Tag: Elliston

Communities and Directions

TRINITY, TRINITY BAY

Digital Map of Trinity Courtesy of www.townoftrinity.com

🗺️ Getting to Trinity

Trinity is approximately 1 hour from the Trans-Canada Highway (Route 1). Take the exit for Route 230 near Clarenville.

You have two driving options:

  1. Via Route 230 (direct from Highway 1):

    • Straightforward and efficient.

  2. Via Route 230A through Clarenville:

    • Slightly more scenic.

    • Ideal if you plan to stop in Clarenville for supplies (larger grocery stores and a full-service NLC liquor store).

    • Time difference is minimal compared to the direct route.

Once on Route 230, drive 50.8 km, then turn right onto Route 239.

Continue for 3 km, then take the left-hand turn just after the bay to enter historic Trinity.

For more details about getting to the Artisan Inn visit our GETTING HERE section.

Trinity Highlights: 🔗 Visit Explore Trinity to learn more.

  • Local shopping

  • Whale watching tours

  • 7 Provincial Historic Sites

  • Rising Tide Theatre

  • Restaurants and cafés

  • Gun Hill hiking trail

    • Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark Geosite

  • Guided historical walking tours

The following communities located on Route 239, Route 230 and Route 235 are all easily accessible from Trinity ranging from 10 minutes to 50 minutes by vehicle.

SOUTH OF TRINITY on ROUTE 239

New Bonaventure

A film set from the Grand Seduction Located in New Bonaventure

  • Distance: 25 minutes from Artisan Inn

  • Directions:

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Turn left onto Route 239 at the T-intersection.

    • New Bonaventure is at the end of the road, 15.8 km from Trinity.

  • Highlights:

    • Random Passage, Grand Seduction, and Shipping News film sets

    • Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark Geosite

Fort Point

  • Distance: 19 minutes from Artisan Inn

  • Directions:

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Drive 1.9 km, then turn left onto Main Road/Route 239.

    • Drive 2.7 km, then turn left at Dunfield.

    • Continue for 4 km.

  • Highlights:

    • Fort Point Lighthouse and Interpretation Centre

    • Peter Pan & Wendy Filming Location

    • Whale spotting (during feeding months)

NORTH of TRINITY on ROUTE 230

Port Rexton/Trinity East

Cliffs of Skerwink Trail
Skerwink Trail Marieke Gow Photography

  • Distance: 13 minutes from Artisan Inn

  • Directions:

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Turn right onto Route 239 at the T-intersection.

    • Drive 3.6 km, then turn right onto Route 230.

    • Drive 4.5 km (5 minutes) to Port Rexton.

    • At the bright yellow gas station, turn right onto Rocky Hill Road.

    • Drive 1.9 km to reach Trinity East and the start of the Skerwink Trail.

    • To reach Port Rexton Brewery, turn left off Rocky Hill Road onto Station Road.

  • Highlights:

    • Port Rexton Brewery

    • Skerwink Trail

    • Two Whales Vegetarian Coffee Shop

English Harbour

Cliffs of English Harbour

  • Distance: 19 minutes from Artisan Inn

  • Directions:

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Turn right onto Route 239 at the T-intersection.

    • Drive 3.6 km, then turn right onto Route 230.

    • Drive 5.9 km, then turn right at the English Harbour sign.

    • Drive 4.9 km to reach English Harbour.

  • Highlights:

    • English Harbour Arts Centre

    • Horsechops (great for whale watching during feeding season)

Champney’s West

  • Distance: 18 minutes from Artisan Inn

  • Directions:

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Turn right onto Route 239 at the T-intersection.

    • Drive 3.6 km, then turn right onto Route 230.

    • Drive past Port Rexton, passing Two Whales Coffee Shop, and take the next right to Champney’s West.

    • Stay right at the fork, drive 7.2 km.

  • Highlights:

    • Fox Island Hiking Trail

    • Champney’s West Aquarium

Port Union

  • Distance: 30 minutes from Artisan Inn

  • Directions:

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Turn right onto Route 239 at the T-intersection.

    • Drive 3.6 km, then turn right onto Route 230.

    • Continue driving for 27.9 km (approx. 25 minutes).

  • Highlights:

    • Murphy’s Cove Lodges Pond Trail

    • The Factory Historic Site

      • Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark geosite

Elliston & Maberly

Atlantic Puffins
Puffins by Paul Dolk: To purchase this print visit Paul Dolk’s Website

  • Distance: 45 minutes from Artisan Inn

  • Directions (from Route 230):

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Turn right onto Route 239 at the T-intersection.

    • Drive 3.6 km, then turn right onto Route 230.

    • Drive 39.7 km, then take the Route 238 turn-off on your right.

    • Drive 6.3 km to reach Elliston.

  • Alternative (from Bonavista):

    • Continue on the main road, then turn right at the Spillar’s Cove sign.

    • Drive 7.1 km to reach Elliston.

  • Highlights:

    • Home From the Sea Sealers Museum

    • Sealer’s Memorial Statue

    • Puffin Viewing Site

      • Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark geosite

    • Root Cellar Capital of the World

      • Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark geosite

Bonavista

Cape Bonavista

  • Distance: 45 minutes from Artisan Inn

  • Directions:

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Turn right onto Route 239 at the T-intersection.

    • Drive 3.6 km, then turn right onto Route 230.

    • Drive 37.7 km (approx. 40 minutes) to enter Bonavista.

  • Highlights:

    • Ryan Premises National Historic Site

    • The Matthew

    • Cape Bonavista Lighthouse

      • Puffin viewing in season

    • Shopping

    • Cape Shore Hiking Trail

    • The Dungeon

      • Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark geosite

Spillars Cove

  • Distance: 49 minutes from Artisan Inn

  • Directions:

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Turn right onto Route 239 at the T-intersection.

    • Drive 3.6 km, then turn right onto Route 230.

    • Drive 37 km, then turn right at the Spillar’s Cove sign.

    • Drive 2.4 km past Crewe’s Garage.

    • Please park your vehicle where the pavement ends and do not attempt to drive on the dirt road.  This will contribute to the erosion of a geologically significant area of our peninsula and makes it difficult for hikers to proceed safely.

  • Highlights:

    • Spillar’s Cove Sea Stacks

      • Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark geosite

    • Peter Pan & Wendy Filming Locations

Route 235 Communities

The Bonavista Peninsula forms a loop, with Route 235 being the opposite side of the loop to Route 230. You can visit these communities either on your way to Bonavista or on your way back. These directions are for visiting them on your way to Bonavista. We recommend avoiding Route 236, as it is a dirt road that may not be suitable for rental vehicles.

Open Hall, Red Cliff, Tickle Cove

  • Distance: 40 minutes from Trinity

  • Directions:

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Turn right onto Route 239 at the T-intersection, and drive 3.6 km.

    • Turn left onto Route 230 at the T-intersection.

    • Drive 25.3 km (21 minutes), then turn right onto Route 235.

    • Drive another 25.3 km (25 minutes) to the left turn for Open Hall (a few minutes past Plate Cove East).

  • To reach Red Cliff: Continue driving 2.4 km (3 minutes).

  • To reach Tickle Cove: Continue driving 2.5 km (5 minutes).

    • The turn-off for the Tickle Cove Sea Arch is a right turn just before the community’s boat slipway. If you pass the slipway, you’ve gone too far.

  • Highlights:

    • Paul Dolk Photography Studio

    • Filming locations for Grand Seduction & Severance Season 2

    • Tickle Cove Sea Arch
      • Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark geosite

King’s Cove, Duntara & Keels

Rocky Terrain with houses and ocean
Keels

King’s Cove, Duntara & Keels

  • Distance: 45 minutes from the Artisan Inn

  • Directions:

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Turn right onto Route 239 at the T-intersection, and drive 3.6 km.

    • Turn left onto Route 230 at the T-intersection.

    • Drive 26 km (21 minutes) to the Route 235 turn-off and turn right.

    • Drive 31.6 km (28 minutes) to reach King’s Cove.

  • To visit Duntara: Turn left at King’s Cove and drive 5.2 km (7 minutes).

  • To visit Keels: Turn left at King’s Cove and drive 8.5 km (14 minutes).

  • Highlights:

    • Lighthouse Hiking Trail in King’s Cove

      • Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark geosite

    • Devil’s Footprints in Keels

      • Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark geosite

    • Two Rooms Contemporary Art Gallery in Duntara

Upper Amherst Cove

A whale waves from the water in Upper Amherst Cove

  • Distance: 45 minutes from the Artisan Inn

  • Directions (from Route 235 communities):

    • Continue driving 18 km (18 minutes) north to reach Upper Amherst Cove.

  • Directions (direct from Trinity):

    • Take the sharp left hairpin turn at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road.

    • Turn right onto Route 239 at the T-intersection, and drive 3.6 km.

    • Turn right onto Route 230 and drive 30.4 km (24 minutes) to Catalina.

    • Turn right onto Route 237.

    • Drive 11 km (12 minutes), then turn right.

    • Drive 1.8 km (2 minutes) and turn left into Upper Amherst Cove.

  • Highlight:

    • The Bonavista Social Club (open for special events and private catering)

Geological Wonders

High rocky cliffs in Newfoundland
Marieke Gow Photography

This list is a selection of stunning locations you may wish to visit as you travel throughout the area.  For more details and other suggested locations, consider downloading the Bonavista Geological Tour app.

 

ROUTE 230         

Skerwink Trail near Trinity, Newfoundland
Marieke Gow Photography                                                                                                       

PORT REXTON 

10 Minutes from Trinity

Skerwink Trail Sea Stacks

Located shortly after Skerwink trail turns from the old railway bed to the cut out coastal trail, the sea stacks can be viewed early in the walk and still enjoyed by those who do not wish to walk the entire trail.   

        

Dungeon Provincial Park Bonavista
Marieke Gow Photography

BONAVISTA 

45 Minutes from Trinity

The Dungeon Provincial Park                                                                             

Visit the park to stand above a collapsed sea cave with natural archways as the rough ocean waves crash in and flow out of the cave.  There are many horses and cows grazing in this area.   

PORT UNION

25 Minutes from Trinity

Fossils

Head to the Factory Historic Building in Port Union.  In front of the building is a boardwalk with a set of steps leading down to rocks and water.  During low tide, you can walk out to see various fossils embedded in the rocks.

CBC: N.L. fossil shows earliest evidence ever of animals with muscles

 

ROUTE 238

Elliston Root Cellar, Newfoundland
Marieke Gow Photography

ELLISTON

55 Minutes from Trinity

Root Cellars

Built from the naturally occurring rocks in the area and dug out from the hillsides, Root Cellars have put Elliston on the world map as the “Root Cellar Capital of the World.” Root cellars look somewhat like hobbit holes and various styles can be found in the area.  We recommend driving past the puffin viewing site in Elliston onto Circular Rd in Maberly to view the best selection.  

Large Sandy Beach in Elliston
Marieke Gow Photography

Elliston Beach

The only Sandy Beach on the Bonavista Peninsula is located on the way to the Puffin Viewing Site.

SPILLAR’S COVE / CABLE JOHN COVE

49 Minutes from Trinity

Sea Stack

This area is a hidden gem.  Just a few minutes by foot from the road, or accessible from the south by the Klondike Trail, Spillar’s Cove offers a landscape, largely barren of trees, with dramatic cliffs and an impressive sea stack.

ROUTE 235

TICKLE COVE

40 Minutes from Trinity

The Sea Arch

This area of the Bonavista Peninsula is predominantly formed from slate.  The cliffs jutting out of the ocean are pinkish purple rather than the grey you see in most areas on Eastern Newfoundland. The sea arch is located off a small road just before the community boat slipway. People often miss it.  Our advice is when you overshoot it and find yourself at the end of a road looking at a rock painted like a quilt is laid upon it, turn around, see the slipway and you will notice a narrow road past it heading right.  Following this road. You should see a small sign that says “Sea Arch”.  We recommend walking past the viewing platform to the top of the cliffs for a great view.

KEELS

60 Minutes from Trinity

The Devil's Footprints

The Devil’s footprints

In Keels, take a look at a geological phenomenon known as “The Devil’s Footprints”, pockets in the rocks, which, according to local folklore, are proof that the Devil walks this land at night. Keels itself is a beautiful community to stroll around and indulge one’s passion for photography.  

KING’S COVE

45 Minutes from Trinity

Multi-coloured cliffs of King's Cove
Marieke Gow Photography

Brooks Point

This stunning cliff is located on the Lighthouse Trail in King’s Cove.  It is an easy grade walk and you can access this lookout point after 25 minutes or so of walking.

BONAVISTA PENINSULA HIKING TRAILS

COMMUNITIES AND DIRECTIONS

Bonavista Peninsula Activities

Humpback Whale
Paul Dolk Photography: This photo can be purchased from Paul’s Website

There are many places to visit on the island of Newfoundland, however, few places have the density and diversity of experiences that Trinity Bight and the Bonavista Peninsula offers. Trinity is ideally situated for exploring surrounding communities for half-day and full day trips including Port Rexton, Port Union, Elliston, Bonavista, New Bonaventure, Upper Amherst Cove and more. Use this section to plan your trips and activities while staying in one of the Artisan Inn’s rooms or vacation homes in Trinity.

Historic Sites

TRINITY

HISTORIC SITES PASS

We have an entire page dedicated to the historic sites of Trinity, all within walking distance of Artisan Inn accommodations.  Sites include:

The Lester Garland Building
The Hiscock House
The Green Family Forge
The Ryan Shop
The Trinity Museum
The Court House/Wooden Boat Museum
The Cooperage
St. Paul’s Church and the Holy Trinity Church

Visit our page HISTORIC SITES IN TRINITY to learn more.

NEW BONAVENTURE            

A laundry line is hung with clothing from the 19th century with a square green house in the background

Random Passage Site   

Ok, this is not a historic site, but instead, a movie set from the mini-series Random Passage.  It does, however, offer visitors the chance to understand the struggle many of the first Newfoundland settlers faced when they arrived on this barren isolated land from England and Ireland and what early settlements would have looked liked including the church, schoolhouse, and the disparity between the houses of the well-off and those who struggled to survive the winter.

Additional Links

Random Passage on Eastlink’s Discover NL

PORT UNION

Port Union Museum

Port Union National Historic District

Port Union is the only union-built town in North America. Construction began on the shores of Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, in 1916. Within five years, a busy and modern union town bordered the protected deep-water harbour-all made possible through the hard work and vision of the members of the Fishermen’s Protective Union (the FPU) and their first leader, William Ford Coaker.

To learn more about the Union Town, visit the Factory and The Bungalow

Additional Links

Trip Advisor Reviews

ELLISTON

Home from the sea, Sealer’s Memorial Museum

The great sealing disasters of 1914 contributed greatly to the loss of a generation soon to be devastated by World War I. In remembering these men, Home from The Sea presents the historical and cultural context of sealing in Newfoundland and Labrador through seven captivating visitor experiences.  Learn more by visiting the linked website.

Sealer’s Memorial Statue

Situated on Porter’s Point, facing the sea and looking back toward home, rests the bronze statue of father and son Reuben and Albert John Crewe, residents of Elliston who perished out on the ice in the 1914 SS Newfoundland sealing disaster. Created by acclaimed sculptor Morgan MacDonald, it sits as a poignant reminder not only of great loss but of the remarkable ties that bind families together in places where going to work and coming Home from the Sea is never a guarantee. It stands to represent all sealers who have risked and lost their lives in their efforts to support their families and communities. Learn more by visiting the linked website.

BONAVISTA

The Ryan Premises

A salty scent lingers within the cluster of white, 19th century clapboard buildings of the Ryan Premises, perched on the shore of Bonavista’s historic and picturesque harbour. Hear the reminiscences of the site’s interpreters, most of whom have a personal connection to the fishing industry; marvel at the variety of artifacts in the on-site Bonavista Museum; and explore the internationally-recognized “Cod, Seals and Survivors” exhibition that tells the 500-year story of Canada’s east coast fishery.

Matthew Legacy Centre

500 years after John Cabot first arrived in Newfoundland, both Bristol and Newfoundland marked the monumental event by recreating the voyage in 1997. A replica of Cabot’s ship, The Matthew, sailed across the Atlantic and landed at Bonavista’s shores and was greeted by hundreds of on-lookers, including Queen Elizabeth II.  The Matthew Legacy Centre was built to house the ship and visitors can tour the boat and learn more about Cabot.

Additional Links:

Video: A Voyage Across the Atlantic on a Replica of The Matthew – History Channel

Bonavista Lighthouse

Cape Bonavista Lighthouse was constructed in 1843 and is currently restored to the 1870s period. The highlight of the lighthouse is an original catoptric light mechanism that dates to 1816. An adjacent interpretation centre features exhibits on lighthouse technology and lightkeepers’ lives.

Additional notes: Some of the site summaries are copied directly from the websites of those sites and are not the original content of the Artisan Inn and Twine Loft.