Four Nova Scotia beaches make best of North America list

Imagine scrolling through a list of North America’s top 50 beaches and, after watching the usual tropical suspects in Cancun, Maui and California go by, arriving at number 14, Cape Breton’s Meat Cove.

The new list assembled by the travel website Flight Network, based on the rankings of over 1,200 travel writers and agencies, includes seven beaches on the East Coast of Canada, four of them in Nova Scotia, plus three more in Ontario and British Columbia.

The cosy inlet nestled at the northernmost tip of Cape Breton was followed closely by Halifax’s Crystal Crescent Beach at number 16, with Cape Breton’s Ingonish Beach checking in at number 35 and the South Shore’s Carters Beach, in Port Mouton, coming in at number 38.

Scoring a nine out of 10 for sheer untouched beauty, among scores for remoteness and sand and water quality, Meat Cove is judged to be “so very worth it to be alone in the quiet at the edge of Cape Breton” by Montreal Gazette writer Hayley Juhl. Despite being a new driver, Juhl managed to make it along the eight-kilometre dirt road to the community and enjoy a meal at the Meat Cove Chowder Hut. The beach’s entry recommends camping, hiking and kayaking, more so than swimming.

The string of beaches at Sambro’s Crystal Cresent scored highest for sand and water quality, with an eight out of 10, and freelance travel writer Courtney is quoted as saying, “Its clear waters whisk your mind away to dreams of a tropical oasis while your feet stay firmly planted on the soft sands of the Nova Scotia coast.” The entry does point out the water’s brisk temperature, and recommends sunbathing, birding and hiking, but omits the fact that Crystal Crescent’s third beach is a favourite for nudists, which may provide unwary visitors with an altogether different kind of seaside surprise.

Ingonish Beach scored surprisingly low on the sheer untouched beauty scale (six out of 10) but made up for it in sand and water quality with an eight, and is judged “inviting for the whole family” by travel writer Bailey. The area is praised in its assessment for “soft, white sands” and a peak summer season when “the water is clear and blue, hedged by rolling green hills that end right at the water’s edge.”

Scoring eight out of 10 for both sheer untouched beauty and sand and water quality, Carter’s Beach is noted by Doug Murray as the kind of South Shore beach where “often times, you’ll be the only one there.” The sparkling sands are explained by the presence of granite rocks in the area, while the water has a turquoise hue — reminiscent of the Caribbean — unlike any other beach in the area.

Also on the east coast, New Brunswick’s famous Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy placed at number 27 and P.E.I.’s Cavendish Beach was nearby at number 33. And although it’s not technically part of the Maritimes, Quebec’s Magdalen Islands nestled between P.E.I. and Cape Breton in the Gulf of St. Lawrence made the list with its stunning Dune-du-Sud at number 29. The red cliff beach scored 10 out of 10 for sheer untouched beauty and water/sand quality, and eight out of 10 for remoteness.

The remaining Canadian beaches included Lion’s Head Beach on Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula at number 15 and Long Beach and Chesterman Beach in Tofino, B.C., at numbers seven and 32, respectively.

And the number 1 beach in North America, according to Flight Network’s findings? TulumBeach in Quintana Roo on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, which was cited for its bohemian charm as well as stunning white sands and bright teal waters.

Maybe Meat Cove just needs a few espresso bars to rank a bit higher?