Planning a trip to Digby

Getting There -- Digby is Nova Scotia’s gateway for those arriving from Saint John, New Brunswick, via ferry. The ferry terminal is on Route 303, west of Digby. The ferry terminal is on Rte. 303, just west of Digby. Trips to and from Nova Scotia can be booked through Bay Ferries (tel. 877/762-7245) for C$53 per adult in peak season, C$128 per car.

If you’re indeed arriving by ferry and want to visit the town before pushing on, look sharp for signs directing you downtown from the bypass, lest you end up on Route 101 and headed out of town by mistake. Coming from the rest of Nova Scotia, take exit 26 off Route 101 to reach Digby.

From Digby, Route 217 runs about 72km (45 miles) south to Brier Island. Two ferries bridge the islands, and they run once every hour, 24 hours a day, year-round. The first boat leaves East Ferry (about a 45-min. drive from Digby) on the mainland for Tiverton, Long Island, every half-hour; the second ferry departs Freeport for Brier Island on the hour. (The ferries are timed so that you can drive directly from one ferry to the next, if you don’t dally too much on the road between.) The ferries are free of charge.

Visitor Information -- The province maintains a visitor information center ([tel] 888/463-4429) in downtown Digby open mid-May to September.

If you're in the area in early August, don't miss Digby Scallop Days, a salty local celebration of the shellfish that gives the town its fame. Expect scallop-shucking contests (aw, shucks!), raffles, food, busking, and general merriment. A fancy event? No. A slice of real Nova Scotia life? Yes.