Country Vacations & Resorts

We’re starting this adventure in the villages of Rose Bay and Riverport, Lunenburg Region, Nova Scotia.

If vacation time always seems to run out before you accomplish one-half of your “to do” and “to see” lists, travel time spent in Canada’s second-smallest province, Nova Scotia, will be no exception.

For an area half the size of Ohio, this province has everything for the vacation traveler, in a small and perfectly wrapped package.

Bird-watching, fossil and rock exploration, fresh and saltwater fishing, culture, the world-renown, “Tastes of Nova Scotia” cuisine, and scenic beauty that will make you wish for a better camera – no matter what you currently have…

Welcome to Nova Scotia

Just south of the midway point on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia is the Lunenburg Region and the small towns of Rose Bay and Riverport. The town of Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – one of the few urban sites so honored in North America.

Why Rose Bay and Riverport?

Proximity to so many points of interest, small, quaint, quiet towns, beaches, lighthouses and, well, images speak louder than words. With over 4700 miles of beautiful coastline, Nova Scotia has a lot to say.

Dawn on Rose Bay, Nova Scotia
Photo courtesy: Christian Heyne Design

With views of the mighty Atlantic to the east and the LaHave River meandering to the southwest, Riverport, formerly known as Ritcey’s Cove, was settled in 1754 and is at the mouth of the LaHave River.

The village is approximately 105 kilometers (65 mi) from the Halifax Region, 10 kilometers (6 mi) from Lunenburg, and about 5 minutes from the LaHave ferry.

Located on the Kingsburg peninsula, it is surrounded by smaller communities including Rose Bay and Lower Rose Bay. Nearby LaHave, just across the LaHave River, was chosen by King Louis XIII to be the site of the First Capital of New France. Visit the Fort Point LaHave Museum to learn more of this town’s history. And please don’t forget the Something Fishy Studio, also in LaHave – I love that name!

Known historically for dependence on the resource sector, the town of Riverport was a prohibition-era base of operations for rum running through to the United States. The town’s main economy in more recent times has been as a seafood (scallop) port, but the town continues to make changes in response to local environs and the economy. If you happen to visit this area in August, don’t miss the annual Riverport Rum Running Fishing Derby!

Rose Bay…and “Ovens”

On the peninsula where the Atlantic and Rose Bay meet is Ovens Reef. It is here you will find Ovens Natural Park, a 190 acre pristine reserve of coastal forest, located along Nova Scotia’s scenic Lighthouse Route. View the map for this most scenic of coastal tours here.

Map: Ovens Natural Park

The park is named for the caves, or “ovens” that make up much of this geographically diverse reserve. Hike the spectacular trails along the cliffs to view the famous sea caves, as other visitors and explorers have done for hundreds of years.

Start at Tucker’s Tunnel which began as a natural cave but was extended due to mining during the 1861 gold rush at the Ovens. The Ovens actually once supported a town of over a thousand miners, complete with hotels, stores, and a bank to keep up with “gold fever.”

While the buildings of this era are gone, remnants of the mining effort can be found in many areas of the park. The park maintains a small gold rush museum and visitors can rent a gold pan and try their luck at panning for gold on *Cunard’s Beach. Halfway along the trail, a balcony allows visitors to view the fine veil of water that falls across the opening to Indian Cave.

*Read more about Samuel Cunard, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the shipping magnate who founded the Cunard Line.

The park also hosts the Chapin Music Festival and offers you a chance to stake your claim by renting a pan and trying your “panning” luck. Go ahead, you know you want to!

Take a virtual tour of Ovens Natural Park here.

Beaches – Just skimming the surface…

Hirtle’s Beach, Nova Scotia
Noreen Channels photo
Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy

This central east-coast area of Nova Scotia containing the Lunenburg region has no shortage of beaches. In additional to Cunard’s Beach and it’s gold we mentioned above, you are also just a few minutes drive from Hirtle’s Beach, a crescent-shaped beach great for waders, body surfers, beachcombers, and swimmers alike. The nearby beach at Kingsburg is protected by the Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy whose mission is,

“To conserve and protect shoreline, wetlands, beaches, freshwater habitats, fields and forests, and to ensure that access to these places, both on Kingsburg peninsula and in neighbouring areas, remains available to the public forever. “

Now this is an area I want to visit on my vacation and I am reassured to know that preservation is underway to ensure my great-grandchildren (and yours!), will be able to enjoy it as well.

Don’t forget Peggy’s Cove!…

Peggy’s Cove

With it’s rocky shores and tiny village, Peggy’s Cove and it’s lighthouse are almost a mecca for photographers visiting this region. The lighthouse, a traditional red-and-white structure operated by the Canadian Coast Guard, is one of the most recognized and photographed lighthouses in the world.

Located on the eastern shore of St. Margaret’s Bay, Peggy’s Cove is a small fishing village with a permanent population of around 50 which has suffered a bit for it’s scene-seeking visitors. A study is currently underway to analyze traffic patterns through the village, ensuring this quaint town loses none of it’s local charm.

So, we started off with Riverpoint and Rose Bay but haven’t spent a lot of time there. This is the perfection, and the frustration, of vacationing in the Canadian Province of Nova Scotia – so many towns, so little time…and never enough VACATION!

When to go…

Depending on your travel purpose, Nova Scotia is open for visitors year-round.

Want to ski? Both downhill and cross-country seasons run from mid-December to early April. Want to catch the 10-day Celtic Colours International Festival? Go in October – when it is held – and also a fantastic time to view Nova Scotia’s spectacular fall foliage. Want to hit the beach, do some whale-watching, and attend festivals and events? Plan your visits between mid-June and 1 October. You’ll find lobster is most plentiful during May and June.

PerfectPlaces has 98 vacation rentals in Nova Scotia. Click on any of the listings via the link below and search for your specific town of interest: