Why I Am In Love With St. John’s, Newfoundland

Brightly coloured row houses are perched on back-breakingly steep streets. An industrial wharf is home to enormous fishing boats which are dwarfed by the rocky ridges of the enclosed harbor. The endless icy North Atlantic sea surrounds the protected bay and icebergs float serenely by like clouds in a clear blue sky.

As soon as I arrived in St. John’s I fell head over heels in love with this remote and beautiful Canadian city.

St. John’s is the capital city of Newfoundland and the oldest city in North America. Located on the Eastern edge of the Avalon Peninsula, it is where Lee and I spent the last winter. Some might say that we were crazy to visit St. John’s in the winter, let alone live there for the coldest months of the year! However, in my opinion no matter what the season is, if you ever get the chance to visit St. John’s don’t hesitate, just go!

Here are the reasons why I love St. John’s so much:

It’s so Pretty

When you visit St. John’s for the first time you will be blown away by the ridiculously scenic setting of this city. The downtown area slopes down a steep hill into a harbor, offering stunning views of the water. All of the cute little houses are painted in bright candy colors like green, red, blue and yellow. I was told that these houses were painted by their owners with leftover boat paint, which is super creative and cool.

George Street

Newfoundlanders are notorious for consuming the highest amount of alcohol per-capita than any other province, so it is no surprise that they would build a street which consisted entirely of bars, clubs, pubs and other places to eat, drink and be merry. George Street is an AWESOME place to go on a night out when you visit St. John’s because you never have to stumble more than a few feet until you are in another drinking establishment. In the summertime live bands perform on the outdoor stage in the middle of the street and people drink and dance outside in the open air. Oh, and a warm paper bag of greasy, salty Ziggy Peelgood french fries is the ultimate drunken snack at 3am.

Signal Hill

If I had to name one of the best scenic views we encountered on our trip across Canada, the vantage point from Signal Hill would be right up there, perhaps only beaten by the vista of the Rocky Mountains from the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff. However, Signal Hill has something that you can’t see in Alberta; the vast Atlantic Ocean. It will bewilder you with its endlessness, so don’t fall off the edge because you are too busy staring out to sea!

Newfies are Amazing

There is something about this island that produces the kindest, most welcoming, down to earth and fun-loving people. We met so many fantastic Newfoundlanders who were eager to welcome us and make sure we had a great time, such as the one and only Candice Walsh. Travel is all about the people you meet along the way and you will meet some great characters when you visit St. John’s.

These are just a few of the reasons why I am in love with St. John’s, Newfoundland. Have you ever had the chance to visit this beautiful city?