3 Best Sights in Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland and Labrador

The reserve has some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in Newfoundland and is a good place to spot whales. Most birds visit from March through August, although some will be viewable in October. You can visit the interpretation center—guides are on-site in summer for larger groups—and then walk to within 100 feet of nesting gannets, murres, black-billed kittiwakes, and razorbills. At busy times you may have to wait your turn at the observation point. Call ahead to check on weather conditions before heading out. In July and August the interpretation center presents local artists performing traditional music.

This historic lighthouse, built in 1870, now signals the spot for breathtaking views, worry-free picnics, and great food such as smoked salmon and ice-shrimp sandwiches, green salads, and gooseberry fools. You bring the appetite, and the lighthouse staff packs everything else—even the blanket. Bread is baked daily here; in fact, everything is made on-site down to the desserts and freshly squeezed lemonade. Check the website for menus. Picnics start at C$27 per person and reservations are required; July and August book up especially quickly.

Grates Cove community is 75 km (46 miles) north of Harbour Grace on Route 70. Here is a photographer's dream, with vistas of both Trinity and Conception bays from the flat rocks by the harbor. In iceberg season, you cannot find a wider field of view for the startling magnificence. The fields are covered with the remains of dry stone walls built by the original Irish settlers. Maintained and well-marked walking paths wind through the hills, the community, and along the cliffs. A community-built museum is always open to the public.