Area 1 - Route 1 (TCH) to Route 201 Chapel Arm – Chance Cove

Traveling west from St. John's, turn right onto Route 201 at Chapel Arm, located at the beginning of the isthmus (a narrow neck of land connecting the Avalon Peninsula to the rest of insular Newfoundland). Wind through Route 201, overlooking magnificent ocean vistas of rocky islands, crashing waves, seabirds such as ospreys, shags (cormorants), bald eagles and, often, whales and icebergs in season.

Visit Norman's Cove – Long Cove where fishing has been a mainstay for years. See the boats tied up at the wharf in Long Cove. Hike one of the trails nearby to get panoramic views of the bay and surrounding hills. The Pumbly Cove trail begins at Long Rocks Road, follows the coastline, and loops to the old Pumbly Cove Municipal Park. Visitors can also hike the Lookout Trail, beginning behind the local Elementary School and taking you to the top of the “lookout.” The view from atop is breathtaking. The Seaview Trail runs from the United and Anglican Cemeteries on Chapel Head to the cliffs at its outermost point. This trail features a patio, picnic tables and stairs at the top of Chapel Head where visitors will see the bottom of Trinity Bay and eastward across the arm. In the Spring and Fall, the humpback and pothead whales come to feed on the large schools of caplin.

Continue on to Thornlea and Bellevue Beach Park which has been a popular destination for locals and tourists for many years, offering a large beach perfect for picnicking, sightseeing and exploring. The Park has a 2-km sandy beach. Bellevue Beach is also an excellent place to see bald eagles, sea gulls, sterns and especially ospreys.

Chance Cove has been a fishing community for years. There are actually two coves – Big (Great) Chance Cove and Little (Lower) Chance Cove, both offering great possibilities for exploring. The area offers many places to explore with great hiking opportunities, especially in the Doe Hills. The Doe Hills offer panoramic views of Trinity and Placentia Bays amidst the stark beauty of a treeless landscape and erratic boulders shaped by glaciers in the last ice age. These can easily be seen as you drive along the TCH in this area. Route 201 loops back to the TCH at Chance Cove, Bellevue and Chapel Arm.