The Canadian Maritimes is a wild, vast, and stunningly beautiful part of Canada. The Maritime provinces of Canada are made up of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, all sitting on the Atlantic coast. Although not including Newfoundland. If you want wide open spaces, solitude, hiking opportunities, wild coastlines, and amazing maritime history, then the Canadian Maritimes are for you.
Highlights of the Canadian Maritimes
Halifax
Starting on the Nova Scotia side, Halifax is the ‘big city’ of the Canadian Maritimes. Well, it’s big enough to have an international airport, and universities… and taxis! The waterfront in Halifax comes alive in summer – lots of restaurants spilling out onto the boardwalk, serving lobster rolls and fish and chips.
Take a tour of the harbour on either a replica tall-ship, or the Harbour Hopper (an amphibious vehicle) – the view back towards the city is striking. There is a busking festival along the waterfront in August every year, which is very fun to attend.
Another great Canadian skyline can be found in Vancouver
The Lighthouse Route
The South Shore of Nova Scotia is called the Lighthouse Route, and driving this road is a delight. From Halifax to Wolfville – the coastline is dotted with cute wooden churches, historic lighthouses and great views. The maritime history in the area is rich and often tragic – from storms and shipwrecks to pirates! Like stepping back in time, the Lighthouse Route will show you the charm and pioneering spirit of the early settlers in the area.
Peggy’s Cove
The first picturesque stop is Peggy’s Cove – a little fishing village with an iconic lighthouse. Legend has it that this cove was named after the lone survivor of a shipwreck who miraculously survived and washed ashore here. Stop in Peggy’s Cove for a coffee and some local arts and crafts, and a lobster roll – straight off the boat!
Lunenburg
Along the Lighthouse Route are the towns of Chester, Mahone Bay, and Lunenburg. Lunenburg is an absolute picture postcard of a place – and has actually been the backdrop for a number of film and TV shows – such as the sci-fi series ‘Haven’.
The replica tall ship Bluenose II is based out of Lunenburg, and the town prides itself on the conservation of its buildings and history. The majestic Lunenburg Academy sits atop a hill and presides over the town. This stunning building was finished in 1895, and is the only surviving 19th century building in Nova Scotia.
There are some great things to do in Lunenburg, don’t miss:
- Learn about the local fishing history at the Fisherman’s Museum of the Atlantic and the Fishermen’s Memorial
- Sample some liquors at Ironworks Distillery
- Enjoy the art galleries – this incredible coastline attracts artists by the dozen, and little galleries are dotted along the Lighthouse Route. Buy an artwork to take home as a souvenir of your time on Nova Scotia’s south coast.
Bay of Fundy
Head now across the Bay of Fundy to Saint John, New Brunswick (you can catch a car ferry). Discover the delights of this funky city. The Reversing Falls are the famous attraction here, where the Saint John River and the Bay of Fundy meet. During high tide, the direction of the river is reversed for a period, causing eddies and whirlpools.
Check out the Saint John Ale House for awesome food and beer; and Backstreet Records for music and vinyl!
Fundy National Park & CAPE ENRAGE
Another way to get across to New Brunswick is to drive back via Moncton and then along the Bay of Fundy. It has some of the biggest tides in the world. A drive out to Cape Enrage is a wild and wonderful experience – not once in all the times I have visited have I seen the Cape Enrage lighthouse. It always seems to be shrouded in fog!
Fundy National Park is a gem in the area. An area of incredible natural beauty, this National Park has hiking trails of various difficulty levels, a campsite, and a peaceful pebble beach. People have started a tradition of building Inukshuks down on the beach, which makes for a unique beach visit. Inukshuks are man-made stone piles or cairns, and are an ancient Inuit tool used for navigation and communication. The stones along the bay of Fundy are perfect for creating these symbols, therefore they spring up all along this coastline.
While you are in New Brunswick, you should visit Joggins Fossil Cliffs to learn about the geology of the area!
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is a surprising town. You will be delighted by the gamut of cultural activities on offer. In summer, night markets with food trucks and performances liven the town. There are museums, fantastic food options, and it is a haven for tech start-ups. There is even a William Morris window in the Wilmot United Church in the centre of town. Fredericton packs a punch for such a small off-track city.
Don’t miss a wander over the Saint John River on the old railway bridge. Enjoy a brewery on the other side of the river to refresh yourself. If you fancy an excursion, take a drive up river to see the huge axe! You’ll be singing ‘I’m a lumberjack’ for days.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is probably most famous for being the setting for the book ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by L.M. Montgomery. You can visit the green gabled farmhouse in Cavendish.
Prince Edward Island is also famous for growing potatoes; and the 12.9km Confederation Bridge that spans the Northumberland Straight from the mainland. But PEI is so much more than that – artisan galleries, boutique restaurants, immaculate beaches, and some epic summer festivals make this little island well worth a visit.
Read more about how to spend a weekend on PEI.
Masstown Market
When driving from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick or vice versa, along the Trans-Canada Highway, stop at the Masstown Market. A deli, restaurant, grocery store and gift shop all in one. With delicious slaws, breads, big sandwiches and great ice-creams and milkshakes – this place is great for picking up a picnic or snack for the road. Seriously, it’s one of the best road-trip stops in the Canadian Maritimes. I even found chocolate from my home country of New Zealand here!
I’d love to be able to write about Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, but I have only spent a 5 days there so far. So I will leave this off for now, and will write more soon!
If you are visiting the Ontario area, then a tour of the Thousand Islands is a great way to enjoy the Canadian landscapes.
Visiting the Canadian Maritimes
I always tell people that the sky is bigger in Canada, and the Canadian Maritimes really make that feel like the truth. Huge highways, large stretches of forest, and endless sky create a feeling of space. The cities and towns offer great restaurants, fascinating museums, and interesting landmarks. The Canadian Maritimes have the best of both worlds, and therefore should definitely be on your Canadian travel radar. If you are a nature or history lover, then the Canadian Maritimes is definitely a destination you should consider.
Planning a trip to Canada? Don’t miss Vancouver, the Icefields Parkway, Banff and Jasper!
All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Fuji Finepix; and an iPhoneX.
We just had a brief sample of Canada last Fall and fell in love with it. Yet we never really thought of exploring the maritimes before to read your article! Prince Edward Island sounds especially lovely. Music festival, good food, gorgeous beaches? We’re definitely in!
Can’t wait to get back to Canada this summer (my 3rd visit) but still to get to new brunswick and nova scotia (and of course pei – cant forget that place). he he. Would love to check out the lighthouse route. got a thing for photographing lighthouses. they is something about them but cant put my finger on it.
The Canadian Maritimes is everything I imagine in Canada and more. I’d love to visit prince edward island because of course I remember Anne of Green Gables – but I’d genuinely love to go to some of the other areas. The big skies do sound special and I’ve already heard good things about Peggy’s Cove and some of the food from there. But I’d never heard of Mass Town Market and the eateries there, so more for me to check out
Good description of prince Edward island. I would definitely want to visit it. And that should be during some festival time. Sad to know about Jessie James.
Driving the lighthouse route sounds like the thing i’d pick to do. i actually didn’t know the area thats referred to as maritimes in canada, so this was an interesting and informative read for me. i’d also love to explore prince edward island and fundy.
My heart jumped at the sound of pine trees <3 being a sailors daughter, this write up got me hooked. From the harbour stories to the tall replica of the ship to the lighthouse route! Peggy’s cove certainly looks so cute with all the boats and the lighthouse! Loved the buildings of Lunenburg. Thanks for the heat up for the Mass Town Market. Sounds utterly delicious! A beautiful trip along the coastline indeed!
Never been to Canada but maritimes looks interesting. Will keep this in mind when I go there.
Have heard of Halifax a lot and exploring Halifax waterfront would really be nice. It reminds me of Mauritius which has similar waterfront with lots of restaurants and it’s lovely to be there during evenings.
Canada is on my top of list to visit but I don’t want to go there only for one or two weeks, I would love to be there at least for a month. And I take your advice. the Eastern Seaboard is for me, I love hiking, wildlife and spending time in the nature
Harbour hopper is a boat jeep? that’s super cute! i haven’t been to canada but of course i really love to go! met some canadians are they’re so cool! as cool as their country! also, that trans canada high way, 2 hours road trip and pine trees? That’s sounds good to me! I’ve heard that canada is such a green country! We also have pine trees in the Philippines but I think This one at trans highway has much much more! the horse photo is lovely!
Unfortunately, I have never been to Canada but the Maritimes looks my kind of place. My friend was recently there and he spoke so much about the place, expecially Halifax. I would really love to explore it.