Sightseeing trips around St. John’s…we had trouble keeping this down to a readable length! Fact is, there is an amazing range of sightseeing, history, and cultural experiences within a few minutes’ drive of Hometel in downtown St. John’s. Here are just a few ideas, but if you’re looking for something else, check with our Front Desk staff or look over the tourism brochures in our lobby. The possibilities are endless!
We’ll start as far east as you can go without crossing the North Atlantic… Cape Spear National Historic Site. Home to one of the most storied and photographed lighthouses in eastern Canada, this iconic spot still has remnants of World War II gunnery outpost and breathtaking views of the rugged Newfoundland coastline.
Enjoy golf? The St. John’s area features several courses, each with their own unique personality and skill levels. Bally Haly is the oldest golf course in St. John’s opening its doors in 1908 and only a 5-minute drive from your hotel in downtown St. John’s. Bally Haly is a semi-private course available for the public. The golf course is a challenging Scottish-style, 18-hole, par 70/71 championship golf course overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Clovelly Golf is a semi-private course, within a 12-minute drive of Hometel. Clovelly features both the championship par 72, 6533 yard Osprey course and the par 62, 3716 yard executive course, Black Duck. Both courses are designed by Graham Cooke and feature wetlands, small ponds and thick forests that prove challenging for balls that go astray. Pippy Park Golf Course is a 27-hole public facility in Pippy Park, 11 minutes drive from Hometel. Admiral’s Green is a dramatic 18-hole Championship course overlooking the entire city of St. John’s and view of the coastline. Located within a 20-minute drive of your hotel in downtown St. John’s is Glendenning Golf, winner of the golf course of the year in 2011 and 2014, boasts the most relaxed, fun-filled experience in the St. John’s area.
Or if you prefer to stop and smell the roses, you’ll find them along with plenty of other flowers and plants at MUN Botanical Gardens. A short 11-minute drive from Hometel, Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden is a the province’s premier botanical garden located on Mount Scio Road. Come to view the vast array of local plants or flowers, walk in the natural landscape on groomed trails, take in a local event, shop or dine in the cafe.
If you’re still in the mood to explore nature, get up close to aquatic life at the Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium, or just take in some astounding scenery at Middle Cove–Outer Cove, Bay Bulls–Witless Bay, or countless other vantage points.
Hike along the prehistoric fossil beds of the Manuels River Experience, explore the Grand Concourse, recognized as one of the top networks of walking trails in North America. Its more than 120km of pathways wind throughout St. John’s, Mount Pearl, and Paradise. And if you are a serious hiker, lace up your boots, grab your protein bars, and venture out on the East Coast Trail and its 300 km of sometimes easy,
sometimes rugged pathways meandering along the edges of amazing North Atlantic cliffs.
Whatever your preferences may be, you will find plenty to love within a short drive. Your stay at Hometel is a stay that will stay with you a lifetime!