With tides that reach up to 16.5 metres (54 feet), this spectacular natural phenomenon occurs nowhere else on the planet. The power of nature surrounds the Bay of Fundy, showcasing some of the world’s most dramatic coastal seascapes. Discover the fossilized remains of plants and animals, left in the cliffs at Joggins a millennium ago, and the Three Sister sea stacks at Cape Chignecto Provincial Park definitely put time into perspective. The deep rich waters are teeming with marine life including more then a dozen species of whales, along with porpoises, dolphins, seals and migrating shore birds. And there are so many ways to experience it. Whale watching tours off Digby Neck, kayaking and hiking along the rugged coast, rafting the tidal bore, or just combing the beaches at low tide and examining 350 million-year-old fossils at Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is something for every pace and every interest.
Food lovers will delight in the bounty of land and sea. Feast on the succulent scallops which make Digby so famous, or visit the Hall’s Harbour Lobster Pound for the catch of the day. Explore the farmers’ markets and fragrant U-picks of the Annapolis Valley. Fresh strawberries, blueberries and apples inspire many a seasonal local dish. And then there are the vineyards; Annapolis Valley is Canada’s up-and-coming wine destination, with a dozen established wineries in the area. Perfect boutique wineries and unique varietals such as Marechal Foch and L’Acadie Blancs make tours and tastings a must-do in this region.
Throughout the region, you can explore the legends of Nova Scotia’s First People, the Mi’kmaq, and the settlers who arrived in the 1600’s with Samuel de Champlain and set up camp at historic Port-Royal National Historic Site. Port-Royal along with Grand-Pre National Historic Site, and Fort Anne National Historic Site provide an important history lesson about the life and deportation of the Acadians.
Explore Our Scenic Drives
The Fundy Shore & Annapolis Valley is home t two scenic travelways, the Evangeline Trail and the Glooscap Trail.
From the seaport of Yarmouth, the Evangeline Trail follows Nova Scotia's Fundy coast back through time to the earliest days of North American settlement. Enjoy picturesque French-speaking Acadian villages, visit Digby home port of the world's largest scallop fleet, travel through the rich farmland, orchards and wine-country tapestry of the Annapolis Valley. Named after Longfellow's immortal epic poem "Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie," the Evangeline Trail takes you to the Grand-Pré National Historic Site where a statue of the fictional heroine can be found.
Travel the Glooscap Trail from Windsor to Amherst to learn the Mi'kmaq legend of Glooscap, who is said to have created Five Islands and controlled the magnificent Bay of Fundy tides with his magic. Where else can you walk on the ocean floor at low tide, or experience the thrill of white-water rafting upriver on the world's highest tidal bore? Here the tides have carved the landscape into sea cliffs, pristine beaches and the Five Islands nestled in the basin. Enjoy an endless view of soaring seacliffs or discover fossilized footprints of Coal Age creatures along the shore at Joggins Fossil Cliffs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's a journey where the power of nature is evident all along the magnificent Fundy coast with its world-famous tides and ever-changing landscapes.