Introduction to Acadian Peninsula

The Acadian Peninsula is the bulge on the northeast corner of New Brunswick, forming one of the arms of the Baie des Chaleurs (Québec's Gaspé Peninsula forms the other). It's a land of tidy, nondescript houses, miles of shoreline (much of it beaches), harbors filled with commercial fishing boats, and residents proud of their Acadian heritage. You'll see the Stella Maris flag -- the French tricolor with a single gold star in the field of blue -- everywhere up here.

One thing it's not is wild and remote. On a map it looks like this coastline should be that way, but it's not. Farmhouses dot the roads, and you'll occasionally come upon brilliant meadows of hawkweed or lupine, but this part of the province is more given over to prefab housing on little lots between the sea and boring two-lane highways. Other than the superb Acadian Village historical museum near Caraquet, there are few organized attractions in this region. It's more a place to unwind while walking on a beach or watching fishing boats than to do heavy-duty sightseeing.