Bay de Verde - Newfoundland and Labrador

Route 70

Coordinates: 48.0889° N, 52.8968° W

Bay de Verde is a community that offers a unique combination of attractions to the tourist. Bay de Verde has some of the most striking scenery in the province, a long and interesting history, mainly built on the inshore fishery, and is located an easy drive from St. John's, and many other local attractions.

Bay de Verde is located at the top of the Bay de Verde peninsula that separates Trinity Bay from Conception Bay. It is situated 5 km west of the large and well known sea bird colonies on Baccalieu Island.

The name Bay de Verde is derived from a combination of the English, Portuguese, and French languages. It was so named by John Guy, one of Newfoundland's first settlers who visited in 1611 and named the community Green Bay, from its appearance in summer.

Bay de Verde soon became very important in the era of the English west country migratory fishery. The struggles between the English and French played an important role when French raiding parties destroyed the community and killed several inhabitants in 1696 and 1705.

The main source of livelihood for the community comes from the fishery. For generations the inshore cod fishery was the backbone of the community, although now there is a moratorium on that fishery to allow the stocks to recover. For now the crab fishery is the main source of income for the residents.

A major attraction is the bird sanctuary on Baccalieu Island. Many thousands of birds nest on the island and the sight is truly impressive. In the summer the visitor can go sailing and take a boat tour of the island and see the sights.

The combination of accessibility, history, and scenic beauty of the area makes Bay de Verde a community that would make a memorable stop during a vacation.