishing communities I saw, and deep connection to the ocean that I experienced all felt like pieces of a much bigger story.
These are aspects of Newfoundland and Labrador that many tourists notice and love, and they aren’t random. They’re the result of Indigenous history, centuries of European settlement, and generations of people adapting to life on the province’s coastlines.
So if you’re planning to visit Newfoundland and Labrador, I hope you’ll make time to include some (or all!!) of this itinerary in your trip.
The province’s wildlife and landscapes are absolutely incredible, but taking the time to understand Newfoundland and Labrador’s history adds so much more to the experience.
Want to have a more thoughtful trip? Here are some of my responsible travel tips to get you started.
- Learn the main tips for being a responsible tourist.
- Use sustainable tourism tips to travel eco-consciously.
- Choose responsible wildlife tourism experiences.
- Travel to places that aren’t facing overtourism to reduce your impact.
- Be aware of cultural appropriation and avoid it.
- Use second city tourism when you do want to visit more popular places.
- Be thoughtful in how you shop for souvenirs.
- Take and share photos and videos respectfully.
- Avoid tourism leakage by supporting local businesses.
- Consider your travel privileges.
I want to thank Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism for hosting Lucas and I as media. All opinions expressed are my own. If you enjoyed this blog, you’ll love my newsletter, as well as my Facebook group. You’re welcome to join these communities – would love to see you there!
