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Route 210 takes you down the Burin Peninsula to an entirely different part of Newfoundland, both in geography and outlook. Separated from the seat of political power in St. John’s for centuries, the Burin Peninsula developed its own trade links with the eastern seaboard and beyond. Everything, from its dialects, to its traditional set and square dances, to its architecture, is different. Natural wonders  Swift Current has long been a favourite area for fishing and hiking. Just south of there is Piper’s Hole River where, according to legend, the mournful pipe tune of a French soldier killed in battle can still be heard.
The Burin Peninsula Highway is surrounded by panoramic maritime barrens, one of the main eco-regions of this province. Keep an eye out for Rough-Legged Hawks, typical barren birds and the migratory caribou. The rocks you see strewn are boulders dropped by melting glaciers 10,000 years ago.
The west side Routes 211 and 212 boast quiet, picturesque communities with all the outport charm of children at play, clothes on the lines, whales breeching in the windy sunset of Fortune Bay. Catch the coastal boat from Bay L’Argent to Rencontre East across to Pool’s Cove.
Local tales of times gone by  Sample genuine hospitality in Placentia Bay communities on Routes 214 and 215 while gaining an understanding of personal adaptation through stories of past island resettlement and more contemporary tales of “uprooted” family traditions brought on by changes in the fishery. Have a cup of tea and have a chat with the locals. Take the South East Bight ferry that leaves daily from quaint Petite Forte.
Throughout this journey, community names attest to the diverse European influences: Spanish Room, Jean de Baie, Beau Bois. Way back in the 16th century, the Basque pursued fishing and whaling in these waters, and about the same time the Portuguese were here, too.
Placentica Bay – lighthouses guide the way  Lighthouses still stand their watch over the bays of this peninsula. See the rescued dome of Long Point Lighthouse in Petite Forte, Tide’s Point Lighthouse of Mortier Bay near Fox Cove, Burin Island Lighthouse from Burin Bay, St. Lawrence Lighthouse, Allan’s Island Lighthouse, Green Island Lighthouse from Point Crewe Park, Fortune Head Ecological Reserve Lighthouse, Grand Bank and Garnish Lighthouses.
The peninsula’s extensive coastline leads to good bird watching territory. Both bays have a large population of Bald Eagles. Further south you’ll find Leach’s Storm Petrels at Corbin Island, rare Manx Shearwaters at Middle Lawn Island, and Great Black-Backed Gulls on Outer Lawn Island.
Travel to Marystown, Winterland and Burin  Marystown is the commercial hub and service centre for the peninsula and the site of a modern shipyard and fabrication facilities for the oil industry. Boasting state of the art indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, it has the largest population in the region.
Winterland, on Route 222, was settled in early 1940s by fishers who were enticed to become farmers by the Newfoundland’s Commission of Government. The settlement is also on a migratory bird route over a 2000-acre Wetland Stewardship Zone with interpreted habitat along the eco-museum boardwalk trail.
Route 221 winds on to Burin, which is built along a series of high cliffs and sheltered coves. Once a haven for pirates and privateers, Captain James Cook was sent here to set up a lookout to catch smugglers running rum and other booty from Saint-Pierre, just 19.2 kilometres from the peninsula’s southwest tip. Take a stroll along the Oldest Colony Trust Boardwalk built right over the harbour shoreline.
First settlers, sinking ships and pounding surf  Southwest of Burin on Route 220 is St. Lawrence where legend has it the first settlers were sailors who escaped the sinking of Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s ship in 1583 having sailed grandly into St. John’s and claimed Newfoundland for England. St. Lawrence, site of 20th century fluorspar mines, is best knows for its soccer teams which have captured eight straight provincial championships, a bronze medal at the 1999 national championships, and have been a major force in provincial soccer for the past 35 years.
In 1942 two American warships ran aground west of the town, and 180 sailors were rescued by people from St. Lawrence and Lawn who risked their own lives to scale steep cliffs to reach the sailors, many of whom drowned. The Americans built a hospital in the town as a mark of gratitude.
A tsunami (or tidal wave) in 1929 had disastrous effects on the settlements along route 220 coastline. Lawn, Lord’s Cove, Taylors Bay, Point au Gaul are still affected by whims of the pounding sea. Lawn and Lamaline heritage museums relay stories of both wars and of the tidal wave, respectively. See dory models by Otto Kelland, composer of the well know song Let Me Fish off Cape St. Mary’s. Say a prayer at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto on the road to visit Allan’s Island Lighthouse. Point May and Point Crewe are great spots to see the islands of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon in the distance.
Coastal charms of Grand Bank and Fortune  Grand Bank is the quintessential Newfoundland outport. More than any other port, this town is associated with the schooner fishery carried out on the Grand Banks for which the town is named. The town’s architecture reflects the prosperity and loss that went hand-in-hand with the deep-sea fishery. These include excellent examples of Queen Anne-style sea captains’ houses, a reflection of prosperity, topped by the Widow’s Walk, where shore-bound women waited and watched, sometimes in vain, for their husbands to return from trips to the Banks.
Fortune traces its name from the Portuguese “fortuna” which means either a place of misfortune or of good fortune. The fishery has always been its economic backbone. Fortune Head is a globally recognized and protected site that is the best place in the world for tracing the evolution of simple trace fossils to more complex Cambrian life.
Visit the French islands of St. Pierre et Miquelon  Fortune is also the gateway to Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, the last French possession in North America, where 500 years ago European sailors crossed the Atlantic Ocean in search of a dream and a way of life. Whether it’s French cuisine, a unique culture or artistic endeavours you seek, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon is definitely the place to discover or rediscover. Despite a rigorous climate, today’s population has kept an essential characteristic: “its legendary hospitality”.
This French destination is a mixture of warm people and unusual opportunities. Wild horses running on a unique landscape, homes with a European influence, nightly entertainment, festivals, le “bon appétit” du chef cuisinier, baguettes, pastries and shopping - all that makes these Islands an undeniable French homeland.
Upon arrival in Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, it is recommended that Canadian visitors have either a valid passport or an official identification card with picture and a birth certificate. Citizens from the European Union require a passport; other nationalities also require a passport (in some cases a visa will be required). Make sure that any minor (under-18 years) either has their own valid passport or photo ID with a birth certificate or is registered on their parents' documents.
Tee-off into the sunset  The last stop is Frenchman’s Cove, on Route 213, which is home to a nine-hole golf course located adjacent to a provincial park. Both it and nearby Garnish and Grand Bank are bordered by many kilometres of hiking beaches where you can appreciate spectacular Fortune Bay sunsets.
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