The Bay of Fundy is home to miles of unspoiled, saltwater beaches. The perfect place to relax in the sun, play in the ocean’s waves or take a peaceful stroll. Find interesting driftwood and shells and colourful, smooth stones left behind by the tides. On a hot summer’s day, brave the cool waters of Fundy and take a refreshing dip.
Two must-visit beaches along the Fundy coast are Mavillette Beach and New River Beach.
Mavillette Beach
A favoured beach along Nova Scotia’s French Acadian Shore is Mavillette Beach. Boardwalks protecting the marram grass covered dunes lead visitors to the 1.5km sandy beach. At low tide, sand flats are exposed to the sun and then, as the tide comes in, the hot sand warms the water.
New River Beach
In New Brunswick, just outside the City of Saint John, New River Beach is a popular spot for both tourists and locals alike. New River Beach plays host to an incredible sand sculpture competition each year. Friends, families and children – under various categories – spend hours in the sun creating truly interesting and intricate sculptures from the sand ranging from popular cartoon characters to scenic depictions. The dates of the event change each year as the competition needs to take place on a weekend with low, low tides to allow participants the maximum amount of time to complete their creations.
Finally, an added bonus about Fundy beaches is the lack of crowds. Compared to beaches in high-traffic tourist destinations, the beaches along the Fundy coast are nearly deserted. So come with your beach blanket, sunscreen and a good book and enjoy a relaxing day in solitude at the beach!
This was the 13th article in our “52 Reasons to visit” series. Take some time to read our next reason: Fundy Parks, or last week’s reason: Destination Weddings. We also think you may want to take a look at the overview of all the articles in this series and use our RSS feed so you won’t miss any further articles!
Susan Wall
Hi. I am looking for information on Likely’s Beach at the corner of Bayside Dr. and Red Head Rd. in Saint John, NB.
Gordon Brown
Hi, Mike. I was wondering if you could tell me whether there are any beaches with surf on the New Brunswick side of the Bay, or indeed anywhere in New Brunswick. Personally, I prefer calm and warm water, but my wife prefers beaches with large waves.
Thanks!
Bay of Fundy
Hi Gordon, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I am not much of a surfer myself, so I actually don’t know all that about good spots. I do know that the east coast of Nova Scotia is widely regarded as a great spot to surf.
As far as New Brunswick goes, you may want to look in the Val-Comeau / Tracadie-Sheila area up north. I believe it gets some decent surf with with a low pressure or storm out in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence or Cabot Straits. And the water is nice and warm in the summer.
I southern New Brunswick you get pretty decent surf west of Saint John. Especially once you get into hurricane season. The negative for you will be that the water will typically stay (well) below 10C.
To get a better idea, you may want to visit http://www.windfinder.com and search for the “Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada” weather station. After that you can click on spots along the coast and see detailed wind and surf forecasts.
Elaine
Hello
We are taking a cruise to Canada and would like to know about the reversing rapids boat ride. Is there some way we can book this?
Thank you.
Elaine
Bay of Fundy
Hi Elaine, we have some more info about the rapids in our recent Reversing Rapids article. You can reserve a spot on the boat by visiting the Jet Boat Rides website.