The fall is a beautiful time to visit Trinity and the Bonavista Peninsula, but sometimes it can be unclear as to what is open. There are still plenty of activities and dining options in Trinity and the communities of Trinity Bight for our guests to enjoy.
What is Trinity Bight you ask?
Trinity Bight is a large area of the Northwestern portion of Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The bight contains the communities of New Bonaventure, Old Bonaventure, Trouty, Dunfield, Goose Cove, Trinity, Lockston, Trinity East, Port Rexton, Champney’s Arm, Champney’s West, Champney’s East, and English Harbour. The Bight is just south of Port Union, Elliston & Bonavista. While this list does not include operating hours for businesses outside of Trinity Bight, our team will help you at check-in understand what will be available to you in those areas should you explore beyond The Bight.
Artisan Inn & Vacation Homes
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PRINTABLE SEPTEMBER GUIDES
NOTE: These guides were created with information provided to us by various business owners. Some may decide to change their operating dates and hours based on volume of guests or staffing. We always encourage individuals to make reservations when possible and to double check that the information remains correct. Should any business in the Trinity Bight Area wish to contact us with information about their hours or to be added to or removed from the list, please reach out via email.
Includes operating dates and times for:
Twine Loft (open until October 15th 2023) , Dock Marina, The Galley, Fisher’s Loft, Brightside Bistro, Port Rexton Brewery, Oh My Cheeses, Trinity Cabins, Two Whales Coffee Shop, Aunt Sarah’s Chocolates, The Vintage Grind (at Eriksen Premises)
Note that all restaurants listed except The Vintage Grind are expected to be operating in October to some capacity. More details to come.
Includes operating dates and times for:
Rising Tide Theatre, Sea of Whales Boat Tours, Trinity Eco Tours, Trinity Historical Walking Tours, Trinity Historic Sites, English Harbour Arts Centre, UNESCO Global geopark, Bonavista Biennale Art Festival.
Note: Trinity Eco Tours, Sea of Whales, Trinity Historic Sites and the UNESCO Discovery Geopark are expected to be operating in October to some capacity. More details to come
Includes operating dates and times for:
Twine Loft, Eriksen Premises, Aunt Sarah’s Chocolate, Lester Garland Building, Trinity Crafts, Two Whales Coffee Shop, Port Rexton Brewery, Shoreline Treasures, Sea of Whales.
Note all shops or businesses with shopping sections with the exception of Eriksen Premises are expected to be operating in October to some capacity. More details to come
Includes operating dates and times for: The Harbour Side Cafe, Union House Arts, Home from the Sea, Barbera Houston Art Studio, Ryan Premises, Mock Begger Plantation, Matthew Legacy Centre, East Coast Glow, Artistry on Church, Kind Seas Jewlery, Ragged Rock, Bicycle Picnics, Quintal Cafe
Trinity is located 1 hour from The Trans Canada Highway/Highway 1 once you take the exit for Route 230 (near the town of Clarenville)
Drivers have the option of driving directly from Highway 1 to route 230 or they can cut through the town of Clarenville taking Route 230A that eventually meets up with Route 230. There is little difference in time between these two options, however, the second option is more scenic and more convenient if you plan to stop in Clarenville, which has larger grocery stores and a large NLC (Liquor Store) for supplies.
Drive 50.8km and along Route 230 and turn right onto Route 239
After 3km you will see a large bay of blue and white buoys (this is a mussel farm)
There is a left-hand turn after this bay that leads into the historic town of Trinity.
Highlights: Shopping, Whale Watching Tours, 7 Historic Sites, Rising Tide Theatre, Dining, Gun Hill Trail, Guided Historical Walking Tour. Visit EXPLORE TRINITY to learn more.
For more details about getting to the Artisan Inn visit our GETTING HERE section.
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 away.
SOUTH OF TRINITY on ROUTE 239
New Bonaventure
A film set from the Grand Seduction Located in New Bonaventure
Approximately 25 minutes from the Artisan Inn
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. turn left onto route 239 at the T intersection (located by the mussel farm). New Bonaventure is located at the end of this road, 15.8km from Trinity.
Highlights: Rugged Beauty Boat Tours, Random Passage, Grand Seduction and Shipping News film sets and locations.
Fort Point
Approximately 19 minutes from the Artisan Inn.
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. Drive for 1.9 Kilometers. Turn left onto Main Road/Route 239 drive for 2.7km and turn left at Dunfield. Continue driving for 4km.
Highlights: Fort Point Lighthouse and interpretation centre, whale spotting from land (during feeding months)
NORTH of TRINITY on ROUTE 230
Port Rexton/Trinity East
Approximately 13 minutes from the Artisan Inn.
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. Turn right onto route 239 at the T intersection and drive 3.6km. Turn right onto route 230. Drive 4.5km (5 minutes) to arrive at Port Rexton. At the bright yellow gas station, turn right onto Rocky Hill Road and drive for 1.9km (3 minutes) passing Bishop White School and the Fisher’s Loft Conference Centre turn off, to reach Trinity East and the start point of the Skerwink Trail. To get to the Port Rexton Brewery, turn left off Rocky Hill Road onto Station Road.
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. Turn right onto route 239 at the T intersection and drive 3.6km. Turn right onto route 230. Drive 5.9 Kilometers and turn right at the English Harbour Sign. Drive 4.9 more kilometers. Continue through English Harbour to the Horse Chops for a great whale watching spot in season, however, visitors should be advised that the road becomes a dirt road and visitors should park their car and continue by foot if they do not feel that their vehicle can handle the terrain.
Highlights: English Harbour Arts Centre, Horsechops (a coastal area great for viewing whales during feeding season)
Champney’s West
Approximately 18 minutes from the Artisan Inn
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. Turn right onto route 239 at the T intersection and drive 3.6km. Turn right onto route 230. Drive past Port Rexton, Passing the Two Whales Coffee Shop and take the next right to Champney’s West. You will reach a fork in the road and stay to the right. This drive from the 239/230 turn off is 7.2km.
Highlights: Fox Island Hiking Trail, Champney’s West Aquarium
Port Union
photo from Heritagefoundation.ca
Approximately 30 minutes from the Artisan Inn
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. Turn right onto route 239 at the T intersection and drive 3.6km. Turn right onto route 230. Continue driving for 27.9km (approximately 25 minutes)
Highlights: Murphy’s Cove Lodges Pond Trail, The Factory Historic Site, The Bungalow Historic Site, Discovery UNESCO Geopark site.
Elliston & Maberly
Puffins by Paul Dolk: To purchase this print visit Paul Dolk’s Website
Approximately 45 minutes from the Artisan Inn.
Directions from Route 230:
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. Turn right onto route 239 at the T intersection and drive 3.6km. Turn right onto route 230. Drive for 39.7km until you reach the 238 turn-off on your right. Drive 6.3km to reach Elliston. Once in Elliston, The Sealer’s Memorial Statue is located on Main Road, to reach Bird Island, take Sandy Cove Road. Continue Elliston municipal park and Bird Island to reach Maberly.
Alternative Directions from Bonavista
Directions from Bonavista/Spillar’s Cove: Staying on the main road, you will reach an intersection with signage for Spillar’s Cove. Turn right. this road is the northern section of route 238. Drive past the Bonavista water tower (keeping it to your right) and past the two cemeteries opposite one another. Reach Crewe’s Garage, located on a fork in the road. Take the right arm of the fork. You should see a small sign for Route 238. Drive 7.1km (roughly 10 minutes) to reach Elliston and Maberly.
Highlights: Home From the Sea Sealers Museum, Sealer’s Memorial Statue, Puffin Viewing Site, Root Cellar Capital of the World
Bonavista
Approximately 45 minutes from the Artisan Inn.
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. Turn right onto route 239 at the T intersection and drive 3.6km. Turn right onto route 230. Drive for 37.km (40 minutes) until you enter the town of Bonavista.
Highlights: Ryan Premises National Historic Site, The Matthew, Cape Bonavista Lighthouse, Shopping, Cape Shore Hiking Trail, The Dungeon
Spillars Cove
Approximately 49 minutes from Trinity
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. Turn right onto route 239 at the T intersection and drive 3.6km. Turn right onto route 230. Drive for 37.km (40 minutes) until you enter the town of Bonavista.
Staying on the main road, you will reach an intersection with signage for Spillar’s Cove. Turn right. this road is the northern section of route 238. Drive past the Bonavista water tower (keeping it to your right) and past the two cemeteries opposite one another.
Reach Crewe’s Garage, located on a fork in the road and continue driving straight (turning right will take you to Elliston). Drive 2.4km past Crewe’s Garage to arrive in Spillar’s Cove.
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.
The Bonavista Peninsula is a loop with Route 235 serving as the opposite side of the loop to Route 230. One can either visit the communities on the way to Bonavista or on the way back from Bonavista. These directions are assuming you are visiting these communities on the way to Bonavista. We recommend you AVOID ROUTE 236. This is a dirt road and can be unfriendly to your rental vehicle.
Open Hall, Red Cliff, Tickle Cove
Tickle Cove Sea Arch – Photo Credit: Marieke Gow
Approximately 40 minutes from Trinity
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. Turn right onto route 239 at the T intersection and drive 3.6km. Turn left onto Route 230 at the T intersection. Drive 25.3 km (21 minutes) to the Route 235 turn off and turn right. Drive 25.3 km (25 minutes) to reach the left turn to Open Hall (a few minutes past Plate Cove East).
To reach Red Cliff continue driving 2.4km (3 minutes)
To reach Tickle Cove continue driving 2.5km (5 minutes): The turn off in Tickle Cve to get to the sea Arch is a right hand turn just prior to the community slipway for boats. If you pass the slipway you have gone too far.
Highlights: Tickle Cove Sea Arch, Paul Dolk Photography Studio, Filming areas for Grand Seduction
King’s Cove, Duntara & Keels
Approximately 45 minutes from the Artisan Inn
Keels
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. Turn right onto route 239 at the T intersection and drive 3.6km. Turn Left onto Route 230 at the T intersection. Drive 26km (21 minutes) to the Route 235 turn off and turn right. Drive 31.6km (28 minutes) until you reach King’s Cove.
If you wish to visit Duntara, turn left at King’s Cove and Drive 5.2km (7 minutes).
If you wish to visit Keels turn left at King’s Cove and drive 8.5km (14 minutes).
Highlights: Lighthouse Hiking Trail in King’s Cove, Devil’s Foot Prints in Keels, Two Rooms Contemporary Art Gallery in Duntara.
Upper Amherst Cove
Approximately 45 minutes from the Artisan Inn.
If you are continuing your drive from communities along Route 235, continue driving 18km (18 minutes) north to Upper Amherst Cove.
If you only want to visit Upper Amherst Cove and not the other communities along Rotue 235 follow the below directions.
Take the sharp hairpin turn left at the Royal Bank to get onto Trinity Road. Turn right onto route 239 at the T intersection and drive 3.6km. Turn right onto route 230. Drive 30.4km (24 minutes) to Catalina and turn right onto Route 237.
Drive 11km (12 minutes) along Route 237. At the end of the road turn right. Drive 1.8km north (2 minutes) and turn left into Upper Amherst Cove.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 Sea Arch – Photo Credit: Marieke Gow
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
