|
The jagged coastline running southwest of Halifax to Yarmouth , a distance of 300km, boasts dozens of tiny fishing villages glued tight against the shore by the vast forest that pours over the interior. Most were founded by Loyalists, whose dedication to the British interest both during and after the American War of Independence obliged them to hotfoot it out of the US, often as penniless refugees. Today, the most beguiling of these villages are Peggy's Cove , an incredibly picturesque smattering of higgledy-piggledy clapboard houses dotted along a wild shore, and lesser-known Lockeport , with its old-fashioned air and fine sandy beaches. Equally diverting are the towns of Lunenburg , with its stunning Victorian architecture, and ritzy, leafy Chester , both of which derived their former prosperity, like their coastal neighbours, from the now-defunct shipbuilding business and from privateering. Travelling the shoreline is the Lighthouse Route , a tourist trail that details everything of any possible interest: you're better off sticking to the main road, Hwy 103, and dropping down to the coast for the highlights. At workaday Liverpool , there's a choice of routes: you can stick to the coast, passing the seashore section of Kejimkujik National Park and Lockeport on the way to Yarmouth, where the Evangeline Route continues along the French Shore to Annapolis Royal . Or - and this is probably the better option, unless you've bags of time - you can cut across the peninsula to Annapolis Royal on Hwy 8, past the wilderness splendours of the main portion of Kejimkujik National Park . The area is popular with tourists, but not oppressively so, and almost every settlement has at least a couple of fine old Victorian mansions that have been converted into inns or B&Bs . These provide first-rate accommodation at reasonable prices and reservations are only essential in the height of the season and on holiday weekends. In terms of restaurants , seafood is the big deal around here - usually simply prepared and quite delicious. For public transport , DRL bus, based at the Halifax bus station, operates a daily service between Halifax and Yarmouth along the southern shore, and Acadian Bus Lines connect Halifax with Yarmouth four times weekly via the Annapolis Valley, Digby and the French Shore.
Your Tip for Southwest Nova Scotia
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Southwest Nova Scotia - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Southwest Nova Scotia - visit the main Southwest Nova Scotia forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Southwest Nova Scotia webguide section below! Thanks.
|
