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Off the craggy coast of Cape Broyle on the southern shore of Newfoundland and Labrador, you can dine on fresh uni sushi — one of the top delicacies in Japan — straight off the paddle of a kayak.

Parks Canada is celebrating it’s groundbreaking 100-year anniversary this summer and there will be special events to mark the occassion at the various historic and scenic sites across Newfoundland and Labrador. That means lots of interesting things to see and do, all summer long, at some of the most beautiful and fascinating areas in the province. Read on for event info... 

Here in NL, we're proud to lay claim to a deep storytelling culture, and on Tuesday, the St. John's Storytelling Festival officially kicked off. The festival is running for 8 days, so you still have time to hear (and maybe tell) a few tales.

Rugged, wild and beautiful, the coastal communities of Brigus and Cupids will take you back in time. Rich in culture and history, the two towns are just a stone’s throw from one another, and both are located just an hour outside of St. John’s. Let the townspeople take you in as you explore heritage that has been preserved for hundreds of years. And see for yourself what we’ve been celebrating. 

Of all the mariners who set to sea in Newfoundland and Labrador over the centuries, none is more justly famous than Captain Bob Bartlett of Brigus. A noted explorer in his own right, and perhaps the greatest ice pilot who ever lived, Bartlett guided American Commodore Robert Peary to within 150 miles of the North Pole in 1909, at which point Peary set out with one servant to finish the job on foot. Bartlett won numerous awards and spent many summers exploring the Arctic, and had a gift for self-promotion that in the first half of the 20th century made him one of the most famous men alive.

Located at the most easterly point of land in North America, Cape Spear is where you can see nature at its most beautiful and wild; tranquil and ferocious; it all depends on the day you visit. The site is surrounded by spectacular scenery and wildlife such as whales, seabirds and icebergs in season.

In 1834, construction began on the first lighthouse, with a foghorn added in 1878. The light was first lit by oil, with acetylene adopted in 1916, and electricity in 1930. In 1955, the dipodic system was moved to a new light tower, not far from the original lighthouse. The original lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland with the original building and the lightkeeper’s residence restored to the period of 1939, and shows how a lightkeeper and his family might have lived there during that time.

St. John’s Time is an 11-day festival taking in the Royal St. John’s Regatta, the George Street Festival, the St. John’s Downtown Buskers Festival and the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival. The festival starts in late July and goes until early August.

Thousands descend on George Street every year to take in the annual George Street Festival - one of the biggest and friendliest patio parties in the world. This event always precedes the Royal St. John’s Regatta. The Royal St. John’s Regatta is a 1-day event and is the oldest, longest running sporting event in North America! This 1-day festival draws in the vicinity of 60,000 people to Quidi Vidi Lake in the heart of St. John’s to watch the races and to try their luck on various ticket spins, or just sit back and relax and take in the sights. This event is always the first Wednesday in August.

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are known worldwide for their hospitality. Making your own way to (and through) Newfoundland and Labrador is sometimes exactly what’s called for, but if you’re interested in travelling here without having to worry about the details, there are many package tour operators that take care of arrangements for you.

CapeRace Cultural Adventures and Ocean Quest Adventures are just two of many tour operators that let you truly experience and explore the majestic beauty of our province, our rich culture and heritage and, maybe even, our ocean floors.

Ocean Quest Adventure Resort offers a 7-night multi-adventure vacation package on Newfoundland and Labrador’s Avalon Peninsula. CapeRace Cultural Adventures is a self-guided eco-cultural tour that features exclusive-use, serve-yourself accommodations at heritage houses in St. John’s, Heart’s Delight and Bonavista

“Five days of hiking the East Coast Trail transformed us into proselytizing zealots. Now we're the ones eagerly asking, ‘Have you hiked the East Coast Trail?’ hoping for an opportunity to tell all about it.” Forget the West Coast Trail, travel writers Craig and Kathy Copeland discover that when it comes to big Canadian hiking adventures, Newfoundland’s east coast is the place to go.

Mistaken Point is a remarkable place. A beautiful, rocky headland at the tip of the Avalon Peninsula bearing the fossilized remnants of ancient creatures more than half a billion years old. Etched onto two shelves of stone, these cryptic messages from the distant past were once primitive animals living at the bottom of the ocean. The volcanic ash that killed them, also preserved them

This Vancouver Sun article talks about a recently discovered cemetery in Cupids, NL, which is thought to be the oldest English burial ground in Canada. We also happen to have the oldest burial site in all of North America, located at L'Anse Amour, Labrador. It dates back 7,500 years — 3,000 years before the pyramids of Egypt.

Is the greatest pirate of all time from NL? Newfoundland and Labrador's infamous pirate, Peter Easton, who plundered foreign ships sailing the Atlantic Ocean in the early 17th century, may well be the most notorious pirate of all time. CTV's W5 went diving for evidence off the coast of Conception Bay, NL.

The November issue of National Geographic Traveler Magazine rated the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador at the very top of 99 coastal tourism destinations in the world, beating out popular seaside travel spots in Wales, New Zealand, Hawaii, Italy, Australia and other provinces within Canada.

The magazine said that Newfoundland and Labrador has struck the right balance in developing its tourism industry without destroying what makes it unique, and noted it has welcomed the economic benefits of a strong offshore oil and natural gas industry while maintaining its "stunning natural and cultural integrity". The article also noted the unspoiled scenery, revitalization of waterfronts, rural communities, coastal hiking trails, colourful birdlife and seafaring heritage as among the components which make the Avalon Peninsula "one of the best-kept tourism secrets."

CNN’s travel reporter has been charmed by our “Viking history, stunning rocky landscapes and warm, welcoming locals.” Read all about her experience exploring remote, wild and beautiful, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The love keeps pouring in for St. John's and NL. This travel feature appeared in Britain's widely read Daily Mail newspaper. It highlights some of the similarities between Newfoundlanders and their friends across the pond... most notably, an affinity for the longest running TV soap in the world...

Not that we ever stopped 'rockin,' but this Globe and Mail feature talks about something St. John's residents have known for a long time: our city is cutting edge when it comes to music, art, fashion, dining out and even doing business. St. John's rocks and it's the place to be!

This feature in WestJet's Up! magazine whimsically explores the charming and scenic fishing village, Quidi Vidi, which flanks the base of Signal Hill, just a five-minute drive away from downtown St. John's... "The village is a little sheltered corner of the east coast, with a glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean from inside the gut..."

“When a humpback whale surfaces, then dives, not four metres from my kayak, I'm terrified, then delighted.” Read this colourful account of one Toronto Sun journalist’s trip to Newfoundland and Labrador, including a close encounter with our local giants of the deep and some adorable puffins.

Walkable St. John’s. Westjet’s Up! magazine has ranked St John’s, NL as one of the Top Ten Most Walkable Cities in Canada thanks to its historic streets, winding staircases and brightly coloured buildings. Not to mention a great trail system.

Looks like New York City is experiencing some Newfoundland and Labrador envy. St. John's is listed in NYC's Huffington Post as one of the world's most colourful neighbourhoods! Here is the full list of the top15...

New York Daily News - This photo gallery outlines the top 10 reasons to love Newfoundland and Labrador, from puffin and whale sightings to stunning scenery, hiking trails and cutting-edge cuisine. And why just stop at 10? We can think of at least 10 more!