There are a few places that we have traveled as a family that were travel itches I needed to have scratched. Places that linger in my mind until we finally decide to make the plans official. Nova Scotia was this for us and I’m happy to report that it didn’t disappoint.

We love coastal Maine and we thought for just a slightly longer flight, we could explore a region new to us but with all of the maritime and national park delights we were wanting. A friend described Nova Scotia as “Maine but on European steriods” and she was spot on. With a lot of french influence (bakeries, French-Canadian speaking locals and tourists) it did in fact feel just that.

As I was posting images to my IG Stories last week, I had many ask questions about where we stayed and how we planned our travel. So I thought I would break that down here in case you might enjoy planning your own trek here.

Lunenburg

Our first stay was in a little town called Riverport in Lunenburg County. Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage town and was a great launching point for our travels.

We stayed in these little Nordic Cabins for our first few nights and would highly recommend not only the accommodations, but the area itself was super quiet and restful and had the added bonus of a nearby little cafe/mercantile called Rose Bay General Storewhere we gathered goods and some of our favorite food from the trip.

While in this area for our first few days we explored the town of Lunenburg (eat at Salt Shaker Deli and the South Shore Fish Shack) and all of the art and art galleries in the town. It’s super walkable and charming. It’s also pretty touristy and while I’m glad we visited it wasn’t a place we needed to spend the entire day in.

Just a short drive away was a spot I highly recommend was The Ovens Natural Park. There is a terrific hike along the cliffs and sea caves to explore. There was a small entrance fee and the views were incredible. We climbed around the ledges and beach area for quite a while and could have spent even longer exploring this area.

We did slow travel for a few days as well…exploring little towns, getting baked goods. Stopping at beaches and going on boardwalks, trails and small hikes.

Peggy’s Cove

Peggy’s Cove is a must see when in the area. But do know it’s filled with tourists.

On our way from the Lunenburg area up to Cape Breton, our next stop, we stopped in Peggy’s Cove at arguably the busiest time of the day. And I still think it was worth it.

There is a beautiful history to the cove you can read about, and the lighthouse is a main attraction. We wandered into lots of art galleries, met artists-in-residence, snagged some local art and ate hotdogs as we sat by the water. But our biggest delight was hiking and hopping all over the smooth season granite rocks and if we didn’t have other places to go, could have spent all day here.

We heard the best time to go was after 5, when most people clear out and many of the shops start closing up for the day. The little ice cream shop, Hunky Dory, was a real delight and I’m still thinking about the salted maple butter sundae I enjoyed there.

Cape Breton

The island of Cape Breton, located in the northeastern tip of Nova Scotia, was our collective favorite area we spent time in on our trip. So much so, that we regretted only really having one full day to explore the Cape Breton National Park, which is full of stunning cliffside vistas, beach explorations and just all around beauty.

We stayed at an Airbnb in Grand Etang, which is near the park and where we would be exploring the next day. The home we stayed in itself was likely not one I would recommend, but was situated in a beautiful area and close to where we wanted to explore. If you, like us, will be traveling in the busy summer months you will definitely want to book out your accommodations early. I had a few places marked that we would have enjoyed staying instead but our options were slim due to all of them having no vacancies.

There is a lot to do in and around Cape Breton and sadly, I don’t have a lot more to add since we were only here for one day. If we could do it again, we would have spent at least 2 full days (or more!) enjoying this part of the province. You can also book whale and seabird watching boat rides, drive the Cabot Trail and walk the iconic hikes on the Skyline Trail.

And if you are a bakery tourist like I am, you will want to stop at Marguerite Boutique et Provisions in downtown Cheticamp. Get the honey lemon cruller and thank me later.

Pomquet Beach

On this leg of our travels, we wanted a spot to land for a few days that was a little slower and giving us some time soak up the summer sun, paint and read and not be in the car for a little bit.

We stayed at the Island Beach Hideaways, which are geodomes near Pomquet Beach and provided a real cute way to start wrapping up our travels. While we loved our stay here and would highly recommend them, do note they are ‘adult only’. I took a risk to plead my case that our 12 year old son was a quiet and respectful kid and they allowed us to stay, so it’s always good to ask and the asking paid off. But they do tout their establishment as adult only.

We spent our time here out on the dock, sitting in the hot tub, swimming in the water at Pomquet Beach and picking wild blueberries. It was a dream.

Halifax

Our last stop was to spend the night in Halifax before flying home. Halifax is the biggest city in Nova Scotia and the province’s capital. We stayed at the Westin Nova Scotian and spent the day wandering the waterfront, eating snacks and popping into shops, like Freak Lunchbox, where we purchased candy from all over the world. We ate at Cafe Lunette for dinner and were sad to fly home the next day (or attempt to fly home, but that’s another story).

Let me know if you found this guide helpful and if it has inspired you to travel to Nova Scotia!

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