A Weekend in Conception Bay, Newfoundland

As we weave through the small villages that dot the shore of Conception Bay, about 15 kilometres west of St. John’s, it’s as if we’ve suddenly been transported onto a tropical island. That’s how deep green the ocean is. We secretly develop a theory that it was the colour of the water that drew the Portuguese to this place in the early 16th century, when they established the fishing post on the bay that is today Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s. Even after we’ve reached our own port of call, we remain awestruck – while our destination isn’t exactly tropical, it’s definitely exotic.

The Bay Roberts Cable Building stands out with its square frame and red and white facade. Once a transatlantic telegraph relay station, nowadays it’s most notably home to the Christopher Pratt Art Gallery, named after the painter famous for his Newfoundland and Labrador landscapes. In addition to housing a collection of Pratt’s early paintings, the museum shows works by many other Newfoundland artists, including Jamie Lewis. We were struck by his black and white photos of workers in today’s struggling fishing industry. 

Within minutes of checking in at the Beach House, the hotel feels like our very own lakeside cottage. Channelling Bette Midler in Beaches, we run around opening all the doors and windows in our room, which comes complete with an immense private patio. After getting our fill of the view over the bay, it’s time to head down to the hotel restaurant, Atlantica, where chef Stephen Vardy wows us with a seven-course tasting menu. Among the highlights are a delectable salmon tartare with shallots and lemon, and sautéed cod, so fresh it’s practically still flipping, served with spinach and lentils. No wonder enRoute crowned this place Canada’s best new restaurant in 2007.

“It’s a shame the sun’s not out; I could have used it to situate you,” our guide Karen Cole says as she tries to direct us to our meeting point by phone. We’re lost, but we finally make it. When we do, Cole leads us to the Bay Roberts Shoreline Heritage Walk, a coastal path that snakes along towering cliffs that induce vertigo in us poor urbanites. Thankfully, Madrock Café & Crafts awaits us at the end of the trail, and the special of the day – two fish cakes, baked beans and a touton (fried bread soaked in molasses) – makes sure we stay grounded. 

The picturesque Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s shoreline, with its patchwork quilt of colourful houses, is best admired from the ferry to Bell Island. Essentially a rock that rises out of Conception Bay, Bell Island is home to a quiet village that’s a joy to drive through with windows down, sea air whooshing through your hair, as you admire the enormous murals depicting local maritime history painted on various buildings. Before ferrying back, make sure to stop by Dicks’s Fish and Chips, a rustic eatery founded in 1950 that claims (rightly) to have the area’s best fish ’n’ chips.

Photos: Noah Witenoff (Bay Roberts Shoreline Heritage Walk, Bell Island Ferry); Mike Mahoney (The Beach House, Atlantica).