Battle Harbour
Back to Atlantic Canada
Battle Harbour, a Trip Back in Time2 nightsPrice from £572 per person
Price includes: Accommodation for 2 nights at Battle Harbour Inn or Merchants Building. Boat transfer to/from Battle Harbour. Site Admission and guided walking tour. Full board starting with lunch on Day 1 and ending with breakfast on day of departure. All provincial taxes. Price based on 2 people sharing.
Battle Harbour is a restored, 19th-century fishing village on a small island in the Labrador Sea. Regarded by generations as the unofficial capital of Labrador, it was once the salt fish capital of the world. Battle Harbour is one of the only places on earth where distance from the modern world can be measured in both miles and years. Journey by boat to a place without power lines or cell towers, without cars or paved roads, you can walk footpaths worn by fishermen and merchants centuries ago.
Sleep in one of the island's centuries-old houses that have been restored to their original state. This is one of the few National Historic Districts where you can spend the night. And without the barrage of modern distractions, you are able to find the time and space needed for spiritual connection and reawakening.
In addition to its heritage, the rugged beauty of Battle Harbour offers an exotic backdrop for explorers. View dramatic ocean vistas, icebergs, and whales all within arm’s reach. Hiking the island reveals its Arctic vegetation and rock formations. In a place without street lights, the night is full of bright, gigantic stars occasionally joined by the northern lights. This small, isolated outport is truly a restorative and inspiring destination.
Day 1 - Battle Harbour
Arriving at the Visitor’s Centre in Mary’s Harbour at 10:30, depart at 11:00 for a scenic boat tour and marvel at the rugged south Labrador coastline before putting ashore in Battle Harbour. The ferry to Battle Harbour is a small boat that can take around 30 people, and takes about an hour from Mary’s Harbour. It’s a beautiful ride, weaving through tickles and islands as you make your way to this special corner of the Atlantic. Keep an eye out for playful seals, jumping fish, icebergs and even whale tails on the journey, since these are just the kind of calm waters and inlets they love to make themselves at home in.
Approaching Battle Harbour feels like you’re being transported back to another place and time. Cottages of all shapes and colours are scattered on the sloping inlet in no particular order, and the protective hill over the harbour beckons brightly over the settlement. Despite the large impact it has on all who visit, Battle Harbour itself is quite small: it’s only one kilometre long, and half a kilometre wide.
After arriving on the island, take a first walk around the harbour - a living museum that resonates with a long and vibrant local history in the design of its buildings and waterfront. The local villagers who call the island home are often known to welcome guests to their village and perhaps share a little local lore. After checking in, take some time to further explore the village, or walk the one of the local trails that delve into the stunning landscape of the island.
You can also take a boat across to neighbouring Caribou Island, which is a larger island and home to an equal amount of abandoned and thriving fishing cottages, as well as larger hiking paths. Lunch and dinner are included.
Overnight at Battle Harbour two nights
Day 3 - Depart
Take the return ferry to Mary's Harbour.
