A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down (virtually) with Chris Christensen, host of the Amateur Traveler podcast (recently named by The New York Times as one of the top travel podcasts to inspire your next trip), to talk about one of my favourite subjects: Nova Scotia!
After spending almost four months travelling around Europe earlier this year, it was fun to switch gears and talk about exploring places in my own backyard.
I’ve lived in Nova Scotia for most of my life, and while I love jetting off to far-flung destinations, I firmly believe this little province we call home has something uniquely special to offer.
Beautiful beaches. Charming fishing villages. World-famous tides. Incredible seafood. Lighthouses. Hiking trails. Vineyards. And enough history to keep even the most enthusiastic buff occupied. (For all my Nova Scotia blog posts, CLICK HERE.)
Chris asked me to put together an itinerary for someone visiting Nova Scotia for the first time, with just one week to explore.
No pressure, right?!
We covered a lot of ground in our conversation, but my suggested itinerary focused on three main areas:
- Halifax and the surrounding area: history, waterfront adventures, Peggy’s Cove, and some quintessential Nova Scotia experiences.
- The Annapolis Valley: my home turf! Think vineyards, hiking, charming towns, and the world-famous Bay of Fundy (highest tides in the world).
- The South Shore: gorgeous beaches, colourful fishing villages, and plenty of opportunities to slow down and soak in the coastal scenery.
We also talked about the best time of year to visit, some of my favourite lesser-known spots, and why I recommend saving Cape Breton for a separate trip.
You can listen to the full episode and read the detailed itinerary here: Travel to Nova Scotia, Episode 1020.
I’d love for you to give it a listen! And if you know someone planning a trip to Nova Scotia, please feel free to share the episode with them.
P.S. If you enjoy listening to podcasts, you can also hear me chatting about life, finances, travel—more specifically, our family’s recent 110-day trip to Europe—and other topics on Best of Both Worlds, The Reframe Podcast, and The Finance Girlies.
Your turn:
- Have you ever visited Nova Scotia? If so, what was your favourite part?
- And if not, what’s at the top of your Nova Scotia wish list?
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Elisabeth, it is challenging to choose my most favorite spot that I visited this summer. Traveling to Nova Scotia was the fulfillment of a bucket list desire. Here’s a few places, though, that I return to often in my mind.
West Mabou Beach on Cape Breton. It was so very special. Don’t miss the Tardis on Cape Breton too. 🙂
Loved our day in Lunenburg.
Walking on the ocean floor at the Bay of Fundy when the tide was out, and then being there as it came back in. WOW.
The town of Digby that we visited after a successful, (a momma whale and her baby, and another whale, and seals!), whale watching trip was another highlight.
I am not exaggerating when I say that my husband and I think about our trip multiple times per week. Nova Scotia is not to be missed!
Awww. I am so very glad you had such a great trip to Nova Scotia, Molly!
The tides are hard to conceptualize without actually experiencing them; thankfully, there are a lot of opportunities to witness the power and topography changes of the tides. Twice a day 😉
And hooray for a successful whale-watching tour!