NS
84
BY HELEN EARLEY
Explore
Nova Scotia's
South Shore
PEGGY'S COVE • SHUTTERSTOCK/BILL KENNEDY
Nova Scoa's South Shore region hugs the Atlanc
coastline, offering quaint marime towns,
stunning marime scenery, and endless beaches
(www.visitsouthshore.ca).
There's something immediately iconic about
Peggy's Point Lighthouse. Constructed in 1915, the
elegant octagonal concrete tower with a cheerful
red crown sits alone atop a vast bed of sparkling
granite boulders at the entrance to St. Margaret's
Bay. Peggy's Cove is one of the most visited places
in Nova Scoa, now more than ever since the
addion of a new accessible viewing deck.
Along Highway 3, also known as the
Lighthouse Route, explore the antique shops,
boutiques, and bakeries of Hubbards, Chester,
and Mahone Bay. In Hubbards, enjoy a
traditional lobster supper at the Shore Club
before the tables are folded away for Saturday
night parties at "Nova Scotia's last great dance
hall" (www.shoreclub.ca). There's excite-
ment of a different sort in the waters around
Oak Island, which hold one of the world's
great mysteries: could this be the location of
buried treasure (www.saltydogtours.com)?
Colourful old-town Lunenburg is a
UNESCO World Heritage site because of its
architecture, including a distinctive bay
window called the "Lunenburg bump"
(www.lunenburgregion.ca). Occupying
the original Highliner fish plant, the
Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic is an
essential place to learn about life on the sea
(www.fisheriesmuseum.novascotia.ca),
including the story of the Bluenose schooner
which, since 1937, has graced the flip side of
the Canadian dime (www.bluenose.nova
scotia.ca). In nearby Blue Rocks, there are
dozens of beautiful, uninhabited islands,
coves, and seal colonies to explore by kayak
(www.pleasantpaddling.com).
Long stretches of unspoiled white-sand
beaches are the jewels of the south shore
(www.visitsouthshore.ca/see-and-do/
beaches). Among them, Kejimkujik National
Park Seaside stands out as an area of natural
beauty, with sparkling sand, crystal clear
turquoise water, delicate piping plovers and
playful seals. Inland, Kejimkujik National
Park is a paradise for campers, stargazers,
and canoeists (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/
kejimkujik). There's no need to pack your
own gear with Whynot Adventure's equipped
tours (www.whynotadventure.ca).
At the time of the American Revolution,
the town of Shelburne was larger than
Halifax or Montréal (www.visitshelburne
county.ca). Among the town's many
museums and experiences, the Black
Loyalist Heritage Centre tells the fascinating
story of what was once the largest settlement
of free Blacks outside Africa (www.black
loyalist.com).
Another of the beautiful beaches is White
Point, with silver-white pebbles, powder-
grey sand, and surf-perfect waves. What was
once a grand but rustic camping lodge has
evolved into the exceptional White Point
Beach Resort, with an indoor swimming
pool, games room, boathouse, and activity
schedule to delight every traveller. For by-
the-sea romance, book one of the new,
intimate Lakeside Glomes or Oceanfront
Treehouses, each with its own cosy
woodstove and breathtaking view
(www.whitepoint.com).
Day trip, road trip, or extended staycation,
nothing compares to spending a few days on
Nova Scotia's welcoming, sunny South Shore.
