There are few things in this world quite like standing on a Twillingate headland watching a ten-storey tower of ancient glacier ice drift silently past. It’s the kind of moment that doesn’t fully register until you’re already back home trying to explain it to someone who wasn’t there.
But before we get into the best spots to find them, there’s one thing worth saying upfront: icebergs move. They drift with the currents, break apart, ground themselves in unexpected places, or float right past before you arrive. Nobody can guarantee where they’ll be on any given day.
What we can do is point you toward the spots that give you the best chance of a sighting, and share a few tools to help you track what’s out there before you head out.
How to Track Iceberg Sightings
Your best resource for real-time iceberg conditions is the community. Local NL resident Diane Davis runs a Facebook group dedicated to up-to-date iceberg sightings around Twillingate and Newfoundland. If a berg is visible from shore, chances are someone’s already posted about it there. Join the group here.
For a broader picture of what’s moving along the Newfoundland coast, the Iceberg Finder tracks reported sightings across the entire region and is worth checking in the days leading up to your visit.
And when in doubt? Ask someone. Stop in at the Visitors Information Centre in Twillingate. The guides there have their finger on the pulse of what’s happening out on the water and around the area and are happy to point you in the right direction.
Long Point Lighthouse
If there’s one place on Twillingate island that was made for iceberg watching, it’s Long Point Lighthouse. Perched more than 300 feet above sea level at Crow Head, the elevated headland gives you an unobstructed, panoramic view of the open Atlantic which is to say, a front-row seat to Iceberg Alley.
The walk up to the lighthouse is short and manageable, and the payoff is hard to overstate. There is also a viewing accessible from the parking that offers stunning ocean views as far as the eye can see. On a clear day in May or June, it’s not unusual to spot multiple bergs from the top. On a really good day, you’ll lose count.
It’s the kind of place you plan to spend an hour and end up staying for three. If you can swing it, the sunrise at Long Point is something special.
Spillers Cove
Another great spot to see the icebergs is Spillers Cove which is a part of the Rockcut Twillingate Trails system on South Twillingate Island, and it’s where the trail does the talking. The roughly 3-mile loop connects Spillers Cove with French Beach and takes most people between an hour and an hour and a half to complete.
The coastline here is rugged in the best possible way: sea stacks rising out of the Atlantic, jagged cliffs dropping into the water, and coves that feel like they belong to you alone. During iceberg season, bergs have been known to ground themselves right up against the cliffs below the trailside viewpoints, close enough to feel like they came to you.
There’s a beach along the route, accessible by staircase, where it’s worth spending a few minutes seeing what the surf has turned up. The trail is rated moderate, with some elevation gain and sections that can be muddy after rain, so sturdy footwear is a must.
Batrix Island
You’ll hear locals call it Batrix, Battrick’s, or Barrick’s it’s a perfect spot to see icebergs. The name has shifted over the years, but whatever you call it, the island is worth the trip.
The hike up the hill is the main event, rewarding those who make the climb with sweeping views out over Notre Dame Bay. It’s the kind of view that earns its keep: wide open water in every direction, and during iceberg season, a real chance of spotting one of those slow-moving giants drifting through the bay below. The final stretch to the top is steep and can have some loose gravel underfoot, so take your time and wear proper hiking boots.
Bring water, and leave yourself a little extra time to wander the beach before heading back.
It’s a quieter, more off-the-beaten-path option than Long Point and sometimes that’s exactly what you’re after.
The Best Iceberg Sighting is the One You Find Yourself
Twillingate’s icebergs don’t follow a schedule. That’s part of what makes them so extraordinary. The town’s position along Iceberg Alley means the odds are genuinely in your favour during May and June but the ocean has the final say.
Check Iceberg Finder, follow Diane Davis’s Facebook group, and don’t be shy about stopping into the Visitors Information Centre when you arrive. The locals here want you to find what you came for.
And if the bergs aren’t cooperating on your first day, stay another night, or two. They have a way of showing up when you least expect them!