The 113km (70-mile) shoreline from Digby to Yarmouth has been described as down-home Canada at its best. See it via the meandering coastal Route 1, rather than Route 101 (which is faster but without scenery or community). Here you’ll find Acadian enclaves; lively summer festivals; historic buildings; fishing villages; miles of sandy, lonely beaches; and spruce-topped basalt cliffs.

The unassuming port town of Digby is located on the water at Digby Gap—where the Annapolis River forces an egress through the North Mountain coastal range. Set at the south end of the broad watery expanse of the Annapolis Basin, Digby is home to the world’s largest inshore scallop fleet. These boats drag the ocean bottom nearby and bring back succulent Digby scallops, famous throughout Canada. The town itself is an active community where life centers around the fishing boats and no-frills seafood restaurants. It also serves as Nova Scotia’s gateway for those arriving from Saint John, New Brunswick, via ferry. Aside from the Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa, which warrants its own trip, the town is worth checking out.

Look at a map of Nova Scotia and you’ll see the thin strand of Digby Neck extending southwest from Annapolis Basin. This scenic peninsula is a nature lovers’ paradise lying between the Bay of Fundy and St. Mary’s Bay. You can catch any number of boats to watch whales, or kick back and relax secure in the knowledge that rush hour will never hit this long, bony finger of high ridges, spongy bogs, dense forest, and ocean views. Maybe you’re like me and just get a kick out of following a road to its end. The last two knuckles of this narrow peninsula are islands, both of which are connected via quick, 10-minute ferries across straits swept by currents as strong as 9 knots.

Neither the neck nor the islands have a lot of services for tourists beyond a mix of basic accommodations (a lodge, B&Bs, and so on) and a few general stores. But it’s well worth the drive if you’re a connoisseur of end-of-the-world remoteness. The village of Sandy Cove on the mainland is picture-perfect, with its three prominent church steeples rising from the forest and a footprint so narrow it has wharfs on both sides of the peninsula. There really is a sandy beach in this cove. Both Tiverton on Long Island and Westport on Brier Island are unadorned fishing villages.

Exploring Digby and Digby Neck


On Long Island, you can pick up local information inside the Islands Museum at 243 Highway 217 (tel. 902/839-2034; June–mid-Sept; free entry) in Freeport. It’s a tiny place, mostly devoted to the story of Joshua Slocum, the first person to sail solo around the world and the most famous person in the history of the island.

In early August, the highlight of a visit here is Digby Scallop Days, a salty local celebration of the shellfish that gives the town its fame with scallop-shucking contests, raffles, food, busking, and general merriment. A fancy event? No. A slice of real Nova Scotia life? Yes.

Another slam-dunk event for motorcycle enthusiasts: the Wharf Rat Rally (tel. 902/245-5924), held on Labour Day weekend, is one of the largest rallies in Atlantic Canada, bringing thousands to town and filling the streets with bikes, competitions, stunts, and parades. This is a huge event, filling hotels within a radius of at least an hour’s drive. If you like bikes and biker culture, this is nirvana. If you don’t, stay away.

Just outside the town of Digby, you’ll find the quaint tidal village of Bear River, often referred to as the town on stilts. This is because when the tide rushes in from the Bay of Fundy twice daily, rising up to 25 feet, the historic buildings near the waterfront need to be anchored on stilts so they can stay well out of the water line. With a population of only 800, the village is home to numerous artisans, drawn from far and wide to the beauty and uniqueness of the area. It’s an excellent place to pick up original art and unique gifts to take back home—a wander through Bear River Artworks Gallery (tel. 902/247-2205) or The Flight of Fancy (tel. 902/467-4171) won’t go unrewarded. There are also two wineries nearby, Casa Nova Fine Beverages at 2635 Clementsvale Rd and Bear River Vineyards at 133 Chute Rd.; both offer tastings and invite visitors to wander through the vines and enjoy the property.