Take a 20-minute ferry ride to Bell Island where you can tour the former submarine iron mines, the lighthouse perched on a cliff, and see large outdoor murals inspired by the island’s history.
The Killick Coast extends east from Paradise along the south shore of Conception Bay to Cape St. Francis, and ends just outside St. John’s. Travel to Portugal Cove via Route 50 or Route 40. From here, take a 20-minute ferry ride - passengers and a limited number of vehicles - to Bell Island where you can tour the former submarine iron mines, the lighthouse perched on a cliff, and see large outdoor murals inspired by the island’s history. The waters around this place are full of shipwrecks – diving tours will take you to the best spots.
From Portugal Cove, take Route 21 through Bauline to Pouch Cove (pronounced “pooch”) on Route 20. This is good berry picking country, especially on the gravel road to Cape St. Francis and along the Biscan Cove Path. This is part of the East Coast Trail network – as are many of the hikes on the Killick Coast.
View spectacular scenery along the coast.
The scenery along this coast is spectacular. Flatrock, Middle Cove, and Logy Bay are settled enclaves along a rugged shore, and around each bend in the road is another view of the coast that seems even better than the last.
Torbay is another rapidly growing town just outside St. John’s. Drive to the beach and take the Father Troy Trail along the shore, passing fields of farm animals and wildflowers. When it’s stormy, you can feel the power of the ocean pound against the rocks.
If you’d like to thru-hike the East Coast Trail, you can use a local hiking tour oeprator to arrange accommodation, transportation between trail heads, luggage transfer, and meals.
At Logy Bay, the Ocean Science Centre welcomes visitors to its seal tanks. Then it’s back to St. John’s just a few minutes away.
Road Trip Tips:
Please check exact directions and road conditions before you start each road trip. Visit www.511nl.ca for current road conditions.
This road trip includes a community(s) accessible by ferry. Please visit www.tw.gov.nl.ca/ferryservices/schedules for routes and rates. Some ferries do permit vehicles, with a set limit for vehicle capacity; other ferries are passengers only (no vehicles accepted) so plan accordingly.
Distances are estimates and for guidance only. Routes can be taken as is or in reverse order.
