Come to St. John's, Newfoundland for the whales, puffins and icebergs. Stay for the rollicking Irish pubs, delectable cod tongues, toe-tapping Celtic tunes and funky craft shops. The capital of Canada's Newfoundland and Labrador province, St. John's is a quirky kind of place, in a friendly, lovable way. 

St. John's claims North America's easternmost seaport and the closest one to Europe, so it's little wonder it claims to be the continent's oldest city. Beginning in the mid-1500s, Europeans regularly sailed across the pond to Newfoundland during the summer to exploit its fish-rich waters, while returning to their families and creature comforts for the winter. By the early 1800s, Irish and English immigrants were encouraged to settle in year-round. Some chose St. John's as a base, thus giving the city its decidedly Anglo spirit.