Active Pursuits

Pippy Park (tel. 709/737-3655) is on the city's hilly western side adjacent to the university and contains 1,340 hectares (3,311 acres) of developed recreation land and quiet trails. You should definitely visit if you're coming with kids. This popular park is home to the city campground and The Fluvarium , as well as miniature golf and regulation-size golf courses, picnic sites, playgrounds, hiking trails, and more.

For bike rentals, head downtown to Canary Cycles at 294 Water St. (tel. 877/4CANARY or 709/579-5972; www.canary-cycles.com). It offers several different types of bikes, with rates around C$30 (US$27/£15) per day (C$5/US$4.50/£2.50 extra for locks and helmets), as well as new and used bike sales and a repair service.

The Grand Concourse (tel. 709/737-1077) is an ambitious project to link much of St. John's with pedestrian pathways. More than 120km (75 miles) have been completed to date, with more walkways being developed all the time; two of the most inviting segments are the loop around Quidi Vidi Lake and the Rennie's River Trail running between Pippy Park and Quidi Vidi Lake. Bikes are not permitted on the trails, however. Ask at the tourist information center for trail status and map availability.

Charging Up to the Battery -- When in St. John's, one highly recommendable hike (but only if you are not afraid of heights) is the North Head Trail, which runs from Signal Hill to an improbable cluster of small buildings between the rock face and the water called The Battery. Don't tackle this unless you are reasonably fit; it's no easy stroll.

Here's how to get there: On foot, follow Duckworth Street between the Hotel Newfoundland and Devon House, then bear right onto Battery Road. Stay on the main branch (a few smaller branches may confuse you) as the pathway narrows, rises, and falls while skirting a rock face. First you reach the so-called Outer Battery. The former fishermen's homes here are literally inches from the road -- and not much farther from the water -- and most have drop-dead views of the Narrows and the city skyline. There's a whimsical, storybook character to this place, and this real estate is now much-sought-after by city residents.

At the end of the Battery, you'll cross someone's front porch (it's okay), and it's here that the North Head Trail begins in earnest. It runs along the Narrows, past old gun emplacements, up and down heroic sets of steps, and along some narrow ledges (chains are bolted to the rocks as handrails for a little extra security in one place). The trail ascends an open headland before looping back and starting a final climb up Signal Hill. After some time exploring and soaking up the view, you can save time on the return by walking a paved road back downhill to Duckworth Street where you began.

Allow about 2 hours total, assuming a departure and return from the vicinity of the Hotel Newfoundland.