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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
Eastport
Give Eastport 2 nights as a beach-and-trails base beside Terra Nova National Park; skip it if you have no car — there is no public transport in.
Eastport is a village of about 500 people on the Eastport Peninsula, on the north-west edge of Terra Nova National Park, 285 km from St. John's and 85 km from Gander. It is the peninsula's service centre: groceries, fuel, restaurants and most of the beds. People come for the sandy beach, the Old Trails walking network and outport scenery, not for a checklist of sights. Two nights covers the beach, a half-day hike and a drive to Salvage; three nights if you want Terra Nova as well. You need a car.
- Country
- Canada
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (cold, many businesses closed)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–150 excl. bed · Mid C$150–250 excl. bed · High C$250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Health advice line (NL) 811
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$2–4 |
| Fish and chips | C$16–24 |
| Grocery run for two, one day | C$30–50 |
| Motel or cabin room, summer | C$90–280 |
| Unserviced campsite | C$24–40 |
| Fuel, per litre | check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YYT · St. John's International
- 285 km by road, about 3 h 15 min; the nearest major airport177 mi by road, about 3 h 15 min; the nearest major airport
- YQX · Gander International
- 85 km by road, about 1 h; small airport53 mi by road, about 1 h; small airport
Typical fares
- Gander → Eastport by car
- 85 km, about 1 h53 mi, about 1 h
- St. John's → Eastport by car
- 285 km, about 3 h 15 min177 mi, about 3 h 15 min
Get around
A car is the practical way to reach and move around the peninsula; public transport to Eastport is check. The nearest air links are in Gander and St. John's. Fuel up in Eastport before driving the peninsula roads. Distances are short — Eastport to Salvage is roughly 15 km — but shoulders are narrow and moose are common at dusk and after dark.A car is the practical way to reach and move around the peninsula; public transport to Eastport is check. The nearest air links are in Gander and St. John's. Fuel up in Eastport before driving the peninsula roads. Distances are short — Eastport to Salvage is roughly 9.3 mi — but shoulders are narrow and moose are common at dusk and after dark.
See and do
Known for
- Eastport Beach
- The Old Trails hiking network
- Beaches Arts & Heritage Centre
- Salvage and the Eastport Peninsula outports
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Salvage | Drive Route 310 north, about 15 kmDrive Route 310 north, about 9.3 mi | About 20 min |
| Terra Nova National Park | Drive Route 1 (check the route and entrance) | check |
| Gander | Drive Route 1 west | About 1 h |
| Bonavista | Drive Route 230 via Terra Nova | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Eastport village (Main St and Church St)
- Walk to groceries, restaurants and the heritage centre; several motels and cabins are here.
- Beach Road
- Next to Eastport Beach and the road toward Salvage; inns and cottages with ocean frontage.
- Route 310 / RV parks
- Serviced and unserviced campsites, open mid-May to September.
Language
English is the working language in most of Canada; French dominates Québec and parts of New Brunswick and Ontario. Québec's language law (Bill 96) makes French the language of signs, menus and services; a 'Bonjour' first earns goodwill, and in Montréal most people switch to English easily.
- Metric system: km, °C, litres — but people often give heights in feet.
- 'Eh', 'toque' (winter hat), 'loonie' and 'toonie' (CAD 1 and 2 coins), 'double-double' (coffee with two cream, two sugar).
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- No public transport confirmed: without a car you may be stuck in the village (check).
- Moose on the highway, especially at dawn, dusk and after dark.
- The RV park is open mid-May to September only; other restaurants, attractions and campgrounds may also close from October to May (check).
- Cell coverage is patchy on the peninsula's back roads.
- Swimming is cold even in August (check); the beach is the draw, not the water temperature.
The real risks are the drive (moose, narrow roads, long distances between services) and cold water (check). Tell someone your route if you hike the back trails.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Eastport yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Eastport Beach
- The Old Trails hiking network
- Beaches Arts & Heritage Centre
- Salvage and the Eastport Peninsula outports
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Town of Eastport: www.eastport.ca/
- Parks Canada — Terra Nova National Park: parks.canada.ca/pn-np/nl/terranova
- Wikivoyage: Eastport (Newfoundland), revision 5239695 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5239695
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Eastport
Please take me to this address
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates on the peninsula; the US consulate general is in Halifax and most embassies are in Ottawa.
Print this card; coverage is patchy on the peninsula.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/eastport-newfoundland). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.