The city of St. John’s, Newfoundland, greets visitors with a patchwork of bright row houses climbing steep hills above the harbour. Known as Jellybean Row, these painted homes reflect the cheerful spirit that defines the oldest city in North America. Whether it’s a brisk walk through downtown or a coffee overlooking the sea, St. John’s charms with its mix of history and hospitality.
On Water Street, boutique shops and pubs spill onto cobblestone sidewalks, where live folk music often drifts through open doors. Locals mingle easily with visitors, offering directions or recommending their favourite chowder spot. It’s a place where conversation comes as naturally as the salty breeze rolling in from the Atlantic.
Every corner of St. John’s feels connected to the ocean. From the harbourfront, you can watch fishing boats return with the morning catch or join a whale-watching tour that skims past towering cliffs. The city’s maritime rhythm is unhurried — everything seems to move at the pace of the tide.
Cafés play a central role in daily life here. Independent coffeehouses like The Battery Café and Fixed Coffee serve as informal meeting places for writers, musicians, and travellers. It’s common to find locals debating hockey scores at one table and poets scribbling at another. The blend of creative and coastal energy gives St. John’s its signature warmth.
Visitors are also drawn to the city’s historic sites. Signal Hill, where Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901, offers sweeping views over the harbour mouth. The hike to the top is short but steep, rewarding anyone willing to brave the wind with an unforgettable panorama of sea and sky.
Food in St. John’s tells its own story. From cod tongues fried crisp to hearty Jiggs’ dinner, traditional Newfoundland dishes are making a comeback with a modern twist. Restaurants like Raymonds and The Merchant Tavern combine regional ingredients with fine dining, earning the city praise as one of Canada’s rising culinary destinations.
Evenings here are best spent along George Street, famous for having more pubs per square metre than anywhere else in the country. Music spills from every doorway — a fiddle here, an acoustic guitar there — creating a soundtrack that captures Newfoundland’s deep musical heritage.
But it’s not all nightlife and noise. A short walk from the bustle, Quidi Vidi Village offers a quieter retreat. Its brewery, housed in an old fish plant, serves craft beer inspired by the North Atlantic. Visitors can sip a pint while watching waves lap against fishing stages painted in those same Jellybean colours.
St. John’s also embraces its weather with humour. Locals like to say if you don’t like the forecast, just wait five minutes. The fog may roll in without warning, but it only adds to the mystique — softening the skyline and giving every photograph a painterly touch.
For travellers seeking authenticity, St. John’s is less a destination than a conversation — one that unfolds over tea buns, sea breezes, and a neighbour’s wave. In a world rushing forward, this small city on the edge of the continent reminds you that connection and colour still matter most.