Labrador

The mainland portion of Newfoundland and Labrador, Labrador encompasses 300,000 sq. km. (115,830 sq. miles) of spectacular wilderness that offers a marvelous combination of nature’s wonders, unforgettable adventures and unique history. Many visitors take the ferry from St. Barbe to Blanc Sablon, then follow the 409-km (254-mile) Labrador Coastal Drive to Cartwright, along a mix of paved and gravel highway. Expect to come across one or more of the following: the magical Northern Lights; a caribou or two (at 450,000, Labrador has the world’s largest herd of barren-ground caribou); huge icebergs drifting down the Labrador coast through spring ...

The mainland portion of Newfoundland and Labrador, Labrador encompasses 300,000 sq. km. (115,830 sq. miles) of spectacular wilderness that offers a marvelous combination of nature’s wonders, unforgettable adventures and unique history. Many visitors take the ferry from St. Barbe to Blanc Sablon, then follow the 409-km (254-mile) Labrador Coastal Drive to Cartwright, along a mix of paved and gravel highway. Expect to come across one or more of the following: the magical Northern Lights; a caribou or two (at 450,000, Labrador has the world’s largest herd of barren-ground caribou); huge icebergs drifting down the Labrador coast through spring and summer; and one-of-a-kind handmade crafts. Most of Labrador’s inhabitants are descendants of the indigenous Innu and Inuit who have lived here for centuries, and Europeans, who first arrived from Spain to hunt whales in the 16th century. More permanent settlements were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, including Moravian mission stations. If you’d rather not drive, there are some wonderful cruises up the Labrador coast that provide a great base for adventuring on land.

About the Expert

Joanna Ebbutt is the author or editor of three Insight Guides to Toronto and Canada, and coauthor of Off the Beaten Track: Western Canada. She has been writing about travel for three decades, including chasing the aurora borealis in Northern Ontario.