Atlantic Provinces Mini Guide

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When to Travel to the Atlantic Provinces:
Best: May-Sept.
Worst: Oct-March.

Where to go in Canada's Atlantic Provinces:
Nova Scotia:
Halifax, Canada's largest eastern port is an affluent, yet restrained city featuring many fine old buildings - including a 250 year old fortress - and plenty of history.
Peggy's Cove, 43km south of Halifax, is a well-preserved and delightfully rustic 19thC fishing village of brightly coloured houses set in a rocky panorama - though getting somewhat touristy.

Halifax and its citadel, Nova Scotia.

Newfoundland island [image top left]:
A dramatically tough, mountainous environment, good for hiking, fishing [salmon] and bird watching, and not particularly cold - temperatures don't go much below freezing in winter on the island, though icebergs often drift by the north coast.
Newfoundland's west coast hosts large numbers of black bear, moose and caribou.
Gros Morne National Park is hard work but famously monumental, with glorious peaks and fjords.
Cape Spear National Park - North America's most eastern point - has excellent walks and whale viewing spots. It's closed Oct-May.
Bird Island, accessible by land in spite of its name, has immense colonies of easily visible birds - July's nesting season is the best time to visit.
Newfoundland's mainland section, Labrador, is much colder and very difficult to get around.

Biking around Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island [picture above and top right] has some great beaches and quaintly rustic fishing villages where seafood is always on the menu.

Canada's Atlantic Provinces are a step back in time, offering charming little rustic fishing villages, dramatic coastal views, empty beaches, great rugged hiking and superb seafood when you stagger back to base.

Atlantic Provinces Festivals:
One week in early August, Caraquet's Acadian Festival, north New Brunswick, celebrates the east coast Acadian culture with music, dance, theatre, French cuisine, races and general rowdiness.

Trinity Bay iceberg, Newfoundland

Nova Scotia Activities:
Golf: several 18 hole courses near Halifax.
Fishing: trout and salmon in Dartmouth lakes or for the real thing travel along Marine Drive 125 miles east.
Canoeing/kayaking: and some other watersports, Kejiumkujik National Park.
Surfing: the Atlantic coast at Ingonish Beach.
Beaches: Melmerby and Caribou, near New Glasgow, are warmest.
Hiking: Cape Breton's Highlands National Park has the popular and scenically magnificent 185 mile Cabot Trail.

Not too much traffic on this classic Canadian road.

Newfoundland Activities:
Hiking: tough but superb views.
Wildlife spotting: including whales, birds, bears, moose and caribou.

New Brunswick Activities:
Beaches: no shortage of the white stuff.
Hiking and biking: not too strenuous.

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