Nova Scotia has all the right ingredients for an unforgettable seacoast vacation. It’s a nature lover’s paradise and a mecca for cultural and touring enthusiasts. Here you'll enjoy clean air, spectacular seascapes, rolling vineyards and hills of maple, and the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. It’s where cosmopolitan cities meet small town charm.

Getting here has never been easier. Nova Scotia is easily accessible from all points in the US and Canada by air, sea or land. Nova Scotia offers 7,400 km (4,600 miles) of seacoast boasting activities and experiences to suit every taste - towering cliffs, spectacular views, sweeps of uncrowded beaches, imposing headlands, sheltered coves and fishing villages, salt marshes, and bustling harbours.

Nova Scotia is a multi-season destination with an abundance of activities for all tastes and a well-developed tourism industry caters to all travelers. Ten distinct scenic travelways wind through Nova Scotia, offering visitors a chance to experience every aspect of the province's unique charm. Memories await you around every comer. Here are a few you don't want to miss.

SCENIC TRAILS

To the north, tour the breathtaking Cabot Trail as it weaves through the glorious Cape Breton Highlands and winds around rocky cliffs and rugged coastline. It is recognized as one of the world's most awe inspiring scenic drives.

Along the Lighthouse Route, follow the seacoast through historic towns and weathered fishing villages. More than 20 lighthouses from Yarmouth's Cape Forchu Light to the dramatic beauty of the famous lighthouse at Peggys Cove dot Nova Scotia's quaint South Shore.

Journey along the Evangeline Trail through the picturesque French Shore, home of the largest Acadian population in Nova Scotia. At Port Royal you'll find a reconstruction of the earliest European settlement in North America, north of Florida. At Grand Pre National Historic Site discover the land of Evangeline, the setting for Longfellows tragic love story, Evangeline.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the province boasts the most coastal cycling routes anywhere in Canada. There are endless choices for hiking or walking - one of the best ways to experience and explore. Cape Breton Highlands National Park is a colourful tapestry of nature at its best with a landscape of canyons, gorgeous waterfalls, sandy beaches and majestic cliffs. Moose are often seen grazing by quiet lakes and streams.

Kejimkujik National Park is a canoeists paradise with its pristine lakes, rivers and network of waterways providing many sites accessible only by canoe. Backcountry camping is a hallmark at Keji with fourteen hiking trails weaving through woodlands. Cross-country skiing is also popular in winter. Hundreds of miles of formal and informal walks and trails reveal a wonderfully natural world. Quiet places, pristine wilderness, wild and uninhabited coastline are all trademarks of this seaside province.

Along Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy, visitors can experience one of the marine wonders of the world - the world's highest tides. Walk on the ocean floor as 100 billion tonnes of water rush out of the basin backwards or experience the thrill of whitewater rafting on the surge wave, or bore. Along the coast, the tides have carved fantastic shapes and provide feeding grounds for an incredible range of birds, fish and marine mammals. The area is perfect for beachcombers, fossil hunters, photographers, artists and bird watchers. These same tides bring the whales. Nova Scotia is one of the finest places along the eastern seaboard for whale watching. Finback, Humpback, Pilot and Minke whales are frequent visitors to our waters.

Nova Scotia is a coast of contrasts - rugged and challenging, gentle and sandy. Wherever you go, you'll never be more than 35 minutes from the sea. The Nova Scotia coastline is also perfect for seakayaking adventures. Take a day trip or a multi-day route and delve into the nooks and crannies where few vessels dare to venture. For a change of pace, more than 5,000 lakes offer canoeists and fishing enthusiasts a host of placid backwaters.

GOLF

More than 50 golf courses in Nova Scotia are set amidst the beauty of our seacoast and countryside. Nova Scotia offers golfers the opportunity to enjoy this great game on a brilliant variety of scenic courses, several of them world-class. Golf Digest, a national golf publication, awarded Bell Bay, on Cape Breton Island, the 'best new golf course in Canada' in 1998. And, Golfweek called Cape Breton's Highlands Links a breathless setting along the coast... From the first tee to the last green, the soft, gracious layout unfolds over seven miles of readily walkable ground ... The views of tumbling into the rocky sea are wondrous. Golf magazine also voted the Highlands Links number 57 in the world.

Nova Scotia has an intimate relationship with the sea. The ocean is present here in all its diverse beauty. Explore the seafaring heritage of this island-like province and discover a legacy of famous sailors, pirates, shipbuilders and schooners. Visitors will discover that Nova Scotia resonates with memories of the glorious Age of Sail in the numerous museums, in the architecture and in many of the local traditions. One of Nova Scotia’s most historic and scenic towns is Lunenburg, home of the world famous racing schooner Bluenose. The provinces seafaring heritage is reflected in the preservation of the colourful waterfront, narrow streets and delightful architecture. In Lunenburg's Old Town, historic buildings and homes dating back to the 1700s have been renovated into inns, restaurants, shops and galleries. The extraordinary preservation of the Towns architecture earned it the designation of an UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the waterfront you will find a working marine blacksmith, a dory shop, and the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic with two floating exhibits, a schooner and a steel-hulled trawler

Nova Scotia is known for the best living history in Canada. The past comes alive at places like Fortress Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, the Halifax Citadel and Sherbrooke Village. Step through a door in time and experience a day in 18th century New France at Fortress Louisbourg, North America’s largest historical reconstruction. Those who walk through the massive stone gates may just be whisked into a waterfront pub for questioning while noblemen, musicians, washerwomen and bread sellers go about their daily business.

The Halifax Citadel, Canada's most visited National Historic Sites, bustles with the sights and sounds of 19th century British military life. Kilted soldiers drill and bagpipes skirl and at 12 noon, cover your ears as the noon cannon goes off - a tradition dating back to the late 1800s. Atop Citadel Hill, lookoff sites offer commanding and panoramic views of Halifax Harbour and downtown Halifax.

Sherbrooke Village on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore opens the door to life as it was in this 1860s lumbering and shipbuilding community. Enjoy the sights and sounds of a horse-drawn wagon creaking down a gravel road, the smell of newly shaved wood in the wood turner's shop and the thump of the printer's manual press or the weaver's loom.

Over 800 festivals and events capture the excitement of Nova Scotia’s maritime and cultural traditions year round. And we love to celebrate. This year, three of our events are listed on the American Bus Associations Top 1 00 Events in North America -The Nova Scotia International Tattoo, Tall Ships 2000 and Celtic Colours International Festival. Pride, Pageantry and Passion are the themes of this year's

Nova Scotia International Tattoo, June 29 - July 7, 2000. The world's largest annual indoor show will present spectacular acts never before seen in Canada as well as audience favourites. Over 2,000 performers from ten countries will delight audiences with the Tattoo's unique combination of music, dance, drama, comedy and military display.

Also in July 2000, Canada will welcome back the Tall Ships to the shores of Nova Scotia, as Halifax becomes the Official Canadian Race Port for the Tall Ships 2000 series. Tall Ships 2000 will feature almost 150 world-class tall ships from around the globe, and it promises to be the biggest millennium event Canada will host.

In October, Celtic Colours celebrates Nova Scotia's natural love and talent for music. The festival bursts into action amid the most dazzling colours of fall. Performers from Celtic communities around the world descend upon Cape Breton Island in an eight-day long, island-wide, celebration of music and dance.

Music lovers will revel in folk festivals, classical concerts, square dances, seaside ceilidhs and Mikmaq Pow Wows. Traditional Scottish strathspeys, Acadian jigs, and hot Celtic rock are just some of the local styles influencing the music scene worldwide. Well known Nova Scotian singers and songwriters include Denny Doherty from the Mamas and the Papas, Anne Murray, Rita MacNeil. Musicians like Natalie MacMaster and Rawlins Cross are winning fans the world over

HALIFAX, A SEACOAST CITY

There's no escaping the sounds and sights at the crossroads of culture and commerce. The historic waterfront city of Halifax, is steeped in history and rich in culture. Pier 21, Canada's Ellis Island, welcomed more than one million immigrants, refugees, troops and warbrides from the 1920s to the 1970s. Pier 21, a National Historic Site, is a testament to Canada's profoundly emotional immigration experience.

Within the downtown lies the Public Gardens, 16 acres of North Americas oldest and finest Victorian gardens. On the waterfront, Historic Properties takes you back to the golden age of sail with its restored buildings and cobblestone streets. In summer, dine outdoors in one of many restaurants and pubs, listen to a live band, and let the salt breeze cool your skin.

Enjoy the unique charm, hospitality and quality of life Nova Scotia has to offer - a clean, safe place to visit with a varied cultural life and abundant natural beauty. With so much at your fingertips, is it any wonder why people want to stay?

Article courtesy of

See the following sections for more information on Travel in Nova Scotia:  

To view Hotel/Resort Destinations in Nova Scotia Click Below: