Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
11 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
14 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
18 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
24 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Red Bay Red Bay, Labrador

Red Bay, Labrador

A forlorn fishing village on the coast of Labrador, full of shipwrecks and Spanish gold.

Red Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador

Added By
Sean Smyth
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Basque’s in Red Bay.   http://www.civilization.ca/virtual-museum-...
The Basque’s in Red Bay.   http://www.civilization.ca/virtual-museum-...
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Redbay00...
Inukshuks   tahasic / Atlas Obscura User
Shipwreck   tahasic / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Cloud Berries on Saddle Island   tahasic / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Labrador is a place to visit, but only if you like isolation and natural beauty. To get to Red Bay, one must travel up the western coast of Newfoundland, a pleasure in itself, and then travel by ferry to the Quebec/Labrador border.

Once there, an astounding drive through pine trees and jagged rocks will deposit you in a fog-shrouded village called Red Bay.

Red Bay in itself doesn't boast much, interesting box like houses, few roads, but the town's mystique comes from its natural beauty and its history. Red Bay is quite literally a sheltered bay, surrounded with rocks and hills. From the coast, icebergs dance by, and in the distance, the lucky can spot the flumes of whale pods. The town has an anachronistic feel to it, with an aura that has stood still for centuries.

It was in this natural bay that the Spanish sought shelter, between 400-500 years ago. The Basques, from Southern France and Northern Spain, sent whalers to this remote location hoping to catch the Right and the Bowhead whales. In 1565, a Spanish whaling ship sank off the coast of Red Bay. A further three "trans-oceanic" ships have been discovered off the coast of Red Bay, and a cemetery nearby holds the remains of 140 whalers. Oh, and don't forget Captain Kidd's treasure, buried somewhere near a "pond on a hill."

Related Tags

Cultures And Civilizations

Community Contributors

Added By

likethefox

Edited By

lampbane, Max Cortesi, xuxor, tahasic

  • lampbane
  • Max Cortesi
  • xuxor
  • tahasic

Published

February 27, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Red Bay, Labrador
Red Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, A0K 4K0
Canada
51.731944, -56.425556

Nearby Places

Cape Norman Lighthouse

Cook's Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

Album Rock

Raleigh, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

L'Anse Aux Meadows

Saint Lunaire-Griquet, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador

Canada

Places 31
Stories 12

Nearby Places

Cape Norman Lighthouse

Cook's Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

Album Rock

Raleigh, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

L'Anse Aux Meadows

Saint Lunaire-Griquet, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador

Canada

Places 31
Stories 12

Related Places

  • View from below.

    Urubamba, Peru

    Machu Colca

    This archaeological site features an early version of today’s refrigerators.

  • Hegra, Saudi Arabia

    Jabal Ithlib

    Carved into a towering rock mountain in Al Ula, this once served as a religious and political center in Hegra.

  • Sethi House Complex

    Peshawar, Pakistan

    Sethi House

    A rare instance of a historical Peshawari mansion restored and opened to the public.

  • Brun, Pakistan

    Kalasha Dur Museum

    The rich cultural heritage of the Kalasha people is on display in this state-of-the-art museum.

  • The park is home to six mounds, which served as burial mounds or temple/platform mounds that were used by the Santa Rosa-Swift Creek culture in pre-Columbian years.

    Crystal River, Florida

    Crystal River Archaeological State Park

    The mounds on this coastal archaeological site reveal the history of the land’s first inhabitants.

  • Globe, Arizona

    Besh-Ba-Gowah Archaeological Park and Museum

    The remains of a large pueblo village constructed by the Salado culture, who occupied the region more than 600 years ago.

  • Royal burial mound in Saar

    Buri, Bahrain

    Dilmun Burial Mounds

    These 4,000-year-old tombs form a surreal landscape.

  • Tableau depicting “The Legends of Dilmun”

    Manama, Bahrain

    The Legends of Dilmun

    Is this amazing tableau depicting Gilgamesh and Enki 4,000 years old?

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.