Newfoundland - Trinity

It was a three-hour drive from St. John’s to our second stop, the adorable fishing village of Trinity. Before checking into our hotel, we drove north to the town of Elliston where they have an incredible puffin colony. There is a short pathway to the site and we could see them pretty close! They are such cute and funny animals and honestly, we had to google information about puffins because I was unaware they could fly. Turns out, puffins are not a type of penguin like I originally thought. Puffins can fly unlike penguins who swim. It was fun watching them and the viewing area was so beautiful.

Elliston boasts they are the root cellar capital of the world and we were able to spot a few of them around the town. Before refrigeration was common in homes, locals would keep their food chilled in root cellars and store their root vegetables over the winter. Built partially underground, they remind me of something out of a fairytale and I picture a hobbit living in one of these!

A bit further north from Elliston is Cape Bonavista. It is believed the Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) first landed in America in 1497 here in Cape Bonavista. The town takes its name from the words Caboto said when he first saw the rugged coastline,“O buono vista!” (Oh happy sight!). And what a happy sight it was! The sun started to come out when we arrived in Cape Boavista and the water was the most beautiful shade of blue. We made a stop at the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse which was built in 1843.

Near the lighthouse is Dungeon Provincial Park home to a collapsed sea cave with a natural archway.

We also stopped by the town of Bonavista where we visited a few shops including: Newfoundland Salt Company and East Coast Glow. The main street is only a few blocks long and the homes and buildings were so pretty.

Before heading to Trinity to check-in to the hotel, we grabbed a late lunch at Bonavista Social Club where we split a wood-fired pizza and salad. There’s a garden outside the restaurant which supplies fresh produce as well as goats that roam the grounds to provide milk for cheese.

The weather is very finicky in Newfoundland and sunny skies are never a guarantee! We woke up Saturday morning in Trinity with beautiful blue skies and made a point to take full advantage. We started our morning at 6:30am with a hike to the top of the Gunhill Trail. This hike provides the highest vantage point of the area and overlooks the fishing communities of Trinity Bight and Trinity Bay, along with the Skerwink cliffs and Fort Point Lighthouse.

We spent the rest of the morning hiking the 3 ½ -mile Skerwink Trail. This loop skims the coastline near Port Rexton and Trinity East. This trail was ranked as one of the top 35 trails in North America and Europe by Travel and Leisure Magazine. It really was a great hike!

We also stopped by Fort Point Lighthouse which was built in 1871 and operated with a full-time Lighthouse Keeper until the 1990’s.

Our final stop of the afternoon before heading back to Trinity, was to Port Rexton Brewery where we grabbed a grilled cheese sandwich and beers to relax after our busy day.

The rest of the evening was spent touring around the town of Trinity. The town is filled with colorful saltbox houses and quaint little shops and streets.

Accommodation: Artisan Inn

Restaurants: Two Whales Coffee Shop, Bonavista Social Club, & Port Rexton Brewery

Treats: Aunt Sarah’s Chocolate Shop & Sweet Rock Ice Cream

Fries + Gravy & Grilled Cheese at Port Rexton Brewery