Route 230 to Route 238 – Maberly, Elliston, Spillars Cove

From Route 230, turn off at Route 238 to Maberly, a community with magnificent panoramic views of the rugged north Atlantic. Maberly is the starting point (or finish point) of the Maberly to Little Catalina Trail, a 16.5 km hiking trail that brings you past coastal scenery, lush woodland vegetation, and opportunities to see wildlife on land and in the water!

Next to Maberly is Elliston, known as the “Root Cellar Capital of the World.” Elliston has 134 documented root cellars, some dating back to the 1830's. More than 40 of these cellars have been restored to optimum storage condition. The remaining sites have been left in various stages of repair/disrepair to show the effects of time and weather on the structures. A local group, Tourism Elliston, offers guided tours of these cultural icons. Visit the Tourism Elliston information Centre for further information.

The Atlantic Puffin Site (past Sandy Beach, Elliston) is probably one of the most accessible places in Newfoundland to view the Atlantic Puffin. A five minute walk will take you to the nesting site, a stone's throw from the mainland, home to more than 400 breeding pairs of puffins. You will not be disappointed, a real treat for kids and adults alike. The annual Bird Island Puffin Festival held each summer in July, is so named for the local summer breeding populations of these small parrot-like seabirds. The festival draws huge crowds! Visitors are welcome to come and enjoy music, activities, games and, of course, the largest “Jiggs Dinner” in Newfoundland Labrador. If you are a “come from away” this will surely be a highlight of your Discovery vacation.

Elliston also lays claim to one of the most beautiful sandy beaches on the island, Sandy Cove Beach. Sandy Cove Beach offers sun, fun and surf for all! Visitors who wish to stay overnight can stay at the Elliston Municipal Park across the road. The campground has tent and trailer parking, picnic sites and a playground.

Opening in Elliston in 2007, the Ryan's Building. A three-storey, nineteenth century mercantile structure with a gable roof – typical of commercial buildings on the northeast coast of Newfoundland and the trademark style of the James Ryan firm.

Route 230 to Bonavista

Follow Route 230 or take the back road from Elliston or Spillars Cove to Bonavista, one of the most important historic towns in Newfoundland. In 1497, Giovanni Caboto aka John Cabot was said to have sighted land and claimed the island for Britain. He noted the plentiful cod stocks and, for the next couple of hundred years, people arrived from England and Ireland to fish.

Visit the Ryan Premises National Historic Site of Canada. The site commemorates five centuries of commercial fishing on the East Coast. This nineteenth century salt fish mercantile complex was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997. The site consists of five buildings, including store houses where the smell of fish still lingers in the air.

Nearby at the Matthew Legacy Site is the full scale replica of John Cabot's ship The Matthew, built as a legacy to the hardy little ship that brought Cabot and his crew to the “New Founde Lande” more than 500 years ago.

The Mockbeggar Plantation may well be the oldest fishery plantation on the island of Newfoundland. The wooden salt box fish store is believed to have been built around 1733, making it possibly the oldest surviving structure on the coast. In the past, the buildings have served in many capacities including that of a salt fish store, salmon packing houses, salt store, fish dryer, residence of owner and temporary Methodist Church.

Going through the community, visitors will notice the restorations that have been completed on many of the historic buildings. The best way to see the historic downtown district is on foot. Take a leisurely walk down Church Street or Campbell Street.

The Bridge House/Alexander House is the oldest documented residential structure on the Island. It's a Georgian style home, two and one half stories built during 1811 – 1813 for William Alexander, a native of Western Scotland who had come to Bonavista to establish himself as a merchant planter.

The current Bonavista Courthouse, the third one to occupy the site, was built during the period 1897 – 1900. Also to be viewed on the courthouse grounds is an old carriage gun from World War I, replicas of a whipping post and a set of stocks. These items were used in earlier days for those guilty of robbery and other misdemeanors.

Visitors can view other buildings including; Memorial United Church, St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Chapel and the Orange Hall. Visitors should not miss the Dungeon Provincial Park or the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site.

Tip-A-Vista Arts, an amateur theatre group under professional direction, will provide you with a truly unique Newfoundland theatrical experience, one you will remember long after your Discovery vacation. Authentic outport heritage is brought to life on stage! Look for performances throughout the season at the Factory in the Port Union National Historic District and at the Ryan Premises National Historic Site in Bonavista. Call for show times and descriptions!

Located approximately a mile, as the crow flies, to the south of Cape Bonavista, is a very unusual rock formation known far and wide as the Dungeon. The Dungeon is a twin entrance sea cave with a collapsed roof. Photographed and viewed by many the world over, it ranks high on the list of places to visit on the Discovery Trail.

No trip would be complete without a stop at the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse. Construction of the lighthouse began in 1841, took two years to build, and on September 11, 1843, the lighthouse was put into operation. From the site of the lighthouse, you may well see puffins perched on cliffs or sea stacks and often flying overhead. The Cape offers excellent photo opportunities at every turn!