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But once you arrive on the island , regardless of how you get there , you ’ ll soon realize the destination was well worth the journey .
The other thing about Newfoundland : It ’ s a surprisingly big place and the network of roads is not as extensive as you might imagine . Getting from point to point in a reasonable amount of time means reconnecting with the Trans-Canada Highway , which runs through the middle of the province and stretches on for some 900 kilometres .
But the highway is the least scenic route and far from the coastal towns , where the true beauty of Newfoundland reveals itself . What this means is that uncovering the special places on the island takes some planning . It ’ s an area of the world that also encourages a relaxed approach and a flexible schedule .
There are countless great driving roads in Newfoundland , all of them far from the highway . This makes sense when you remember that one of the great amateur motorsports events in the world , Targa Newfoundland , takes place in its communities . As such , the island features extremely challenging roads that venture into and out of the coastal towns — they ’ re curvy , undulating and they skirt close to everything , including the Atlantic Ocean . There ’ s also spectacular scenery around many a bend , making the two-lane strips of tarmac a road tripper ’ s delight .
While there ’ s not enough space within these pages to cover all that Newfoundland has to offer , three drive routes in particular deserve to be highlighted .
The Irish Loop is a 312-kilometre route that starts in St . John ’ s , heads south along the eastern coast and encircles the Avalon Wilderness Reserve . Highlights along the route include the ridiculously picturesque town of Ferryland and St . Vincent ’ s Beach , one of the best places in the world to view whales from dry land .
TOP : TORS COVE FOX ISLAND ; MIDDLE : HERD OF WOODLAND CARIBOU NEAR CAPE RACE , AVALON ; BOTTOM : BICYCLE CAFE , BONAVISTA . ( PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR TOURISM )