Entente Cordiale Inn is located on a beautiful and secluded 1.6 kilometer (1 mile) long sandy beach at the end of the main road in Portland Creek. Nearby is Portland Creek salmon river, where renowned American sportsman Lee Wulff operated a remote fishing camp in the 1950s.
A short distance to the south is Portland Head, named by the famous English cartographer and explorer Captain James Cook in the mid-18th century. Around the top of the 500 ft high hillock with shear west facing cliffs is a 1.6 kilometer (1 mile) scenic hiking loop.
To the south of Portland Creek
A 5-minute drive south from Portland Creek one can find the Arches Provincial Park, a natural scenic attraction with a series of rock arches along the seashore.
Another 10-minute drive will bring you to the northern boundary of Gros Morne National Park. Soon after two exits to the west lead to the community of Cow Head, location of Shallow Bay beach, the Warehouse theater, and Cow Head Lighthouse.
From Cow Head, another 15 minutes will bring you first to Western Brook beach, then to Western Brook Pond parking lot, where you can take a 45-minute easy (level) hike over a well-developed trail to the boat dock at the end of the pond. From here you can take a 2-hour scenic boat tour of the inland fiord with sheer cliffs and high waterfalls. (During the summer the tour runs at 10:00am, 1:00pm, and 4:00pm. Be sure to book ahead, as this is the park’s #1 attraction. The 2012 rate is $60 per adult, $21-26 per child, and $130 per family of 4. For information go to http://www.bontours.ca/western_brook)
Leaving Western Brook Pond parking lot, a 15-minute drive to the south will bring you to the community of Rocky Harbour, location of the Lobster Cove lighthouse and museum. Another 5 minutes on Route 430 will take you to Gros Morne National Park’s Interpretation Center. Just beyond is the parking lot to the James Callaghan Trail, which is a return day-hike to the top of nearby Gros Morne Mountain.
Alternately from the Interpretation Center, a short 5-minute drive will bring you to the community of Norris Point, nestled within the mountains and waters of Bonne Bay. There you will find the park’s Marine Center and nearby pedestrian ferry to Woody Point. From here you have a choice of 3 boat tours on the bay. For information, go to http://www.bontours.ca/isedabye.
To the north of Portland Creek
A short 5-minute drive to the north of Portland Creek will bring you to Mountain Waters Resort, a campground and cabin facility on the “running out” of Portland Crrek River. This is a popular location for Atlantic Salmon fishing, and one-time home of famed American sportsman Lee Wulff”s fishing camp. The old stone fireplace of one of his cabin’s is still standing.
Another 5-minute drive will take you to Bill”s Woods Trail, a well-developed trail on the eastern side of Route 430 near the entrance to Daniel’s Harbour. This trail will take you on a 1-hour round trip walk to a small sandy beach on Portland Creek Pond, with good views of the nearby Long Range Mountains.
At Daniel’s Harbour one can also visit the Nurse Bennett house, an early 2oth century home that also served as the missionary nurse’s clinic.
From here another 40 minute drive will take you to the town of Hawke’s Bay, where you can visit the Torrent River Salmon Interpretation Center. View salmon under water, or in the fishway on their way up river.
Another 5 minutes to the north is the turn off to Port au Choix, location of a National Historic Site dedicated to the Maritime Archaic Indians, a sea-faring people who lived in this area from 7,500 – 3,500 years before present (B.P.). Nearby is the Port au Choix Lighthouse.
Back on Route 430 another 45-minute drive will bring you to the community of St. Barbe, location of the 1-hour vehicle ferry to southern Labrador and the Quebec lower north shore.
Continuing on, another 1.5 hours (a total of 3 from Entente Cordiale Inn) will bring you to St. Anthony, where you can visit the Sir Wilfred Grenfell Museum. The British missionary doctor ran a series of small coastal clinics and craft workshops from here more than 100 years ago.
Just before St. Anthony, a 15-minute drive on Route 436 will bring you to L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic and UNESCO Site. Here you will find the re-creation of a 1,000 year-old early viking settlement, reputed to be the legendary Vinland. Also nearby is Norstead, a replica viking village of the same historic period.
While in this area take a look out to sea, for here you may see whales and icebergs at any time throughout the summer!
On the return trip south to Portland Creek, be sure to make a driving loop detour onto Route 432. From this route you can visit the historic French Shore settlement of Croque, with its quaint harbour and French graveyard, as well as the scenic community of Conche. Near Roddicton you can visit the Underground Salmon Pool, the only place in Newfoundland where salmon swim into a cave on their way upstream!
Hurry back now, so you’re not too late for dinner! You may even be back in time for sunset!!