Route 408 Cape Ray

Sometimes you just need a day at the beach. Dotting the coastline from Grand Bay West to Cape Ray is a stretch of sandy beaches unrivalled on the island of Newfoundland. Portions of these beaches are home to the Piping Plover, a rare bird whose population has dwindled to just 5,000 remaining in the world today. The community of Cape Ray is one of the three capes forming the triangular points of the island of Newfoundland. A museum interprets the story of the Dorset Paleoeskimo who lived at the site more than 1,800 years ago. The first lighthouse, built in 1871, marked the southern tip of the French Shore. Cape Ray was the site of the first submarine telegraph cable in Newfoundland. Laid in 1856, it connected the province to the rest of North America.

Getting there is half the fun when you travel from Rose Blanche to the isolated community of La Poile. Watch for dolphins and porpoises eager to play in the boat’s wake. Look for seabirds chasing their next meal, or the small minke whales known to frequent the area.