Red Bay
Red Bay Basque Whaling Station UNESCO World Heritage Site / Red Bay National Historic Site (Parks Canada) · Red Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
Red Bay is a small fishing community on the southern Labrador coast, the Labrador Straits, and the site of the Red Bay Basque Whaling Station, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. Between about 1550 and 1600, Basque whalers from Spain and France worked here, boiling whale blubber into oil for European lamps in one of the first large industrial whaling operations. Archaeologists found remains on land and on Saddle Island, and the wreck of the San Juan, which sank in 1565, lies underwater in the harbour. A Parks Canada visitor centre tells the story, and a boat runs to Saddle Island in season (confirm). It suits history-minded travellers who have time and patience. Honest limits: it is remote, services are few, weather and ferry delays are common, and the season runs roughly June to September. Allow half a day at the site, longer with the coastal drive, and book rooms and the ferry well ahead.
Red Bay National Historic Site, Route 510, Red Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, A0K 4K0, Canada
The national historic site is open seasonally, roughly June to September, with the visitor centre on daytime hours and a shorter shoulder season; confirm exact dates and times with Parks Canada before you plan. The boat to Saddle Island runs in suitable weather and may stop in wind, fog or swell, so ask at the centre for the day's schedule. Outside the season the site is closed and roads can be difficult. The ferry from Saint Barbe, Newfoundland, to Blanc-Sablon, Quebec, also has a seasonal timetable of roughly 1.5 to 2 hours' crossing (confirm), followed by Route 510 to Red Bay. Allow slack for weather and ice delays and for time-zone changes between the island and the Labrador Straits.