Holidays in Atlantic Canada’s Maritime Provinces

The coastal provinces of Atlantic Canada lie off the beaten track offering many advantages for holidaymakers seeking beautiful and unspoiled countryside away from the crowds.

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick make up the Maritime Provinces, more commonly known as the Maritimes. They have been mainly settled by Scottish Highlanders, hence the name Nova Scotia meaning ‘New Scotland’.

Our Canadian Coastal Adventure Tour is an inspirational journey across this picture-postcard region and below we elaborate on some of the touring holiday highlights below but for a full itinerary, prices and availability click here.

Holidays in the Maritimes: Elegant Halifax

A total of four nights at either end of our Maritimes touring holiday are spent in Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia which is a lively city that oozes international flair and has rich history as a British stronghold.

Places of interest include Citadel Hill with its 19th-century star-shaped fort, the tranquil Public Gardens, the city's serene residential neighbourhoods, and bustling harbour front, which resonates with military heritage. Explore Fairview Cemetery, the final resting-place for over 100 people who perished on the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic.

The Halifax skyline is strewn with elegant 18th- and 19th-century architecture alongside ultra-modern towers of glass and steel. The heart of Halifax is perfect for exploring on foot, with tree-lined streets, international restaurants, galleries, libraries and museums. Inviting sidewalk cafés beckon you to while away a few hours amid park-like, waterfront, and historic settings in the busy downtown, often with a backdrop of the bustling harbour, which entertains ship traffic from every corner of the globe.

Halifax has been a major port city ever since it’s founding in 1749. At the Halifax Waterfront, visit Alexander Keith's brewery or the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic with its impressive displays and dockside historic ships. There are Celtic traditional pubs, which serve up local ales and Gaelic tunes plus delicious traditional dishes like Lunenburg pudding, Acadian rappie pie (a stewed chicken and potato dish) or planked salmon slow cooked over a hardwood fire.

Visit the Historic Properties, where 19th-century privateers' warehouses have been transformed into a charming collection of specialty boutiques and restaurants. Day and night, the downtown area beats with the rhythms of local music and excitement. You can take a boat tour of the harbour, enjoy a wealth of entertainment or gamble at a waterfront casino.

Holidays in the Maritimes: Baddeck & Alexander Graham Bell

The charming little village of Baddeck is a mountain-guarded Mecca of the modern tourist and located on the shores of the stunning Bras d'Or Lake in the heart of Cape Breton lsland. It really is one of the world's scenic gems.

The actual name Baddeck, (depending on your source) is derived from the Mi'kmaq 'Abadak' meaning place with an island near.

In 1885, Alexander Graham Bell, his wife Mabel, and their two young daughters, arrived by boat. They fell in love with Baddeck and returned to build their beautiful home on Beinn Bhreagh.

Today, the Alexander Graham Bell Museum is located in the Village of Baddeck, a beautiful 25 acre park overlooking the Bras d'Or Lakes. The complex, with its three exhibit halls, contains the largest collection of Bell's artefacts and inventions, including replicas of the first telephones and a full-scale model of the HD-4 hydrofoil craft.

He is recorded as saying "I have travelled the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes and the Alps and the highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all." And he did know a thing or two.

Holidays in the Maritimes: Cape Breton Island & Highlands National Park

For centuries, the Scottish and French settlers on Cape Breton Island nurtured their heritage in relative isolation. Today the world flocks to their historic villages, world-class golf courses, and Celtic music festivals in the island's stunning setting.  Join in the old-time dances as bagpipers and fiddlers celebrate Gaelic culture amidst the quiet beauty of the Ceilidh Trail.

Surround yourself with the splendour of the Cabot Trail's bold highlands, where moose and bald eagles abound and humpback whales caper in the shimmering waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Tour the world-class historical reconstruction of Fortress Louisbourg, wander through centuries-old Acadian villages, and descend to a coal mine beneath the ocean floor on the Fleur-de-lis and Marconi Trails and in Metro Cape Breton.

Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the first national park in the Maritimes, situated in the northern section of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island, preserves 950 square kilometres of wilderness. Almost half of the Cabot Trail, completed just four years before the opening of the park, encompasses it on three sides.

On the western edge, the rugged coastline is exposed to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while the eastern shores that slope more gently to the Atlantic Ocean curve to form more hospitable little coves and bays. The landscape abounds with diverse plant life and wildlife: 229 categories of birds, several rare animal species and marine mammals that can be seen from shore. Once the sole domain of the Micmac people, the island shows many influences of the Acadian, Scottish and French settlers and pioneers whose descendants still constitute a large proportion of the population.

Holidays in the Maritimes: The Cabot Trail Scenic Drive

The Cabot Trail is Canada’s great ocean highway on the island of Cape Breton and is one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the world. The trail winds almost 300 km along the island’s rocky northern shore and then ascends the plateaus of Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

Named for famous explorer John Cabot, this magnificent highway is carved into the sides of mountains that rise high above the shimmering waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It offers unforgettable views of Cape Breton's rugged coastline, where pods of whales can often be seen just offshore and bald eagles soar above on the ocean breezes.

Holidays in the Maritimes: Acadian Community of Cheticamp

Chéticamp is an Acadian community located on the west coast of Cape Breton Island. The population of approximately 4,000 is made up mostly of people of Acadian descent. This region, located on the Cabot Trail, has a natural beauty that will leave you in awe. In addition, you will find friendly people, delicious food, toe-tapping music as well as crafts unique to this corner of the world.

Acadian culture had its humble beginnings in their ancestral French countryside. Their ancestors were devout Catholics who showed great respect for priests. Their life revolved around the parish and the parish priest. The church was their principal meeting place and even when there were no priests, they would still meet for prayers and songs. The priests deserve credit for having been at the origin of school and hospital construction and of recruiting French-speaking teachers and nurses. Learning was not limited to academic subjects but also included music and singing. Saint-Pierre Church is a monument to the memory of the faith and devotion of their ancestors

Due to the fact that they were so isolated, their ancestors were careful to hold on to their culture, and to this day it is very much alive. Listen to their unique French pronunciations, savour their succulent dishes, experience the Mi-Carême.

Holidays in the Maritimes: Prince Edward Island & Charlottetown

Prince Edward Island is Canada's smallest and greenest province. Cradled on the waves of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Island is known for the vivid colours of its gently rolling landscape. Prince Edward Island is surrounded by miles of sandy beaches and red sandstone cliffs and is sized just right for touring.

The City of Charlottetown is a flourishing community of over 32,000 people located on the south shore of Prince Edward Island. Charlottetown is the capital city of Prince Edward Island, and is called the "Birthplace of Confederation" after the historic 1864 Charlottetown Conference which led to Confederation.

Small and compact, with a skyline that doesn’t even top the local church spire, it nestles along the scenic harbour front like some city from the past. Charlottetown is situated on its namesake harbour which is formed by the confluence of three rivers in the central part of the island along its south shore. The harbour itself opens onto the Northumberland Strait.

Downtown Charlottetown includes the city's historic 500 lots, as surveyed by Captain Samuel Holland, as well as the waterfront facing the harbour and the Hillsborough River. Adjacent communities to the original downtown included Brighton, Spring Park and Parkdale. The areas to the west, north and east of downtown have been developed in recent decades with several residential and commercial/retail developments, although the outer regions of the city are still predominantly farmland, as is an area in the centre of the city where an Agriculture Canada crop research station is located.

Holidays in the Maritimes: Prince Edward Island National Park

Prince Edward Island National Park is a Canadian National Park located on Prince Edward Island. Situated along the island's north shore, fronting the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the park measures approximately 60 km in length and ranges from several hundred metres to several kilometres in width. Established in 1937, the park's mandate includes the protection of many broad sand beaches, sand dunes and both freshwater wetlands and salt marshes. The park's protected beaches provide nesting habitat for the endangered Piping Plover; the park has been designated a Canadian Important Bird Area.

The Prince Edward Island National Park also includes Green Gables, which was the childhood inspiration for the Anne of Green Gables novels by author Lucy Maud Montgomery.

In recent years, environmental and conservation groups have identified Prince Edward Island National Park as being the most endangered in the national park system, based on human impact. The park also experiences severe coastal erosion as a result of winter storms and its vulnerable shoreline.

Prince Edward Island National Park of Canada is home to sand dunes, barrier islands and sand pits, beaches, sandstone cliffs, wetlands and forests. These diverse habitats provide a home for a variety of plants and animals, including the endangered Piping Plover. The National Park also features unique cultural resources, notably Green Gables and Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site. In 1998, six kilometres of the Greenwich Peninsula were added to the Park to protect unique dune formations, rare plants and animals, as well as archaeological findings dating back 10,000 years.

Holidays in the Maritimes: Acadian Village of Bouctouche

"I am proud to be in Bouctouche, at the very heart of Acadia," declared the Hon. Pierre Mauroy, Prime Minister of France, during a visit to Bouctouche in April 1982.

Bouctouche, whose watershed contains the greatest concentration of ecosystems in a single area in New Brunswick, has been designated the model ecotourism project for the province.

Over a span of less than 35 km lies mature forest, managed forest, agricultural land, small rural communities, aboriginal communities, a present-day reproduction of an old Acadian village, and a huge dune. All of these areas are interconnected through a network of waterways and are accessible by boat, canoe, kayak, and bicycle or on foot.

Visitors are offered a wealth of opportunities to observe, study and understand the relationships between these ecological sites and the role that society plays in their conservation.

Holidays in the Maritimes: Le Pays de la Sagouine

Created from internationally renowned Acadian novelist and author Antonine Maillet's imagination. A real live village, in an enchanting natural setting alive with theatre, music, comedy and dance, allows visitors to discover the unique Acadian culture. Evenings also come alive with a variety of dinner-theatres and musical evenings. The whole cast of characters, accompanied by two house bands, will keep your fingers snapping, your feet tapping and your spirits light all through your visit.

Le Pays de la Sagouine is located in Bouctouche just 40 minutes north of Moncton, one hour from the fixed link from Prince Edward Island and 2.5 hours south of Caraquet. Created from internationally renowned Acadian novelist, playwright and author Antonine Maillet's imagination, Le Pays is the island where Acadians celebrate.

Characters speak a colourful language rooted in the living Acadian culture. A living village in an enchanting natural setting where theatre, music, comedy and dance are featured daily with live performances rain or shine.

Holidays in the Maritimes: Majestic Fredericton

Situated along the banks of the beautiful St. John River, in the heart of the province, Fredericton is New Brunswick’s Capital City.

Dissected by the St. John River, Fredericton is New Brunswick's capital city and home to an array of attractions, recreational opportunities and architectural wonders. The historic Garrison District is a proud reminder of the city's heritage. The stone buildings that still line its streets house unique shops, tours and live theatre.

Walk through majestic Waterloo Row and marvel at the design of some of the stately private homes or visit the picturesque Legislative Assembly Building, just be sure to bring a camera. Just twenty minutes west of the city visitors will find the award-winning Kings Landing Historical Settlement. Here staff re-enact the lives of British pioneers from the 1800s, donning period costumes, immersing themselves in 19th century life and educating visitors about the early pioneers complete with creaking wagons, workhorses, the distant melodies from lively fiddlers and dancing townsfolk, all accented by splendid river views.

For those looking for more unconventional attractions, the Haunted Hike by the Calithumpians will lead visitors through a different, supernatural dimension of Fredericton.

Holidays in the Maritimes: St Andrews by the Sea & Whale Watching

St. Andrews represents one of the best-preserved examples of colonial heritage in North America. While maintaining its charm, St. Andrews is also a dynamic, prosperous community. Small town values and friendly neighbours mix easily with a spirited business environment. For the residents of St. Andrews, life is indeed charmed.

At St Andrews by the Sea you'll embark on a whale-watching trip amid dramatic seascapes and scenic lighthouses. The Bay of Fundy has been described as one of the most intriguing places on earth to visit. It has a galaxy of over 20 species of whale including Minkes, Finbacks, Humpbacks and the rare Right Whale.

You may also see porpoises, dolphins, seals, diverse avian and pelagic species including eagles, ospreys and puffins. Shearwaters are also regularly sighted.

Holidays in the Maritimes: The Bay of Fundy

The highest tides in the world are found in the Bay of Fundy and measure highs of 16 metres (54 feet). At low tide, comb the beach for amethyst stones and crustaceans.

The Bay of Fundy was formed millions of years ago, after the continental shift and in the wake of the glaciers. A natural funnel was created, setting the stage for the highest tides on earth. Today it's the connecting waterway between the Eastern Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

The tides fill the Bay with over one hundred billion tons of seawater. Waters as high as a four-storey building brimming with diverse marine life. Only hours later, you can walk on the seabed at low tide. What makes this ecological wonder so unique is that it happens twice a day, everyday.

The Bay of Fundy welcomes a variety of whales - humpbacks, finbacks and minkes are very common, yet, the rare right whale is one of the most exciting visitors. Close to extinction, it's estimated that there are only 350 of this species left in the world.

Discover the ancient imprints of the Bay's former tenants. The Fundy shoreline is home to a variety of protected fossils and semi-precious stones. In places like Joggins, Nova Scotia, the fossil-rich cliffs attract geologists from around the world.

Visit Atlantic Canada’s Maritime Provinces

Our Canadian Coastal Adventure Tour is an inspirational journey across this picture-postcard region. For a full itinerary, prices and availability click here.