The BEST Things to Do on Bell Island

The BEST Things to Do on Bell Island when visiting Newfoundland and Labrador.

Bell Island is a small island located just off the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland. It’s approximately 34 square kilometres, with something to see on every corner. Unfortunately, the only way accessible to Bell Island is by ferry from Portugal Cove to Bell Island.

The ferry ride is approximately 20 minutes. You could quickly fill half or even a full day on Bell Island. The history of this small island will leave you amazed. Bell Island was once a booming mining town many years ago, and now it is one of the top tourist attractions in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Exploring Newfoundland, here is Everything You Need to Know About Traveling to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Are you planning on spending time in St John’s? Here is Everything you need to know about St John’s and the Avalon Region

This is our Bell Island Trip Update.

It was October 29 when we decided to take a trip over to explore the island of Bell Island. First, we drive to Portugal Cove-St Philips to catch the ferry. When we arrived, the ferry delivered passengers to the island, so we had to wait about 45 minutes for it to return to the dock in Portugal cove.

We purchase our tickets and join the line of cars and trucks waiting to board the ferry over. For this adventure, it was one adult and two kids, a 9-year-old and a 3-year-old. 

The kids were excited to take the ferry across to the island. However, when the ferry arrived at the docking station to offload the passenger it brought over from the voyage, we were surprised to see the front of the ferry lifting. The kids were in their car seats yelling look; it’s like a shark opening its mouth. 

We proceed slowly in line until we get to the service station and provide the service staff with our pass to board the ferry. We drove on board and were directed where to park. All vehicles must park close to each other to fit as many passengers and transportation as possible. 

The ride to Bell Island takes about 20 minutes. After we park our car, we exit and head up to the upper deck to explore and sit inside the lounge area. On board is a washroom and plenty of seating to accommodate passengers. We walk around the ship taking pictures and looking out at the ocean as we sail off to Bell Island.

When the ferry dock on Bell Island, we head down to the lower deck and get ready to disembark to begin our exploration. We slowly drive off and start our adventure. We drive up a steep hill to begin our quest around the island for about 20 minutes, checking out the scenery.

Our first stop was Clover Farm Grocery Store.

Clover Farm Grocery Store is one of the only grocery stores on the island. This is where all the resident gets their food and meats. They have a deli and carry many different products for your shopping needs. So if you are on the island and need to pick up a few items for your trip, you can shop here. Our next stop was #2 Mine and Museum.

Bell Island Community Museum/ Mine Tour

One of the most popular things for visitors to do while visiting Bell Island is doing a tour of the #2 Mine located at the Bell Island Community Museum. Address 13 Compressor Hill, Bell Island, NL A0A 1H and telephone number 709-488-2880. Above ground is the museum with many unique tools and different items on display.

Through the museum, you go below the entrance of the mine. A tour guide will take visitors and descend into the mines, where many things are left intact from as early as the mines started. The mine tour is a fantastic experience. It takes about an hour to complete, and remember to bring a sweater or a coat because deep down in the mine, it can get very cool and damp. Our next stop was The Rolling Pin Bakery and The Hangry Miner take-out restaurant.

Rolling Pin Bakery and The Hangry Miner take-out restaurant.

We heard of all the places to visit this is the best place to get baked goodies. This is true because we could smell all the baked goods as we pulled into the parking lot at the front of the store. We entered through the door to the right, and the kids were already asking for treats. One of the staff proceeded over to us and began explaining what they had in the store that the kids would enjoy.

You can purchase your baked treats and enjoy them at one of the two tables in the store. If you love home-baked goods, desserts, homemade bread and other deliciousness, this is the place for you. (Sorry, my mouth started watering, thinking about the homemade jam jams. YUM) If you are inclined to stop at this bakery, stock up on baked goods to take home with you.

Directly to your left after entering the bakery is the Hangry Miner take-out Restaurant; they have an extensive menu with Everything a traveller can expect and more after a few hours of exploring. No. 2 Sub Shack & Variety is another good place to visit if you want to buy snacks and get a sub. This store is located at W Mines Rd, Bell Island, NL A0A 4H0.

We drive around for a while to check out more of the island. We saw multiple sheep, cows and horses in the meadows grazing. Next, we go by Bell Island Wabana Town Hall to Lance Cove Beach and Seamans Memorial.

Lance Cove Beach and Seamans Memorial                                                                        

We drove down to Lance Cove Beach and Seamans Memorial. When we arrived, another visitor was observing the Seamans Memorial site and watching the ducks in the small pond adjacent to the Memorial site. We park and begin venturing around the rocky beach. There are picnic benches, boats and a gazebo on the beachfront to sit and look out at the ocean. You can see other small islands across the water. Walking back to our vehicle, we noticed a team of ducks gathering around as we got closer. We recognized they were being fed with bread by a visitor who arrived shortly after us. 

Time passes by fast when you are having fun. We spend 30 minutes here walking around on the rocky beach looking for rocks my kids think have iron. I ask why they feel all the stones have iron. “Remember, dad, Bell Island was a mining town where people looked for Iron” I laugh and continue with their adventure. We enjoyed our time here and headed to Bell Island Lighthouse and Light Keepers Café.

Bell Island Lighthouse and Lightkeeper’s Cafe

Make this little lighthouse a stop along your adventure on Bell Island. The scenic views of the ocean all around make this a perfect visit. Unfortunately, the lighthouse was closed when we got here, but we could capture pictures and walk around the grounds. This is a quiet café with delicious menu items to choose from. The Café is located at 15 Lighthouse Road, Bell Island, NL, next to the lighthouse, and the phone number is 709-488-3319. 

There is a lot of space inside and outside on the deck to relax and enjoy the view and fresh air on Bell Island. Next to the Café, there is an open meadow with picnic chairs. We headed toward the chairs and sat for a little while then the kids began to play the “tag you are it” game. We chase each other around for a while, then sit and have a snack and drink water.

Walking Trails

Do you want to travel to Bell Island on foot? There are many beautiful walking and hiking trails to explore leisurely. Beside the Café and Light House is a walking trail that will take you around the edge of Bell Island. Be sure to take some layers with you as you never know what Mother Nature has up her sleeve in the run of a day in Newfoundland.

There are so many other little shops and things to see, so be sure when you visit the island plan to take it all in and explore.

Dicks’ Fish N Chips 

Almost immediately after getting off the ferry, just before you begin driving up the hill to your right, you will see Dicks’ Fish N Chips. This is one of the most iconic places on Bell Island to have lunch or dinner. Many visitors to the island visit this restaurant to have a meal while they wait for the ferry to depart back to Portugal Cove-St Philips.

If you are looking for an excellent traditional meal of fish and chips, look no further. This is a special place for visitors, locals of Bell Island, and even locals from the Avalon Peninsula who make the trip to Bell Island to eat at this restaurant. There are many other items on the menu, so there’s always something for everyone.