 | There are three gateways to the Bonavista Peninsula: the west entrance from the #1 Trans-Canada Highway onto Route 233 at Port Blandford; the central entrance near Thorburn Lake; and the east entrance onto Route 230 at Clarenville. "Bonavista" reminds people of John Cabot, a Genovese adventurer born as Giovanni Caboto who (just five years after Columbus landed in the Caribbean) investigated what lay in the northern section of the western Atlantic. He found lots and lots of fish, and began to scoop them up, dry them and ship them to Europe. There is also the legend of Saint Brendan, who supposedly sailed west even before the Vikings. The peninsula has successful farms around Lethbridge and Musgravetown, which grow fresh vegetables. There's also good salmon fishing on the Middle Brook and Gambo rivers offer, with recreation fishing should try the Terra Nova and North West rivers. This peninsula has lots of historic buildings: the Mockbeggar Property provincial historic site; the Ryan Premises, which tells the story of the 500-year-old east coast fishery through interactive exhibits, an aquarium, and artifacts, and also houses the Bonavista Community Museum. At Sweetland's Bank, see an almost full-scale model of John Cabot's ship "Matthew", built with late 15th-century vessel construction techniques. In the Methodist Cemetery you'll find some of the oldest gravestones in the province. Yo can also see the Cape Bonavista, lighthouse and The Dungeon.
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