Stay on Nova Scotia's South Shore

Lunenburg's Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 as the best-surviving example of planned British colonial settlement in North America. Over 400 heritage buildings line its steep streets, many dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic on the waterfront tells the story of Nova Scotia's fishing heritage through real vessels, including the Theresa E. Connor — Canada's oldest saltbank schooner. When the Bluenose II is in port, you can book a two-hour sailing cruise through the harbour.

Mahone Bay's three churches — St. James' Anglican, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran, and Trinity United — are among the most photographed landmarks in Atlantic Canada. The town's main street is home to artisan shops like Amos Pewter, where craftspeople hand-pour pewter jewellery and ornaments, and Northern Sun Gallery for locally made pottery and gifts. Chester, 20 minutes north, is a sailing village where the Chester Yacht Club has hosted regattas since 1856. The Chester Playhouse runs live theatre, concerts, and film screenings year-round.

The LaHave Bakery has been baking everything from scratch since 1985, using honey instead of sugar in their bread and serving wood-fired pizza along the banks of the LaHave River. It's a pilgrimage-worthy stop that locals and visitors alike plan their drives around. In Lunenburg, the Salt Shaker Deli overlooks the harbour and serves seafood chowder, lobster rolls, and hand-rolled pizzas made with locally sourced ingredients — it was featured on the Food Network's You Gotta Eat Here!

The South Shore Fish Shack in Lunenburg offers fresh-off-the-boat fish and chips right on the waterfront. For something different, Ironworks Distillery in Lunenburg crafts small-batch spirits including their award-winning apple brandy and rum. The Savvy Sailor in Chester and the Kiwi Café in Mahone Bay round out the dining scene with local seafood and farm-to-table fare. Most restaurants on the South Shore source directly from local fishers and farmers — the lobster on your plate was likely pulled from the water that morning.

Hirtle's Beach is a 2.6-km sweep of sand and cobble just 25 minutes south of Lunenburg. It's the starting point for the Gaff Point Trail, a 6.5-km loop that follows rugged Atlantic coastline through spruce forest and along dramatic headlands — plan for low tide so you can walk the sand rather than loose rock to reach the trailhead. Risser's Beach Provincial Park, 24 km south of Bridgewater, has a 1.5-km sheltered sandy beach with supervised swimming in July and August, plus a boardwalk through an inland marsh popular with birders.

Crescent Beach in Lockeport is a stunning 2-km crescent of white sand that actually forms a causeway connecting Georges Island to the mainland — the constant wind makes it a favourite for kite flying. Further south, Kejimkujik National Park Seaside is a wild, isolated 22-km² stretch of coastline with two hiking trails: the Harbour Rocks Trail (2.6 km one way) and the Port Joli Head Trail (4.75 km one way), both leading to empty beaches where you may spot harbour seals and endangered piping plovers.

Pleasant Paddling, based in Blue Rocks just 10 minutes from Lunenburg, runs guided kayak tours through dozens of uninhabited islands where grey and harbour seals haul out on the rocks and seabirds nest in the spruce. The paddling is sheltered and calm, suitable for beginners, and the scenery is some of the best sea kayaking in the Maritimes. East Coast Outfitters near Peggy's Cove offers additional kayak tours, lessons, and rentals along the coast between Halifax and the South Shore.

The Tancook Island ferry departs from Chester's government wharf and makes the 50-minute crossing to Big Tancook Island four times daily on weekdays and twice on weekends. It's a walk-on-only ferry — no cars — and the island is home to about 200 residents, gravel roads, and a peaceful loop walk around the shore. For sailing, Chester Race Week in mid-August draws over 1,300 sailors and 130 boats to race on five courses across Mahone Bay. Whale watching tours depart from nearby harbours between June and October, with minke, pilot, and humpback whales regularly spotted off the South Shore coast.