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Nova Scotia

Maritime province with rugged coastlines

  • 6 destinations
  • 33 attractions

About Nova Scotia

Known as 'Canada's Ocean Playground', Nova Scotia offers a unique blend of rugged coastal beauty, rich maritime history, and vibrant local culture. From the historic charm of Lunenburg to the dramatic shores of the Bay of Fundy, it is a destination that celebrates its Scottish and Acadian heritage through food, music, and tradition.

Nova Scotia is a maritime province located in Atlantic Canada, connected to the rest of the country by a narrow land bridge to New Brunswick. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, the Bay of Fundy to the west, and Chignecto Bay to the northwest; that land bridge is the narrow Isthmus of Chignecto. The province includes Cape Breton Island, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Canso, which adds a distinct Gaelic cultural influence to the region. The capital, Halifax, is the largest city in Atlantic Canada and serves as the economic and cultural hub. Other significant urban centers include Dartmouth (across the harbour from Halifax, part of Halifax Regional Municipality) and Sydney on Cape Breton Island. The province is renowned for its dramatic coastline, featuring rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, and the world's highest tides in the Bay of Fundy, which forms the province's western shore. Key attractions include the historic town of Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Cape Breton Highlands, known for their rugged trails and the Cabot Trail, a scenic drive that offers stunning ocean views. Travelers can explore the region's rich maritime heritage through visits to historic sites such as the Citadel in Halifax, the Grand Pré National Historic Site, and the Pier 21 National Historic Site, the gateway through which nearly one million immigrants entered Canada between 1928 and 1971. The region is also known for its fresh seafood, particularly lobster, scallops, and salmon, as well as its vibrant arts and crafts scene, including traditional Mi'kmaq and Acadian cultures. The best time to visit is during the summer months, from June to September, when the weather is mild and ideal for outdoor activities. However, the fall season, particularly in October, is also popular for its stunning fall foliage. Travelers can reach Nova Scotia by air, with Halifax Stanfield International Airport serving as the main gateway, or by road via the Trans-Canada Highway.

Where to go in Nova Scotia

What to see

All 33 sights
A grassy picnic area with wooden tables and shelters overlooking a wide body of water under a blue sky with contrails.

Wolfville · Coastal & Maritime

Blomidon Provincial Park

The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world, and Blomidon Provincial Park is one of the best places to see what...

A winding coastal highway (the Cabot Trail) curves along steep, forested cliffs overlooking the ocean, with autumn foliage in the foreground and fog obscuring the mountain peaks.

Cape Breton Island · Coastal & Maritime

Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Cape Breton Highlands National Park covers roughly 950 square kilometres, about 235,000 acres, on the northern tip of Ca...

A pavilion beside the seaside path in Point Pleasant Park, Halifax

Halifax · Coastal & Maritime

Point Pleasant Park

Point Pleasant Park is a forested peninsula at the southern tip of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and it is the city’s best-known...

A large, grey-shingled historic building with a red ground-floor facade and a white steeple, situated next to a waterfront with a brick walkway and hanging flower baskets.

Shelburne · Coastal & Maritime

Shelburne Historic Waterfront

Historic Loyalist waterfront in Shelburne, Nova Scotia

A tall, slender lighthouse tower painted with red and white vertical stripes stands on a rocky headland next to a white keeper's house with a red roof, overlooking the ocean under a clear blue sky.

Yarmouth · Architecture

Cape Forchu Lighthouse

1839 lighthouse with keeper’s museum and grounds

A low-angle photograph of a large, multi-story wooden building with white siding, black trim, and a red mansard roof, featuring a prominent corner tower and arched windows.

Lunenburg · Architecture

Lunenburg Academy Museum and Art Gallery

The Lunenburg Academy stands on a hilltop above the old town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, at 97 Kaulbach Street, and is kn...

A large stone church with a prominent central steeple and a smaller rear steeple, set against a blue sky with a road and other buildings in the foreground.

Cape Breton Island · Coastal & Maritime

Cheticamp

Cheticamp, spelled Chéticamp in French, is the capital of Acadian life on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. The village...

A wooden boardwalk path lined with distinctive green curved lampposts runs alongside a rocky harbor edge, with a large multi-story building on the right and people walking or sitting along the path.

Halifax · Maritime Museums

Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk

Halifax’s waterfront has one of the longest downtown boardwalks in North America, and the traditional way to see the cit...

Red wooden buildings of the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic on the Lunenburg waterfront

Lunenburg · Historic Towns

Lunenburg Maritime Heritage Centre

Lunenburg’s maritime story is told along its waterfront rather than within a single building. The town, on Nova Scotia’s...

Itineraries for Nova Scotia

Day-by-day routes you can follow as written or borrow from.

All itineraries

Stories and tips

All stories

Quick Facts

Part of Canada
Destinations 6
Attractions 33

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