St John's

St John's claims to be the oldest city in North America, built round a narrow harbour entered through a gap in the cliffs called the Narrows, and its steep streets are lined with wooden row houses painted in improbable colours, a habit that gave Jellybean Row its name. Signal Hill stands above the entrance, where the first transatlantic wireless signal was received in 1901 and where a path called the North Head Trail runs along the cliff edge back down to town. Cape Spear, the easternmost point in North America, is twenty minutes away. From May into July icebergs drift down Iceberg Alley past the coast, and humpbacks arrive to feed on capelin. George Street has more bars per length than anywhere in the country.

History

Fishermen set up seasonal camps here in the early 1500s, the harbour appears as São João on Pedro Reinel's Portuguese map of 1519, and when the English mariner John Rut called in 1527 he found Norman, Breton and Portuguese ships, writing to Henry VIII on 3 August the first known letter sent from North America. On 5 August 1583 Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed the area for England, by 1620 West Country fishermen controlled most of the east coast, and some time after 1630 St. John's became a permanent community, the largest in Newfoundland when English naval officers began taking censuses around 1675 (Wikipedia, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador).

What's there

• Jellybean Row - the brightly painted wooden row houses on the hills.
• Signal Hill and the North Head Trail - the clifftop walk above the Narrows.
• Cape Spear - the easternmost point in North America, twenty minutes away.
• Icebergs and whales - drifting past the coast from May into July.

When to go

June to September is the season, with icebergs typically from May into June and humpbacks from June into August; the two overlap in early summer, which is the best time to come. Fog is frequent on this coast at any time and can hide everything for days.

Practical notes

Fog is a genuine feature rather than a footnote here, and it can obscure Signal Hill, Cape Spear and the icebergs for a whole visit. The weather is cold and wet by mainland standards even in July. Iceberg numbers vary hugely year to year and cannot be promised. George Street is a serious drinking street rather than a quiet evening out.

Nearby

Cape Spear and Petty Harbour are minutes away; the Avalon puffin colonies are an hour south.

Key facts