Canada’s three Maritime provinces, New Brunswick, PEI and Nova Scotia, are built for road trips, especially if you’re looping in and out of the region from the U.S. or Quebec. Soak up the scenery along thousands of kilometres of coastline. Savour the freshest seafoods. Indulge the senses at beaches, distilleries and spas. Golf world-class courses. Relax at luxurious resorts with down-home hospitality. Check out these drive itineraries for the Maritimes’ most rewarding road trips.
Scenic Route #1: The Cabot Trail
The dramatic Cabot Trail loops around the cliffs of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Photo: Cape Breton Destination Association
Where: Northern Nova Scotia.
When: October, when fall colours light up the mountains.
Stops along the way: Golfers have a choice of three world class gems, the classic Highland Links, the Scottish inspired Cabot Links and the dramatic Cabot Cliffs. For nature lovers, trails like Skyline and Franey lead to breathtaking scenery in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Arts and crafts define French Acadian culture in Cheticamp, particularly at an arts and culture museum like Les Trois Pignons.
Cabo Cliffs
Woodroad’s Tuna tartare with fresh greens.
Eat here: Chanterelle Restaurant for foraged and local cuisine.
Fine dining: “The Cape Breton Dining Experience” at the open-kitchen Woodroad restaurant in Margaree Harbour.
Stay: Choose between chalets and inn rooms at Glenora Distillery.
Upgrade: Relax at Cabot Links Lodge overlooking the golf course.
Must-have experience: At Glenora, North America’s oldest single malt distillery, order a dram or two of whisky aged anywhere from five to 25 years.
Scenic Route #2: Points East PEI
📍 Basin Head Beach | 📷: ©Tourism PEI / Sander Meurs
Where: Loop drive around eastern PEI, from and back to Charlottetown.
When: Summer to swim in some of the Maritimes’ warmest waters.
Stops along the way: Walk the “singing sands” of Basin Head Provincial Park. Golf coastal courses at Brudenell and Crowbush. Go horseback riding on the beach with Brudenell Riding Stables. Climb lighthouses at East Point, Souris and Panmure Island. Sample small batch spirits at Myriad View Distillery. Sip craft beers in Montague at Bogside and Copper Bottom.
Chef Michael Smith @ The Inn at Bay Fortune
Nature Space Resort. 📸 @victoraerden
Eat here: Dine riverside in Montague at the Station Pub.
Fine dining: Head to Inn at Bay Fortune to join TV chef Michael Smith for his communal Fireworks Feast in his open kitchen restaurant.
Stay: Sleep in a real Mongolian yurt or ger at Nature Space Eco Resort. Enjoy relaxing onsite yoga instruction.
Upgrade: Retreat to your private cabin after a day at Mysa Nordic Spa and Resort.
Must-have experience: Stroll the boardwalk to Greenwich Beach, part of PEI National Park.
Scenic Route #3: The Fundy Coast
Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick. Photo by Nick Hawkins c/o Tourism New Brunswick
Where: The Bay of Fundy coastline on the shores of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
When: June-September.
Stops along the way: Take a winery tour in the Annapolis Valley. Hike spectacular Cape Split. Experience pre-dinosaur life in Parrsboro and Joggins. Walk or kayak around the quirky flowerpot pinnacles at Hopewell Rocks. Dine and zip-line cliffside at Cape Enrage. Slow-drive and stop often on the Fundy Trail Parkway. Island hop to Grand Manan, Campobello and others.
Hopewell Rocks. Photo: Tourism New Brunswick
Halibut head cheese, Sweet Cicely, Scotch Lovage, Marsh Mint Salsa Verde, served with Wild Caraway Rye Crackers
Eat here: Hearty housemade pasta and seafood dishes at The Octopus’s Garden Cafe & Bistro in Alma are fuel for hikes in adjacent Fundy National Park.
Fine dining: Experience foraged, fished and farmed local dishes at Wild Caraway.
Stay: The Digby Pines Resort at the ferry terminal linking the two provinces.
Upgrade: The historic Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews for old-fashioned luxury.
Must-have experience: Whale watching cruises depart on both sides of the bay in zippy Zodiacs, on converted fishing boats and aboard a tall ship.
Scenic Route #4: The South Shore
Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. Photo: Nova Scotia Tourism
Where: Halifax to Yarmouth.
When: Late spring to catch the end of lobster season.
Stops along the way: Scoot out to Peggy’s Cove renowned for the lighthouse perched on sea swept rocks. Spend a day at SENSEA Spa. Pause in the Unesco-listed fishing port of Lunenburg. Learn about African-Canadian history at the bright, new Black Loyalist Heritage Centre. Stroll Yarmouth’s historic streets before catching The Cat ferry back to Bar Harbor, Maine.
Lunenburg during the winter. 📸 @acorn_art_photography
Oceanstone Seaside Resort
Eat here: Try “the shacks” for fresh seafood: The South Shore Fish Shack in Lunenburg or Capt. Kat’s Lobster Shack in Barrington Passage.
Fine dining: Elliot’s Dining Room at White Point Resort overlooking the Atlantic.
Stay: The new Hilltop Studios at Quarterdeck Resort offer grand views of Summerville Beach.
Upgrade: Cozy up in a seaside cottage at Oceanstone Resort. Try the Nordic-style spa.
Must-have experience: This is big-ocean country, so getting out on the water is compulsory. Catch the ferry to the Tancook Islands. Step aboard Canada’s darling tallship, the Bluenose, when she’s in her hometown port, Lunenburg. Tusket Island Tours comes with music and chowder as it explores the remote archipelago.
