The Planet D: 15 of Nova Scotia’s Most Beautiful Places

Guest Writer: Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the founders of The Planet D, an award-winning travel blog they started the blog in 2007.  Since then, they have become experts in the travel space and were named one of the Top Travel Influencers by Forbes Magazine.

Nova Scotia is often considered the most beautiful province in Canada. With picturesque fishing villages, stunning coastal sea cliffs and rolling green hills, it’s no wonder it is at the top of everyone’s travel bucket list. As we start to dream of traveling again, we think it’s the perfect time for an east coast road trip, and the first place on our list is to explore more of Nova Scotia.

My husband Dave and I fell in love with Nova Scotia on our numerous visits and can say with confidence it is our favorite place to visit in Canada! The people are the friendliest in the country and Nova Scotians welcome visitors with open arms. To inspire your travels to the East Coast, we want to share what we think are the most beautiful places in Nova Scotia.

1. LUNENBURG

The town of Lunenburg on the province’s South Shore is the prettiest town in Canada. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lunenburg’s colourful houses create the most picture-perfect waterfront. And don’t just take our word for it – Lunenburg has won countless awards including the “Prettiest Painted Places in Canada” and the “Most Beautiful Small Town in Canada.” Lunenburg is located 1 hour and 10 minutes from Halifax, making it a popular day trip. But we suggest spending at least two days to really enjoy everything there is to offer.

2. BLUE ROCKS

Located just ten minutes from Lunenburg, Blue Rocks is a small fishing village that has one of the most picturesque settings in Nova Scotia. Arriving at sunrise to capture the blue slate rocks glistening in the morning sun is the quintessential Nova Scotia scene.

3. PEGGY’S COVE

Peggy’s Cove is Nova Scotia’s most iconic place to visit and with good reason! Sure, many fishing villages have lighthouses on their shore … but none are as striking as Peggy’s Cove. Standing proud on a massive mount of 400 million-year-old granite rock, Peggy’s Point Lighthouse stands head and shoulders above any other on earth. Peggy’s Cove is just 45 minutes from Halifax. We suggest staying overnight to experience this working fishing village at sunrise before the tour buses arrive.

4. CABOT TRAIL

The Cabot Trail is often ranked as one of the best scenic road trips in the world and if you ever get the chance to drive this 298 km (185 miles) coastal route, you’ll understand why. The road winds its way through the rolling hills of Cape Breton Island taking you through the dramatic scenery of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. With waterfall trails, long beaches and dramatic sea cliff views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Cabot Trail is truly one of the most beautiful places in Nova Scotia.

5. SKYLINE TRAIL

One of the best places to witness the beauty of the Cabot Trail is hiking the Skyline Trail. The 7.5 km (4.6 miles) round-trip hike is an easy walk along a boardwalk with viewing platforms set on a high plateau on French Mountain. Setting out two hours before sunset lets you take your time to explore the many viewpoints and to scout for the best seat in the house as the sun sets.

6. THE BAY OF FUNDY SHORE

The Bay of Fundy is home to the highest tides in the world with 100 billion tons of water rising and falling from 10 to 16 meters (35 – 52 feet) twice daily. There are many ways to experience the Bay of Fundy but camping on its shoreline is one of the most exciting things to do Nova Scotia. Sleeping on a secluded beach, while listening to the crash of waves and looking into the night sky is a dream trip you will never forget.

7. THREE SISTERS

The Three Sisters are tall, imposing spires reaching up from the Bay of Fundy. The best way to explore these beautiful formations is to take a kayaking tour to experience not only the beauty of the Three Sisters but to feel the power of the massive tides of the Bay of Fundy. We recommend taking a kayaking tour with NovaShores Adventures.

8. CAPE CHIGNECTO PROVINCIAL PARK

One of the most dramatic locations to view the 180-meter (590 feet) high sea cliffs along the Bay of Fundy is at Cape Chignecto Provincial Park. There are hiking trails above the cliffs where you can view the sea cliffs from one side and the Three Sisters from the other. This boardwalk offers one of the most breathtaking scenes in Nova Scotia. Cape Chignecto Provincial Park is located near Advocate Harbour.

9. BURNTCOAT HEAD PARK

Everyone wants to visit Nova Scotia to walk on the ocean floor of the Bay of Fundy and Burntcoat Head Park is the place to do it. While New Brunswick may have the more famous flower pot rocks, Burntcoat Head Park is just as beautiful. For three hours on either side of low tide, visitors are allowed to walk on the ocean floor to explore sea caves, islands and the cliffs along the coast. Burntcoat Head Park is a 1 hour and 15 minute drive north of Halifax making it an easy day trip.

10. EASTERN SHORE

There are plenty of places to kayak in Nova Scotia that showcase the beauty of the coast. From the Yarmouth to Cape Breton Island, the province is one of the premier places in Canada to paddle. Kayaking along the Eastern Shore with Coastal Adventures not only lets you see the shore from the water, but it also gives you the chance to get out of the kayaks to explore the rocky eastern shoreline of Tangier. What makes kayaking special in Nova Scotia is that the coastline changes dramatically depending on what part of the province you find yourself.

11. CRESCENT BEACH

Nova Scotia has some of the most scenic beaches in Canada. Really! Crescent Beach is a 2 km (1.2 miles) long sandy stretch of beach that you can drive on. The endless sand and turquoise waters make you often feel that you are in the Caribbean rather than the North Atlantic. But don’t worry, once you dip your toes in the water, it will instantly remind you that you are in Canada. If you want a refreshing dip in the sea, this is the place to do it. Crescent Beach is located 40 minutes south of Lunenburg and is a great stop when driving south from Lunenburg along the Lighthouse Route.

12. CAPE FORCHU LIGHTHOUSE

Peggy’s Cove may be the most famous lighthouse associated with Nova Scotia, but the Cape Forchu Lighthouse in Yarmouth is just as spectacular. While Peggy’s Cove is our favourite place for sunrises in Nova Scotia, Cape Forchu is our pick for sunsets. The Leif Erikson Park surrounds the lighthouse letting visitors view it from different perspectives. The park pays tribute to its Viking heritage where it is believed that Leif Erikson discovered the shores of Yarmouth in 1007. This setting is truly beautiful, where the rocky shoreline merges with long grasslands overlooking endless sea views.

13. UISGE BAN PROVINCIAL PARK

Nova Scotia is blessed with a remarkable amount of hiking trails. One of the prettiest we discovered was the Uisge Ban waterfall hike on Cape Breton Island, located just outside of Baddeck (which is home to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site). With a forest floor filled with tree roots and trees covered in moss, it’s one of the greenest places we discovered in Nova Scotia. The easy walk takes you out to a beautiful waterfall where you can soak your feet and relax under 16 meters (52 ft) tiered cascade.

14. INGONISH BEACH

Located in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Ingonish Beach is a great place to make a base while exploring the Cabot Trail. There are many things to do here with a championship golf course nearby, hiking trails and waterfalls. We enjoyed a lantern walk after dark to learn the history of the early settlers and to search for ghosts that haunt Ingonish Beach. Parks Canada leads these tours and if you book a stay in an o’TENTik, you can walk back to your accommodation immediately after the tour to tell ghost stories by the fire.

15. HALIFAX WATERFRONT

A Nova Scotia photo journey wouldn’t be complete without a stop on the picturesque Halifax Waterfront. Historic buildings line the 4 km (2.4 miles) waterfront from The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 to Casino Nova Scotia. Lined with shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs and museums, it is truly the heart of life in Halifax and one of the loveliest waterfronts in Canada. And these are the most beautiful places to visit in Nova Scotia that we’ve been to.

We know there are many more places in Nova Scotia to discover and we look forward to planning another trip to our favourite province in Canada very soon. For now, we will continue to dream of Nova Scotia through our memories and our thousands of photos!

*All photos by The Planet D

About our Guest Writer

Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil, also known as The Planet D, travel the globe showcasing their real-time journies and broadcasting their stories through award-winning travel writing, award-winning photography, and engaging social media offering advice, inspiration and valuable information regarding destinations around the world. Dave and Deb are well-known travel personalities both online and in mainstream media. They’ve been featured in major Canadian and international media outlets such as The Today Show, BBC World, CTV’s The Social and CanadaAM. Highlights of their online and traditional media features include Yahoo Travel, National Geographic, The Toronto Star, National Post, The Irish Times, and Radio 1 Ireland.