Things To Do In Saint John’s, Newfoundland

Things to do in Saint John’s, Newfoundland. Get SCREECHED, eat Local Seafood delicacies, visit Jellybean Row-houses Street and beautiful Cathedrals. Go Whale and Puffin watching, see Icebergs and Lighthouses and meet some of the friendliest people in the world. Yes, I did get “SCREECHED-in” and am officially an honorary Newfoundlander. A visit without partaking in this ceremony isn’t complete. Read TIPS at the bottom of the page for additional info.

Things To Do In Saint John’s, Newfoundland

1. Get SCREECHED (Become an honorary Newfoundlander)
2. Eat Local Sea Food
3. Visit Jellybean Row-Houses street
4. Visit the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
5. Signal Hill
6. Quidi Vidi Village
7. Fort Amherst
8. Graffiti Alley
9. Walk the Dock

1. Get SCREECHED

The “ceremony” is performed at Christian’s Bar and at Trapper John’s Museum & Pub both located on George St. just beside Water St.. It is performed with a lot of informal pomp and accompanied by loud cheering. A fun ceremony in which you are given a 20-minute history lesson on the beginnings of Saint John’s. You then have to make the ritual pledge and kiss a Cod fish on the mouth. You also have to down a shot of Screecher (local) Rum which is awesome!

2. Eat Local Sea-Food

On George street, you will find a cluster of bars, pubs and eateries also a mini-amphitheater where local bands perform. There is a 24 hour Pub, The Celtic Hearth located on Water St. but also accessible from George St. (Bridie Malloy’s). We ate Cod tongues here which are a local delicacy. Pan fried Cod-fish Tongues with Scrunchions (salted pork cut into small pieces and fried). We also ate pan-seared scallops in Maple syrup. Both were delicious and a must-eat when you visit. Cod fish is abundant here. Fish and Chips is Cod in a truly delicious batter and you can opt for ‘sweet-potato’ fries. To see more pictures, click here.

3. Jellybean Row Houses

In town, Gower St. and Bond St. between Cathedral St. and Cochrane St. is where you will find these colorful Jellybean Row Houses. They are such a pretty sight. Local by-law stipulates that the outside of the house has to be wood, no vinyl siding. Also, every house has to be painted a different color from the neighbors.

4. The Cathedrals

Saint John’s has a lot of Churches with the biggest being The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. It is glorious on the inside with an ornate ceiling and beautiful stained glass on every window. The Cathedral is located at the highest point in the city and overlooks the harbor. Across the road you will find “The Rooms”, a cultural facility. This houses the Local Art Gallery and a museum dedicated to natural and cultural history. These two structures dominate the skyline of Saint John’s. You will also find St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church across the street. Two streets below, is the Anglican Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. This restored Anglican church with Gothic Revival architecture has guided tours. To see more pictures, click here.

5. Signal Hill

2.1 miles/3.4 kms northeast of the city you will find Signal Hill with imposing Cabot Tower standing majestically. From here, you have a commanding view in all directions and a little bit to its south is “the battery”. There is a hiking trail along the side of the hill for the more adventurous. This trail takes you down right to the hilly village also called ‘the battery’. However, the best view of this village is from across “the Narrows” (the harbor entrance) on Southside Rd.. To see more pictures, click here.

6. Quidi Vidi Village

3 miles/5 kms north of St. John’s is Quidi Vidi village. Located on the small but scenic harbor is the “ICEBERG” beer brewing company. “Made with pure 20,000 year old iceberg water” proudly stated on the label of each bottle. The brewery harnesses icebergs that break-off from the polar cap and float past St. John’s. Iceberg beer is definitely good! You will also find Mallard cottage (a highly recommended restaurant) near the harbor. There is a battery here as well and you will find it on the hill overlooking the harbor. North of Quidi Vide Lake you will find a Row of Jellybean houses, they look so colorful and pretty.

7. Fort Amherst

West of town, 3.2 miles/5.2 kms by road is historic Fort Amherst. A definite tourist attraction with phenomenal views of the Atlantic, the city of St. John’s and The Battery. You have to drive along Southside Rd. to get to Fort Amherst. Stop along the way and take-in the beauty of St. John’s from across the harbor. You can also stop and see the Hilly village called The Battery.

8. Graffiti Alley

Murals cover the concrete walls on both sides of a stairway linking Duckworth Street and Water Street. It is called Scanlan’s Lane.

9. Walk The Dock

The dock is always bustling with ships of various sizes. Cruise-ships call here as well. It is fascinating to see all the Oil-rig support vessels here of different shapes and sizes. Here is where you will find cruises to spot Whales, Puffins and Icebergs. All three are seasonal, May through July is ideal.

Click here to see more pictures of Saint John’s and surrounding area.

TIPS

• Drinking water is extremely costly within the city-limits of Saint John’s and city water has a weird taste and yellow color to it. It is deemed safe but we preferred to drink Natural Spring water from Walmart which is only 97 cents for a gallon.
• If you have facilities to cook, purchase from a big grocer. They are a little way out of the tourist area but much cheaper than the few local grocers.
• If renting a car, make sure to display your parking card or ticket clearly or you will get ticketed. They enforce aggressively.
• If you want to take a tour of the Quidi Vidi Brewery, you have to be wearing “closed toe” shoes
• There are a lot of ONE way streets in Saint John’s, pay careful attention.
• If departing by air, airport security is quite a line-up and slow. Be sure to factor this in your airport departure time.