Codroy Valley

Green. The deepest and most vivid shades of green, perfect for long meadow walks and lazy picnics. This place boasts a temperature milder than the rest of the island. Sheltered by the Long Range Mountains, dramatic churches stand on cliffs overlooking the ocean and clouds float over traditional farmlands dotted with grazing Newfoundland ponies.

This is Codroy Valley, a collection of 15 communities tucked away in Western Newfoundland. There is nothing else like it in all the province. A haven for birders, nature lovers, adventurers, historians and travellers alike.

Start your journey with a visit to the Grand Codroy Estuary Ramsar Site, located at the mouth of the Grand Codroy River - a 925-hectare area recognized by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance and as an internationally Important Bird Area (IBA). Here, you can stand at the waters of the estuary and spend the day watching and photographing birds in their natural habitat. This is a stopover for migrating water and land fowl heading north in the spring and south in the fall and a landing place for rare species occasionally blown off course. It has a large raptor population in the fall and is a good place to see songbirds. Head to the interpretation centre and then hike the trail along the rushing riverbank, making note of the rare vascular plants and wildlife you see along the way.

To get a better look at our wildlife, visit the Grand Codroy Wildlife Museum and Art Gallery. Here you can have your picture taken with Newfoundland's largest mounted moose, and view hundreds of species of animals, birds and fish set in artificial displays of their natural surroundings.

In St. Andrews, play the nine-hole St. Andrews Na Creige Golf Course flanked by a background of mountains. After the game, take the short drive to Cape Anguille, the most westerly point of the island, and take a look at its lighthouse.

Getting Here:

Codroy Valley is located on the Codroy Valley International Wetlands scenic driving route, 35 kilometres northwest of Port aux Basques.