The northeastern part of Newfoundland played an important role in the early days of the European discovery and occupation of the island.
It is quite
possible that Vikings, Portuguese or Englishmen have accidentally hit the shores much earlier, but the first recorded
landing was by the Venetian explorer Giovanni Caboto aka John Cabot in 1497 near Cape Bonavista.
Soon many others followed, this
time not to explore but to fish for the abundant Atlantic Cod in the Grand Banks around the island.
In the 17th century permanent
settlements like Trinity and Bonavista sprang up and became important fish trading centers, rivalling St Johns.
After
the Cod Moratorium of 1992 the region became more dependent on tourism and every town or village now offers whale-watching
and iceberg viewing trips.
Terra Nova National Park was established in 1957 and features the typical rugged topography of
the region with wetlands, bogs, forests and a long seacoast with rocky outcrops.
The Eastport Peninsula is known for its
sandy beaches and beautiful coastal panoramas.
Elliston calls itself the Root Cellar Capital of the world, but the
place also offers one of the best land-side Puffin viewing sites.
