The Bay of Fundy & beyond

Best for: Wildlife, hiking, birdwatching and culture

ROUTE: Halifax • Alma • Saint John, Campobello Island • Saint Andrews • Fredericton • Miramichi • Moncton • Shediac

WHY DO IT? This varied tour takes in two of Canada’s tidal bores – on the Petitcodiac River and the more famous Bay of Fundy – and New Brunswick’s 25km sweep of sand dunes.

This route gets you back to nature, from sealspotting and kayaking in the bay to guided bear-watching further north in Acadieville, to hiking and biking the maple forests. Cultural highlights also range from the astonishing collection at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton and the city’s cathedral and garrison district to the 34-room ‘cottage’ on Campobello Island where Franklin Roosevelt used to summer.

For an insight into early New Brunswick life, Kings Landing tells the story of Atlantic Canada via rescued buildings dating from 1820 to 1920. But the area isn’t short on history, natural or otherwise: St Andrewsby-the-sea claims that over half its buildings predate 1880, and nearby Kingsbrae Garden has old-growth Arcadian forest as well as fine gardens; these include the White Garden inspired by its splendid English namesake at Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent.

And then there’s the dining. The seafood is exceptional here, with Shediac known far and wide as the ‘Lobster Capital of the World’. Be sure to also try the lobster rolls at the Saturday farmers’ market in Fredericton.

Hope & glory Explore Hopewell Rocks during low tide and discover outcrops carved by the ocean and topped with foliage