Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Canada

CartwrightCartwright, Labrador

Go only if you are driving the Labrador coast or want a boat-based Mealy Mountains trip: 1 night, 2 at most, and book the bed before you leave home.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CAD
Best months
Jul–Aug (boat and road season)
avoid Nov–Apr (sub-Arctic winter, ice, road conditions)
Airport
YRF
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Canada ↗Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through Canada usually need an eTA; check your passport on the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and apply only there.
  • Canada ↗A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop in national parks such as Banff and Jasper; some spots (for example Moraine Lake) are reached only by shuttle or tour, so book ahead.
  • Canada ↗Keep well away from bears, elk and moose; carry bear spray on Rockies trails and follow trail closures.

Cartwright is a village of about 440 people at the end of Highway 516, on Sandwich Bay in southeastern Labrador. There is one small motel, one general store, no bank, no garage and no mobile phone service. The reason to come is the coast itself: the road in, the bay, the archaeology and Inuit history, and boat access to the Mealy Mountains. Two nights covers the village and one boat day; one night is enough if you are only passing through.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Cartwright, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or a take-out mealCAD 6–18
  • Budget bedTent or trailer site, a night, per personC$20 (≈ US$15)
  • Mid-range bedSmall motel room, a night, per roomC$110 (≈ US$80)
  • High-end bedSmall motel room, a night, per roomC$140 (≈ US$110)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget C$90 (≈ US$70) · Mid C$150 (≈ US$110) · High C$240 (≈ US$180)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Flagstaff Hill and its two cannonsSandwich Bay and Inuit history at NatsiktokMealy Mountains National Park Reserve access by boatThe end of the road on Highway 516
Airports
YRF Cartwright Airport (Small airstrip about 2 km from the village centre; coastal flights link Goose Bay and communities south toward St. Anthony — check the current schedule and operator.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Cartwright: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−12°C

−22°C

12 rd

Feb

−12°C

−22°C

10 rd

Mar

−6°C

−16°C

11 rd

Apr

1°C

−8°C

11 rd

May

7°C

−2°C

12 rd

Jun

13°C

3°C

13 rd

Jul

17°C

7°C

13 rd

Aug

17°C

7°C

12 rd

Sep

12°C

3°C

13 rd

Oct

6°C

−1°C

13 rd

Nov

0°C

−7°C

13 rd

Dec

−7°C

−16°C

13 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

On foot or by car. The village is compact and flat; the airstrip is about 2 km from the centre. There are no taxis, no buses and no public transit. Fuel up here before any run to Goose Bay or Port Hope Simpson.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve

go

Door to door: A full day

By boat from Cartwright, usually with a local outfitter

No road access. Established 2015; boreal forest, caribou, salmon and a long sandy beach edge. Arrange the boat before you arrive.

Port Hope Simpson

caution

Door to door: About 2.5–3 h

Drive south on Highway 516 to the Trans-Labrador Highway, then Highway 510

187 km with no services. Note the half-hour time change: Cartwright is on Atlantic time, Port Hope Simpson on Newfoundland time.

Happy Valley-Goose Bay

overnight

Door to door: About 5–6 h

Drive northwest via Cartwright Junction

393 km of empty road with no fuel. Not a day return.

Gannet Islands Ecological Reserve

skip

Door to door: —

Boat, 40 km northeast

Closed to all visitors except accredited scientific researchers.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Village centre (Main Road area)

Walkable to the Northern Store, fuel, post office and the ferry dock. The only practical base.

Northside Motel area (Low Road)

The village's small motel; ask about food service when you book, since the old hotel burned down in 2013 and was not rebuilt.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
CAD 90–140 excl. bed
Mid
CAD 140–220 excl. bed
High
CAD 220+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Small motel room1 × 2 nights × C$110C$220
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × C$150C$600
Fuel, per fill (village station)1 × C$90C$90
Boat day to the Mealy Mountains, per person2 × C$250 · Outfitter rates vary; arrange before arrival.C$500
Groceries from the Northern Store, per person per day4 × C$35 · Northern prices run high.C$140
Buffer 15%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeC$233
Trip total≈ C$446 per person per day, bed includedC$1,783≈ US$1,300

One small motel, six rooms; the old hotel burned down in 2013 and was not rebuilt.

2026 estimate in Canadian dollars; vehicle, fuel and flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Motel room, per nightCAD 95–140
Coffee or a take-out mealCAD 6–18
Groceries, per person per dayCAD 25–45
Fuel, per litreNorthern Labrador prices run well above southern Canada.check
Boat charter to the Mealy Mountains, per dayArrange through a local outfitter.check

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

The village itself is quiet and low-risk. The real hazards are distance and weather: no phone signal, no fuel for 393 km northwest, sub-Arctic winter, and black bear and moose country along the highway. Drive in daylight with a full tank.
  • No mobile phone service in or around the village — tell someone your plan before you drive in.
  • No bank and no repair garage: bring cash and a spare tyre.
  • The 393 km northwest to Happy Valley-Goose Bay and the 187 km south to Port Hope Simpson have no fuel and no services. Carry a full tank, ideally a spare can.
  • Lodging is very limited and the next village is nearly 200 km away: reserve before you go.
  • The Gannet Islands Ecological Reserve, 40 km northeast, is closed to everyone except accredited researchers.
  • Winters are sub-Arctic and brutal; the road season is short.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire and ambulance (Canada-wide)
911
Newfoundland and Labrador highway conditions
511
Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve office
+1 709 458-2417

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

CartwrightCartwright, Labrador

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire and ambulance911
  • Highway conditions511
  • Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve+1 709 458-2417

Embassy

No consulates in Cartwright. The nearest are in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; embassies are in Ottawa.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Fuel, Cartwright village station: the last fuel before 393 km of empty road northwest
  • Boat day to the Mealy Mountains: book with a local outfitter before arrival

Say or show

  • Where is the fuel station? — Where is the fuel station?
  • Is there anywhere to stay tonight? — Is there anywhere to stay tonight?
  • How far to the next services? — How far to the next services?

No mobile phone service in or around the village. Carry cash: there is no bank.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Cartwright. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jul–Aug (boat and road season) · avoid Nov–Apr (sub-Arctic winter, ice, road conditions) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to Canada

Sources