Local guide
Tides and Trails Cottage sits inside the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark, a 165-kilometre stretch of coast with more than 40 geosites. Here's where we send our guests, sorted by how far it is from the front door.
You don't need the car keys for the best of it. The beach is a few minutes' walk down the trail beside the property, and the tide changes it completely twice a day.
2 minutes on foot
Take the trail by the dinosaur sign down to the beach. At low tide the water pulls far back from shore and leaves a wide red sea floor to explore, with The Brothers (the two islands) straight ahead. Wear sturdy shoes and keep an eye on the tide.
A short walk along the shore
These red cliffs hold the oldest dinosaur bones ever found in Canada, about 200 million years old, and one of the richest fossil beds of their age in North America. Look and photograph as much as you like, but fossils are protected by law in Nova Scotia, so leave what you find where it is.
At low tide
We leave shovels and buckets at the cottage for guests who want to dig their own supper on the flats. Check Fisheries and Oceans Canada's shellfish harvesting closures before you dig.
From the lawn
There are no city lights out here. On clear nights the fire pit chairs are the best seats for the stars, and a full moon rising over the islands is something you won't forget.
The biggest town on the north shore of the Minas Basin has groceries, cafés and restaurants, plus more to do than its size suggests.
10 minutes
See the dinosaurs, ancient reptiles and minerals found along this shore, and ask about guided beach tours. A good first stop, especially with kids.
10 minutes
Professional summer theatre and live music, built around the old Minas Basin ferry MV Kipawo. Check the season schedule before you come.
15 minutes
Hike the trail up Partridge Island for a lookoff over the Minas Channel, then visit Ottawa House By-the-Sea, a seaside museum that was once the summer home of Sir Charles Tupper.
All along the shore
The Parrsboro shore is known for agate, amethyst and other minerals washed out of the basalt cliffs by the tides. Every August the town hosts the Nova Scotia Gem and Mineral Show.
Follow the shore east and the cliffs get taller. Five Islands is one of the best places on the bay to see how far the tide really goes out.
About 35 minutes
Sea cliffs that rise 90 metres above the bay, hiking trails with views of the five islands, and a huge beach for walking the sea floor at low tide. Bring a picnic.
Along Highway 2
The geopark runs all the way from Lower Truro to Apple River, with lookoffs, beaches and interpretive stops along the route. Pick up a map in Parrsboro or plan a route online.
The drive west from Parrsboro toward Advocate Harbour is one of the prettiest in the province, and it ends at some of Nova Scotia's wildest coastline.
About 30 minutes
A small museum in Port Greville that tells the story of the wooden ships built along this shore, with a lighthouse on the grounds.
About 45 minutes
A quiet beach and lighthouse at the spot where the famous ghost ship Mary Celeste was built in 1861.
About 1 hour
A lighthouse perched on dark basalt cliffs, where you can watch the tide race past the point. The last stretch of road is gravel and the walk down to the light is steep.
About 1 hour
Nova Scotia's largest provincial park: towering sea cliffs, quiet coves and coastal trails that range from a short walk to the beach to multi-day wilderness hikes.
If the dinosaurs at Wasson Bluff got you hooked, go back another hundred million years.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
These cliffs on the Chignecto Bay side hold a fossil record of the Coal Age, more than 300 million years old, including whole fossilized tree trunks still standing where they grew. The visitor centre runs guided beach tours timed to the tides.
Your base camp
After a day on the shore, Tides and Trails Cottage has a hot shower, a full kitchen and four red chairs facing the sunset glow on the islands.
