There are too many “runner-up” beaches to squeeze into a single post, so I’ve decided to sort things alphabetically.
Some of these locations rank far higher in my mind than others but they’re all worth exploring. I’m also skipping dozens of beaches and focusing on the ones that came to mind that I have: a) visited, b) would recommend for one reason or another and c) could locate at least one picture of in my archives.
(I’ve already posted about my picks for the best beaches on mainland Nova Scotia.)
AVONPORT BEACH
File this under “vastly different experience based on tide cycle.” At high tide, this beach consists of coarse brown sand.
At low tide, it’s a veritable mud bath. BE WARNED. If you want to experience Bay of Fundy tides in all their glory, this is a great spot to go.
The kids are smiling.
I was NOT. John was away (obviously) and it took me 45 minutes to get the mud and sand out of their suits at home. They had fun but I actually haven’t been back to this beach since that fateful day. Now that I know what I’d be getting myself into, I’d be much better prepared!
BAXTER’S HARBOUR
We don’t typically swim at this location, but it’s certainly an option. There’s a waterfall with a little pool (the water is cold), and a tidal stream that fills up at high tide.
This is yet another place where it’s critical to mention the tide. If you venture away from the parking lot at Baxter’s Harbour and cross the stream (which is a trickle at low tide), you will discover it is the opposite of a trickle if you attempt to cross back over at high tide. We’ve seen people get stranded, resorting to swimming — fully clothed, balancing their phones on their heads — to get back to the parking lot!
And if summer beach activities aren’t your thing, this is a great beach to explore in the winter. The waterfall turns into a giant icicle.
BAYSWATER PROVINCIAL PARK
This is an easily accessible beach with a feeder stream, a picnic park across the street, bathroom and change facilities, and a food truck.
We used to go here regularly, but have started driving further afield in recent years. It’s a great little beach!
CAPE BLOMIDON
I don’t love swimming in tidal water, but if that’s your thing, Blomidon is a great place for that. The ocean floor goes out gradually, so you have to walk a very long way to get to the water’s edge at low tide. It’s a favourite spot for our kids. (I took Kyria for a visit and you can see if from Medford Beach).
If you want to be able to access the water quickly and avoid all traces of mud, visit at high tide. It looks like a completely different beach.
If hanging out at a beach isn’t your thing, the adjoining trail is one of our favourite local spots to hike.
CAPE SABLE
This beach earns the award for Hardest To Get To as it’s only accessible by boat.
I’ve written all about this magical place before, so I’ll just repost a few pictures to whet your appetite.
CLAM HARBOUR
This is a beach I’ve only visited once — it’s very “out of the way” — but I’d love to return! It had great facilities and is known for its annual sand sculpture competition which draws people from around the world every summer.
We visited on an overcast day, but the kids still had a blast. Thankfully we spotted the jellyfish on the sand and didn’t have a painful encounter in the water!
CRESCENT BEACH
I’ve only been here once and spent most of the time running on the beach. We visited the summer I aimed to run at least 5 km a day and sometimes I had to fit my runs in at the beach; it’s a hard life!
Overall, I found it a forgettable destination, but it has very firm sand and is a beach you can drive on (rare in Nova Scotia), and that makes it popular with locals.
The kids had a blast, and I recall there being some giant rocks at one end of the beach that were a lot of fun to climb on.
HARBOURVILLE
To be fair, I’ve only visited in the winter, but Harbourville is known for access to fresh-off-the-boat local seafood and I’ve heard it’s a nice beach to stroll along in the summer, too!
HOUSTON’S BEACH
This is a tidal beach on the Bay of Fundy. The kids like it and it’s even closer to our home than Cape Blomidon (see above).
As you can tell, Nova Scotia offers a diverse range of beaches — depending on tides, season…and your willingness to get dirty.
I’ll be back to share my final batch of beach recommendations soon.
Your turn.
- Have you ever gone mud “swimming” before?
- Of the beaches above, which would be your top pick to visit if you came to Nova Scotia?
- Do you like to write in the sand? (Fun fact: John proposed to me when we were playing a writing game in the sand!)
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mbmom11
Oh, Blomidon looks lovely – I’ll take the trails and leave the beaches for someone else. I’d also love see see the Fundy tides in action , so Avonport would be next!
Once when we were living in a little townhouse on a sabbatical, I let the kids play in the backyard in the rain. It turned into a mud pit – they were all coated. Lots of laundry, and I gave up on a few items entirely and threw up them away.
Elisabeth
I’m with you. I’d rather hike than swim!
I have also had to give up on a few things that were simply too muddy to be rescued!
Jenny
Baxters Harbor! That would be my favorite of these. You really do have a diverse range of beaches! The beaches here all look similar. There are a couple with some big rocks, but nothing like what you have.
We’ve never been, er, “mud swimming” but it sounds like something my kids would have loved!
Elisabeth
I do love Baxter’s Harbour. It’s one of my favourite places to take visitors.
Mud swimming is fun when you’re not the adult that has to clean up…
Jan Coates
I’ve occasionally sent a little sand-drawn heart picture to Ada and Noelle. Sweet proposal story! And I’ve been to all those beaches, except possibly Clam Harbour. Amazing ice pictures! We’d gotten into the habit of taking Charlie to Penny Beach (Lower Avonport) as it’s easily accessible, and pretty typical of Minas Basin beaches.
Elisabeth
I don’t think I know where Penny Beach is…?
Nicole MacPherson
Four seasons of beaches!! Super fun, Elisabeth.
I usually write NM+RD in the sand wherever we are!
Elisabeth
We are definitely a family of sand writers! I grew up doing it with my mom and it’s so fun to have the equivalent of a giant piece of paper that you know will be wiped clean. It makes me feel like a kid again when I draw/write in the sand.
Bijoux
I’m a sucker for a waterfall, but would be terrified of getting stuck in high tide. You have so many beautiful landscapes. Just gorgeous!
Elisabeth
Baxter’s Harbour is probably my favourite easy-to-get-to spot on this list. But it definitely is one spot where it’s very important to be careful with timing!
Birchie
I love the “also ran” list for beaches! Visiting the beach in winter is seriously underrated. You’re not going to be on the beach for very long, but there are such beautiful things to see.
Elisabeth
Winter transforms the landscapes. And spots with waterfalls are ideal since there is something unique to see. A plain, sand beach is pretty barren in the winter. But the ice makes it look otherworldly in places with water features.
Maria
Oh the mud in those first pictures! So fun for kids and so much work for moms. My children have definitely looked lol that after the beach.
I have a Fundy mud story too. We were taking a hike next to a beach and there was more snow on the trail than we anticipated. My husband suggested we cut about 50 m through the woods down to the beach and walk back on the beach instead of going back uphill through the snow. Good plan, right? Except…most of the beach was a mud flat. Slippery. Cold. Wet mud. Of course we then couldn’t easily get back into the woods so we had to walk across the beach and quickly too because, you guessed it, the tide was starting to come in. We were SO muddy and cold when we got back to the car.
Also I love you plugging the beach in winter! When it’s icy everywhere the beach at low tide is one of the easiest and safest places to walk because it’s ice free. I love winter beach walks!
Elisabeth
Tides and mud can be a crazy combination.
I don’t think I took my kids to a single beach last year (now that they’re older we seem to have more activities like skiing and their regular time with friends), but it’s such an underrepresented adventure in colder climates with beach access.
Alexandra
That’s the thing, when you live in NS, a place that’s almost an island, you have allllll that amazing coast to choose from, fro different kinds of beaches. I’m envious and now, instead of Paris, feel like I want to come to NS this autumn, or maybe spring (May) next year? And see some of these for myself. And one day, would love to see the Fundy tide in action too.
I’ve never been “mud-swimming” ever, and, at my age, probably never will. I’ll leave that to the kids. But I do love walking and tidal pools, and exploring. And yes, love writing in the sand, who doesn’t?
Elisabeth
We have SO much coastline in Nova Scotia. It’s something outrageous like 13,000 km? The max distance you can ever be from the ocean is just over 50 km!
Central Calif. Artist Jana
What a fabulous post! Cape Sable for me. . . iris, a lighthouse, a boatride. . . heavenly.
This must have taken hours to put together—finding all the photos, alphabetizing the beaches, remembering the details about each place. And you don’t have a blog cluttered with ads, so THANK YOU for your work. (Someday we need to talk about ads on blogs— “monetizing”, a word that sticks in my throat.)
I’m very impressed by the way that you have fully enjoyed your province while teaching your children to also learn about their home. People around here are rarely aware of where we live, something that just boggles my mind.
Elisabeth
I know you’ve had your eye set on Cape Sable. It is gorgeous and a one-of-a-kind destination for Nova Scotia.
We’re fortunate to live in such a beautiful province and it helps that things are generally fairly short driving distances (the furthest beach on this list was Cape Sable but even then it was 3 hours of driving). But it was definitely part of our investment in our kids! I’m so glad we did it, but also glad they are older and more independent and that we are more focussed on international travel these days!
Thanks for such kind words.
Michelle G.
Wow, so many beautiful, amazing beaches! I have to admit that having to be careful about the tides TERRIFIES me. The thought of getting stranded and having to swim back is just too much. Also, I have no desire to bathe or roll around in mud! But those photos sure made me chuckle. I think I’m a Bayswater Provincial Park kind of girl. Restrooms and a food cart sound good to me. I’ve never written anything on the beach, but I have written things in the snow.