Summer on the Authentic Seacoast

Summer is the perfect time to escape to the Nova Scotia Authentic Seacoast for a vacation getaway.  Long summer days with cooling ocean breezes and warm evenings are ideal for exploring the coves, beaches and fishing villages that dot the 600 kilometres of shoreline on Chedabucto Bay. Special festivals, farmers markets and music events are an opportunity to come face-to-face with the culture, tastes and sounds of the Authentic Seacoast. And the fresh sea air and quiet create an atmosphere that restores the soul.

Here are our top 10 summer vacation getaway tips from the Authentic Seacoast 101 so you can experience the best Nova Scotia has to offer in our beautiful coastal region:

1. Coastal Walking and Biking Trails
Chedabucto Bay has some of Nova Scotia’s most scenic coastal walking and biking trails and one of our favourites include the Trans Canada Trail which stretches from Guysborough Harbour to the hills overlooking the Bay and the rivers that flow to the ocean. The trail has a spectacular view of Chedabucto Bay from Cook’s Cove and features one of Nova Scotia’s few suspension bridges. Other renowned coastal trails include the Chapel Gully Trail and the Black Duck - Little Dover Coast Trail.

2. Taste of Nova Scotia Dinners
Nova Scotia’s Cuisine of the Year Restaurant DesBarres Manor Inn has nightly Taste of Nova Dinners that introduce diners the seasonal culinary treasures of Chedabucto Bay and Nova Scotia. With fresh herbs and vegetables from the Manor’s organic gardens and local seafood paired with a Wine Spectator award winning wine list, these dinners will give you a true taste of the best of Nova Scotia.

3. Community Ceilidhs on the Guysborough Waterfront
Every Wednesday evening in July and August young fiddlers and Scottish dancers from the communities that dot Chedabucto Bay come to the Guysborough waterfront for a community ceilidh by the sea. Proud grandparents and parents come together with visitors from away for a heartwarming evening of Celtic music, dancing and culture. The party continues in the Rare Bird Pub & Eatery when locals take the Rare Bird stage for an evening of lively entertainment where everyone is a local. Look for special ceilidhs through the week at the Rare Bird.

4. Guysborough Farmer's Market
Feel the fresh sea air at the weekly Guysborough Farmer's Market. Every Saturday morning from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon during the summer months, the Guysborough Waterfront hosts a local farmer's market in Jost Building at the Marina. The market features the best of the Guysborough region with fresh organic garden produce, local organic meats, unique local arts & crafts, fresh homemade baking, handcrafted local jewelry and knitwear, food and more.

5. Nova Scotia Cooking Classes at DesBarres Manor Inn
With fresh herbs, edible flowers and vegetables in the DesBarres Manor Inn organic gardens and abundant seafood in Chedabucto Bay, summer is a great time for a cooking class in the Manor kitchen. Recipient of Nova Scotia’s Cuisine of the Year Award and the Canadian Wine Annual’s Where to Eat & Stay in Atlantic Canada, the DesBarres Manor Inn kitchen has a focus on contemporary Canadian cuisine with an East Coast flair and we’ll share the secrets behind the renowned cuisine in the Manor's dining room.

6. Sightseeing on Route 16
Frommers described the drive along Route 16 between Canso and Guysborough as an “uncommonly scenic drive”.  Some memorable stops include the Halfway Cove Lookoff for a panoramic view of the Atlantic Coast’s largest bay (read the historic plaque dedicated to Prince Henry Sinclair who is reputed to landed on Chedabucto Bay in 1398), the Queensport Lighthouse on Rooks Island, and the Fisherman’s Wharf in fishing village of Canso.

7. Golf at Osprey Shores Golf Resort
One of Atlantic Canada’s most picturesque golf courses comes to life in summer. With ocean views from every fairway, passing fishing boats and scenic harbour islands it’s hard to keep your eye on the ball. In addition to the always present water hazards, a den of ball stealing foxes on the sixth can cause some havoc with your scorecard!

8. Stan Rogers Folk Festival
The Stan Rogers Folk Festival, affectionately known as “StanFest” is one of Canada’s premier folk music festivals. Set along the shores of the Atlantic in the charming fishing village of Canso, StanFest celebrates the music and life of the legendary folk musician Stan Rogers. Stan settled on the shores of Chedabucto Bay and wrote beautiful songs that captured the seacoast spirit. Songs such as “Guysborough Train” and “Fogarty’s Cove” are tributes to his adopted home on the Nova Scotia Authentic Seacoast.

9. Beach Blanket Picnic
The Authentic Seacoast’s secluded beaches are the perfect place to get swept away by summer romance. Indie Travel named Port Shoreham beach one of “six places where you can get away from the crowds and join the “in” crowd for some fun in the sun.” Osprey Shores Golf Resort and DesBarres Manor Inn offer special picnic lunch getaway packages to help couples get carried away by the romantic adventure of Chedabucto Bay.

10. Chedabucto Bay Brewing Company
It doesn’t get anymore authentic than the Chedabucto Bay Brewing Company. Located in the Rare Bird Pub & Eatery, the Chedabucto Bay Brewing Co. carries on a proud brewing tradition that was started in the village of Guysborough by Nicholas Denys in 1659. Today the spirit of the first commercial brewery in Atlantic Canada continues with handcrafted ales using only deep artesian well water and freshly ground barley, malt and hops. Come taste a Rare Bird Ale and sip the spirit of the Authentic Seacoast!

We hope our summer vacation getaway tips capture your imagination and your desire to getaway to the Authentic Seacoast this summer.

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