Jul 25, 2025 – Bonavista is for the Birds

Our original plan was to go east only as far as Twillingate and Fogo Island. But then, a small colorful, and to us an exotic bird enticed us to drive 220 miles further to Bonavista Peninsula. The Atlantic Puffin, the official bird of Newfoundland and Labrador is the primary reason we went 440 miles out of our way.

True, the Atlantic Puffin is found in other places including Maine, but it is at the Elliston Municipal Park on Bonavista Peninsula where one of the best accessible places in North America to view the bird exists. And it just so happens that the park has several RV hook-up sites. How could we not?

We arrived one afternoon on a warm sunny day. Wearing shorts and t-shirt for the first time in Newfoundland, we drove a half mile from our campground to the parking area for the Puffin viewing. I grabbed the camera and made a beeline to the coastal overlook with Vivian following in my wake.

The viewing is along the edge (no guard rails by the way) overlooking a rock island about 200 feet away and where 300 pairs of puffins were tending to their nests. To get to the edge, you must take a path up and over a ridge and at some point cross a narrow portion where there is little room between you and the water below. Dozens of people were coming and going, all there for the same reason.

At the moment I got to the narrow portion, a wind gust so violent came close to knocking me over as my camera and long lens placed me at a disadvantage when it came to maintaining an upright balance. I exaggerate a little, but despite the Newfoundland wind that has followed us everywhere on this island and which we have grown accustomed to, this one made me close my eyes and say a prayer when I realized I had braced well enough against the wind. The gust turned into a sustained wind. People continued up the ridge, coming and going. Patient as always, we chose to turn around knowing we had the next day and more favorable wind predictions. 

We eventually got to the puffin colony and on a tip from someone, we observed another colony near the Lighthouse on Cape Bonavista. The puffins are the cutest little things, but when you learn about them, you gain a lot of respect for the bird that is often referred to as “the clown of the sea”. The puffins come on land, in this case a tall rocky outcrop island near the jagged coastal cliffs of Trinity Bay, only in the spring to breed and nest. In the fall, they return to sea where they live until the next breeding season. Monogamous couples find their way back to the original nest each year where one egg is laid per couple. At about six weeks, chicks fledge and swim out to sea in the dark, and do not return to land for several years. 

I spent a total of 30 minutes photographing the two colonies, attempting to capture some intimate scenes with my long lens. And that was that! So, what else is there to see and do in Bonavista?

Bonavista has plenty to occupy your time for a couple days. In fact, we enjoyed the little town of Bonavista, being the first one in Newfoundland we came across with sidewalks. 

There are historic sites and provincial parks on the peninsula. For Newfoundland history, check out the Mockbeggar Plantation Historic Site that is within the town of Bonavista. And no, this was not once a cotton plantation, rather it was a fishing planation where caught fish were processed.  The entrance fee to the plantation will also get you into the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse, well worth the visit.

Also, check out the Dungeon Provincial Park to view an interesting natural archway carved by the sea.

Stayed tuned for our next blog that will have practical information about RV traveling around Newfoundland. We’ll touch on road conditions, expenses, must-see places, campgrounds, ferries, and what we would do differently and what we believe you should not miss. And we’ll talk a bit more about the people, because for us, they are the best reason to come to Newfoundland and Labrador.