Top Things to do in Southwest Nova Scotia
Top Hotels in Southwest Nova Scotia
- 1. Days Inn by Wyndham Bridgewater Conference Center
- 2. Rum Runner Inn
- 3. Bayside Inn
- 4. Best Western Plus Bridgewater Hotel & Convention Centre
- 5. Dockside Suites
- 6. Tru By Hilton Yarmouth
- 7. Lakelawn B&B Motel
- 8. Rodd Grand Yarmouth Hotel
- 9. Smugglers Cove Inn
- 10. A Seafaring Maiden Bed and Breakfast
Top 10 Nature & Wildlife Areas in Southwest Nova Scotia, Southwest Nova Scotia
Discover the best top things to do in Southwest Nova Scotia, United States including Pond Cove Beach and Nature Preserve, Seal Cove, Wallace Bay National Wildlife Area, McMaster Mill Historic Park, Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens, Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, Eaton Park, Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, Burntcoat Head Park, Kejimkujik National Park & National Historic Site.
Restaurants in Southwest Nova Scotia
1. Pond Cove Beach and Nature Preserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By LaurenBowes903 - Peggy's Cove, Canada
This is a great spot for swimming, building sandcastles, beachcombing, or all of the above! Whatever your pleasure may be, you will find it at Pond Cove.
2. Seal Cove
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 26 reviews
Reviewed By LaurenBowes903 - Peggy's Cove, Canada
Enjoy this relatively easy hike along the coast with views of the ocean, lighthouse, and hopefully seals!
3. Wallace Bay National Wildlife Area
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By Kim123172 - Truro, Canada
A favorite gem of a trail! Often you will be the only one there. It's especially wonderful in the spring with the arrival of bird life.The first half of this trail is an easy walk and fairly dry underfoot.If you intend to walk the second half then be sure to have good footwear and bug repellent as it can be quite wet and buggy at times.Well worth the effort though.Over many visits we have seen a great variety of ducks and warblers,plus a beaver or two,a mink and often eagles and seals that frequent the aboiteau looking for fish.
4. McMaster Mill Historic Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By trainfan2000 - Hamilton, Canada
This little park, the site of a historic mill, is a little gem of a park. There are interpretive signs that explain the history of the site. The trails (short with a few small inclines) are well cleared wide paths and easy to walk on - you could easily use a stroller here. There are a couple of lookouts that give a great view of the gorge. Some of the mill ruins are visible. There is limited parking on the side of the road. A portable toilet is available. The site is well maintained and free. Worth the visit if you are in the area.
5. Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 733 reviews
ESCAPE from the hectic pace of everyday life with a visit to Annapolis Royal’s beautiful Historic Gardens!In a beautiful setting overlooking a tidal river valley, the 17 acre Historic Gardens is a premiere Nova Scotia attraction showcasing gardening methods, designs and materials representing more than four hundred years of local history. Highlights include a Rose collection of more than 270 cultivars, an Acadian House representing pre-deportation 1671 time period, and much more…
Reviewed By BenLar137 - Calgary, Canada
We visited early October, and so, while there were flowers, the blossoms were not at their peak. Also, it was a little early in the autumn colour season, and so the leaves had just started turning. BUT, we had a fantastic visit nonetheless! The Acadian cottage is quite charming, the main garden spaces were still green and meticulously maintained, with a few blossoms still popping. For us, we were most impressed by their garden innovation section, where we learned about several techniques that we could use in our own garden. Their statue collection in the garden was also amazing. Staff were pleasant and helpful, and we would say this is a must-see, extremely highly recommended attraction for this fabulous part of Nova Scotia.
6. Shubenacadie Wildlife Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 132 reviews
7. Eaton Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
8. Cape Chignecto Provincial Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 120 reviews
At Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, towering 185-meter (600-foot) cliffs rise from the Bay of Fundy while the world’s highest tides lap at their base. Cape Chignecto is a 4,200-hectare natural environment park on a dramatic coastal peninsula. The park features 29 kilometres (18 miles) of pristine coastline, some of Nova Scotia’s most significant geological features, deep valleys, sheltered coves, rare plants, remnant old growth forest, scenic views, and a rich cultural heritage. We offer wilderness camping in secluded coves and ravines, while a spectacular coastal hiking trail leads visitors along high cliffs and deep valleys. Because Cape Chignecto is a wilderness hiking park, there are no drive-up camping sites.
Reviewed By G5259KFshannonb
Cape Chignecto is a truly stunning place for anything from a half-hour stop at the Interpretive Centre and beach to a four-day hike around the whole trail. It has a great mixture of rocky beaches, dramatic cliffs, ocean views, and hikes through coniferous forest, deciduous forest, and mixed forest. And the staff are truly excellent - very knowledgable and helpful (and kind: I moronically left my car keys in the cabin, and they were promptly returned to me by eagle-eyed staff members). This is Nova Scotian hospitality at its best. I've done day hikes from the Visitor's Centre in the summer. Tip: even for day hikes, bring a water filter to save yourself from being weighed down by water bottles, especially in hotter weather. There are streams at very regular intervals throughout the park, and if you drink at each of them, you'll never be thirsty. This Thanksgiving weekend, I did the trail clockwise in three days - fairly strenuous, but doable - although it's more common to do it in four days, and I stayed in the cabin at Big Bald Rock and the Bunkhouse near Eatonville. (The campsites are great, too, but I gave myself the luxury of going tent-free because I was moving quite quickly.) The first day, from the Visitor's Centre to Big Bald Rock, was intense but inspiring. The other two days were very manageable; the last was only five hours' hiking, and that included lots of breaks. It was varied, beautiful, and quiet. The trail along the southern shore from the Visitor's Centre to the Cape has a lot of larger climbs and descents, but it's a bit smoother; the trail along the Western coast from the Cape up to the turn-in to Eatonville is a little more uneven and has the most stunning coastline and views; and the trail from the coast back through the interior makes for a more relaxing (though still challenging enough to keep one's interest) woodland hike. Practicalities: the cabins are extremely well equipped with drinking water, wood stoves and firewood, privies, and two "rooms" of bunks. The ones I stayed at also had Adirondack chairs and picnic tables outside, tables with benches inside, packs of cards (a very nice way to pass the evening), and some other bibs and bobs. This is very cushy back-country camping, giving you the experience of a true back-country trail but a lovely place to spread out and dry out in the evenings if you've gotten wet. There is cel reception intermittently on the trail, generally in higher places and on the beaches. There is cel reception in the Big Bald Rock cabin but not the Bunkhouse, although you only have to walk a few minutes up the hill from the Bunkhouse for reception. (I'm on Telus; reception for other carriers may vary.) I also recommend bringing hiking poles. There are quite a few hills to give you a good workout, including a couple of steep ones, especially the descent into Mill Brook from the East. I've done it without poles, but descending it, in particular, feels much safer with them. And remember to pack all your garbage out. The park is really pristine - you don't want to do anything to spoil it. This is one of my absolute favourite spots in Nova Scotia, and that's saying a lot. Other favourite things in the area: in Advocate, the Hook & Anchor restaurant for the superb lobster roll or the Wild Caraway for fine dining; the Age of Sail Museum in Port Greville; the Joggins Fossil Museum and beach; Parrsboro (all of it); Mo's Family Restaurant and Accommodations in Five Islands; and Five Islands Provincial Park.
9. Burntcoat Head Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 279 reviews
We are now closed for the 2020 season, and look forward to 2021. Thank you to all of our 2020 visitors for making the best of their summer and visiting us!
Reviewed By Krista713-78 - Sydney, Canada
Walking on the ocean floor when the tides recede. 50 feet under sea level. What a Beautiful spot of family learning and exploring. We found lots of crabs, Hermet Crabs, even a Shark egg! Fantastic photo op’s the caves are amazing and photograph really well. A must see if your in the area
10. Kejimkujik National Park & National Historic Site
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 200 reviews
Uniquely designated a National Park and a National Historic site, Kejimkujik is the only National Park with a dual designation making it a truly one of a kind destination to explore and experience in southwestern Nova Scotia. With 381 square kilometres of rolling hills, old growth hemlocks and interconnected waterways, Keji, as it’s known in Nova Scotia, is a gentle wilderness that has been welcoming generations of families to canoe, camp and connect with nature. Not only does the park protect a unique sample of the Acadian forest and a diverse ecosystem, it also preserves and presents a cultural landscape, celebrating the presence of the Mi’kmaq and shares the stories of their ancestors and history in this place. The rich Mi’kmaw heritage, rock carvings known as petroglyphs, traditional encampment areas and ancient canoe routes all contributed to the designation of Kejimkujik as a National Historic Site. Special programs share this amazing history. With very low light pollution in this part of the NS, Kejimkujik is well placed as a Dark Sky Preserve. As the sun sets over the western shores of Kejimkujik Lake, a spectacular panorama of tens of thousands of stars, constellations and planets is unveiled.
Reviewed By Stormy_Water_Travels
Kejimkujik National Park has been a favourite for my whole life. The park is well taken care of and has many beautiful destinations. The best thing about this park is being able to have a nice peaceful and quiet vacation. The wonderful warm lake in the summer, the beautiful well taken care of campground, and the fantastic calm paddles on the Mersey river and the Kejimkujik Lake make for memories that will last a lifetime. Also look out for the wildlife you might just find a deer!
