Thanks to a justifiably proud friend from Newfoundland for calling my attention to the latest issue (Nov.-Dec. 2010) of National Geographic Traveler magazine, which features a cover story rating 99 of the world’s best coastlines.  Coming in with the highest rating was that province’s magnificent Avalon Peninsula.  Having spent part of a wonderful family vacation there several years ago (about which I’ll write more in a later post), I can attest to that place’s beauty.   The article quotes Ross Klein, a professor at Memorial University in St. John’s, who sums up the Peninsula’s charms thus:  “Visiting the Avalon Peninsula, with its close-knit communities and strong local culture reflected in the music and arts, is like going back in time.  The unspoiled scenery ranges from stark moonscapes to crystal-clear lakes to open land where caribou roam.”

Of the 99 places rated, 18 made it into the highest category of “Top Rated,” and of those Canada claimed an impressive 4 spots, more than any other country.   Making that short list were the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, the south shore of Nova Scotia, and the coastal areas of Prince Edward Island.

(Not surprisingly, Canadian locations also received at least a few other mentions in the magazine’s most recent issue, including an interview about a trek down the monumental Mackenzie River and the Yukon River (p.24), a note on skating on Ottawa’s Rideau Canal (p.36), and an overview of new hotels in Toronto (p. 46).)

Link to feature and complete list on National Geographic Traveler:  http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/coastal-destinations-rated