THE COAST OF BAYS.
Day 107 – It was 58 degrees again this morning, but it was cloudy and foggy. By the time we were ready to leave for our final exploratory drive on the Connaigre Peninsula, the fog had lifted and the sun was coming out. Another beautiful day!
Today we drove the other roads north of Harbour Breton on Route 360, and traveled south and east. The roads we turned off on were Route 362/363, and the several small roads that branch off them. The 2023 Traveller’s Guide says of this route: “Routes 362 and 363 can take you deeper into the Coast of Bays. Here you’ll find deep fjords and ocean vistas. At several of the small communities – St. Jacques, English Harbour West, Mose Ambrose, Boxey Harbour, Coomb’s Cove, and Wreck Cove – take in the views and beachcomb the area’s many beaches. Enjoy the unsurpassed beauty of the surrounding hills. Pool’s Cove off Route 362-10 marks the entrance to the Bay du Nord River, a designated Canadian Heritage River. For a dose of history, visit the John Cluett Heritage House in Belleoram, which dates from 1844 and houses many historical artifacts from that period.”
First we drove to Pool’s Cove, a village smaller than yesterday’s Hermitage, that also has a ferry terminal. This ferry travels to Rencontre East, the charming village without road access, and the ferry terminates at Bay L’Argent on the Burin Peninsula. (We visited Bay L’Argent recently when we were camping at Frenchman’s Cove.) This is another ferry that takes only passengers & freight. Pool’s Cove was a pretty place, as was EVERY place we visited today.
We then continued southeast through some outstanding scenery, and turned off on the next small road to the towns of St. Jacques and Belleoram. We really liked St. Jacques. And when we stopped at the town wharf to take some pictures, a nice couple in a pickup truck wanted to chat. They were Newfoundlanders and had just returned from a boat trip (on their own boat) to a local island where they stopped to have their morning coffee on board by the island. They were from St. John’s, the big city, and they also own a home in St. Jacques which they visit every summer. They asked where we were from, and Rob said, New York, and they assumed New York City (everyone does – NYS is so much more than just NYC, we always think but don’t say out loud). Wow, we were really far from home, where were we headed, where had we been, where were we going next, how long had we been in Newfoundland, how long are we staying – the standard questions. They pointed out their house nearby on a hill overlooking a great view of the harbor and the ocean beyond. They said, pointing to their house, “Stop by anytime for coffee or tea, or more importantly, to use the bathroom. There’s absolutely nowhere around to have a bite to eat or use the facilities.” We thanked them and they drove off, presumably to the house on the hill.
We continued on the same road to Belleoram. This was a larger, older village (larger being more than about 100 people), LOL. Their port and town wharf were large and a fishing boat was just coming in. Some of the roads through the village were so narrow that only one vehicle could travel on them at a time, yet they weren’t marked as one way streets. We looked for a sign pointing us to the advertised-in-the-guidebook ‘1844 John Cluett Heritage House’, but there were no signs so we assumed the home was no longer available for tours. Normally the tourist attractions are well advertised with directions and signage.
Back to the 362 and it became Route 363 and traveled west to the end of the road. We checked out English Harbour West, followed immediately by the tiny Mose Ambrose. Beautiful villages on Fortune Bay with views of islands.
Next was Boxey, a gorgeous and charming village that we loved, and we stopped to eat our sandwiches by the breakwater. Boxey was followed by St. John’s Bay. St. John’s Bay is on the map and there was a small sign for it, but we only saw one large building – a home and big greenhouse overlooking the harbor – and inland, a couple of old buildings and some machinery. So, we have no pictures or memory of an official village of St. John’s Bay.
Leaving Boxey and the missing village of St. John’s Bay behind, we thought it really couldn’t get much prettier. We were wrong. We turned off on a short road to the remote village of Wreck Cove. Nestled off the open ocean near the end of Great Bay de l’Eau, Wreck Cove was just lovely. It was very quiet, even at the town wharf near where three piers with boat tie-ups were close by, it was like something out of a painting. Immaculate cottages, many of them older with manicured lawns and lots of flowers, sat perched by a small road that traveled along both sides of a beautiful cove. The cove was surrounded by tall hills, bigger than the others we’d passed so many times. Islands in the distance, some covered by grasses, others rocky, graced the entrance of the cove. Just outstanding.
And could it get better or equal this? The last village on the road was Coomb’s Cove. Between Coomb’s and Wreck Coves, I don’t think we could make a choice as to which was prettier. This is absolutely one of the most beautiful areas we’ve been to date. And we haven’t gotten to Gros Morne National Park yet!
The guidebook was right, we went deeper into the Coast of Bays and it was an incredible drive. Back at the RV around 4:30 p.m., we sat out in the tent – in awe. Yes, we made these drives in 2019, and yes, they were beautiful then. And yes, we’d make these drives again. Tomorrow we leave the southern peninsulas of Newfoundland. We’ll be heading north and we’re looking forward to a week in La Scie, another of our favorite places. But first, since it’s a long haul, we have a one-night stopover in Bishop’s Falls tomorrow night.
For more detailed information about Deadman’s Cove Town Park, Harbour Breton, NL, click here.