First settled in the early 16th century Quidi Vidi is appealing in winter, but it is in summer - when the air is warm and scented with the sharp tang of salt water, when small fishing boats bob in the Gut, when boats are overturned on a wooden wharf are draped with fishing nets, when seagulls swoop and soar from the high granite cliffs encircling the harbour - that tourists flock to the village. In summer, Quidi Vid is likely one of the most photographed places in all of Newfoundland. Nearby Quidi Vidi Lake is the site of the Royal St. John's Regatta, the oldest sports event in North America.