Nova Scotia Vs. New Brunswick: Which Is Worth It? (2024)

Nova Scotia, Canada's second-smallest province, is pretty, slow-paced, and peaceful. The promontory on the eastern side of the Canadian mainland has a coastline quite busy with fishing harbors, beautiful sandy beaches, and some proud and plump islands. The views differ significantly from the foggy Atlantic Ocean in the southeast to the Bay of Fundy and its tidal salt marshes in the west. With its agreeable breezy climate, Nova Scotia has a shiny sunny summer and a cold, snowy winter, beautiful in both cases. The capital of the province, Halifax, is also its largest city.

On the border of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick holds more surprises than one can imagine. Its natural wonders offer distinctive and unique opportunities to experience memorable and unforgettable moments. Whether it is whale-watching, a warm saltwater swim, a high tide, sea kayaking, or exciting visits to museum villages, New Brunswick will always welcome anyone seeking to have fun and exciting times. However, the province holds more than gorgeous beaches, forests, and green sceneries covering more than three-quarters of the province, and most of its top attractions are closer to the coast.

Related: This Nova Scotia Island Is Free To Explore, But Not For The Faint-Hearted

Here Are The Best Places To Visit In Fascinating Nova Scotia

Cabot Trail

A long drive with some good music along the 300-kilometer northwest coast of Cape Breton Island is undoubtedly able to melt away all the stress. It is magnificent during Autumn. The coastal route, where the highest Mountains of Nova Scotia embrace the Gulf of St. Lawrence, is pinned by many small communities and tourist shops selling various locally produced and artisanal items. Hiking is also an unmissable activity to consider when in Cape Breton.

Peggy's Cove

Nostalgic about childhood days when going fishing with siblings? Peggy's Cove, 43 kilometers southwest of Halifax, is a fishing village able to bring back the best childhood memories or even ignite a new fishing passion. Peggy's Point Lighthouse, illuminating the foggy Atlantic Cost, is one of the most photographed lighthouses in Canada. With its colorful heritage homes and art exhibition rooms, the village is a hot spot for tourists, especially those coming from Halifax, as there is a trendy day trip destination from there organized frequently.

Fortress of Louisburg National Historic Site

To enjoy more historic elegance, the Fortress of Louisburg, a national historic site, is a living history museum representing the fort life of the mid-18th century through more than forty historic buildings, costumed guides, working establishments, and some intimidating enormous defensive walls surrounding the site. During the day visit, tourists can watch servants cooking, taste authentic hot chocolate, and devour some freshly baked bread. However, for a more enchanting and mesmeric experience, visitors can choose to spend their night in a reproduction tent or period home inside the fort.

Related: 10 Underrated Things To Do In Beautiful New Brunswick

Here Are The Recommended And Top Rated Activities And Sites To Visit When In New Brunswick

Bay Of Fundy

New Brunswick is so attractive to many people primarily because of this site and its tides. The rushing waters of the bay, high tides (the highest in the world!), reaching approximately 19 meters deep, occurring twice a day, guarantee surfers and epic wave lovers a thrilling experience like no other. For those who would like to stay on the safe side, the majestic cliffs, sea caves, and rock formations are worth exploring, watching, and indeed, photographing. The Bay of Fundy also attracts as many as 12 species of whales and other marine animals. The whales' season runs from June through October, with the highest concentration in August. The rare North Atlantic Right Whale finds a home in the bay during mid-summer. Hence, the chance of seeing not only a whale but several different species is very high.

• Recommended: The recommended companies to reach out to offer a variety of whale watching experiences are:
• Island Quest Marine Whale and Wildlife Cruises
• Fundy Tide Runners
• Jolly Breeze Tall Ship

Hopewell Rocks

A more amusing and exciting spectacle to attend is the Hopewell Rocks at high and low tides. Viewed from the available series of platforms, the rocks look like tree-clad islands when the tide is in. The rocks transform, at low tide, into enormous and deeply eroded sea stacks. Visitors can walk among them by descending the stairs to the ocean floor. At high tides, kayaking is the best way to appreciate those rocks.

The Fundy Trail Parkway

Fundy has more to offer than just its beautiful bay and waves. The Fundy Trail Parkway is a lovely, picturesque coastal drive lying northeast of Saint John. Starting near St. Martins (a village on the Bay of Fundy in St. John County), it is a slow-paced route pinned with picnic areas offering gorgeous views of coastal cliffs, isolated beaches, and marine wildlife. In addition to that, there are 10-kilometer pedestrian and bicycle trails.

Which Destination Is Better To Visit? Nova Scotia Or New Brunswick?

Although Nova Scotia and New Brunswick share an almost similar landscape, each destination has something unique to offer to its visitors. In addition to the landscape, both Canadian provinces share the same culture and warm and friendly population. People interested in witnessing tidal scenery will prefer to head to New Brunswick to places like the Fundy Trail Parkway, St Martins, the Flower Pot Rocks, and Fundy National Park. On the other hand, Nova Scotia is worth visiting since it's home to the top 1 Canadian Island, Cape Breton Island.

Additionally, the province hosts the largest food and film festival in the world, Devour! To enjoy the full experience, travelers are recommended to drive the Bay of Fundy road trip, which takes them on an 8-day vacation from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick. This will allow them to witness the world's highest tides, ride the water waves created by the Fundy 50-foot tidal exchange, see puffins, whales, and other wildlife, sea kayak at high tide, and hike cliff top overlooks and historic lighthouses.

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