15 of the best beaches in Nova Scotia, Canada

Finding a sandy strand in Nova Scotia is as easy as taking a drive along the coast. Some 200 stretches of silver, coffee or brick-colored beach punctuate the 7500km of its coastline. The Atlantic coast on either side of Halifax has a particularly dense concentration of stunning shores.

Building sandcastles, reading a book or just strolling aimlessly along the fine sands are favorite pastimes, but in a place where crowding is seldom an issue, beaches are just as enticing for their ecosystems – over 50 are protected in provincial or national parks. Visitors usually find beaches on the Atlantic coast too cold for swimming, but those on other coasts or beside rivers are exceptions. From wildlife-packed nature reserves to rocky shores for fossil hunters, here's our pick of Nova Scotia's best beaches.

1. Rissers Beach, South Shore

Best beach for camping

The beach at this provincial park is adjacent to two campgrounds – a perfect option if you'd like to spend a little more time exploring the area. Enjoy a stroll along the white sandy stretch, making time for a paddle.

• Location: Rissers Beach is 11km south of LeHave.

• Parking: There is a parking lot for day visitors and another for campers.

• Amenities: The campsites have drinking water refill points, restrooms and showers. There are picnic areas and a snack bar on the beach.

Detour: Check out the artisan shops like Westcote Bell Pottery and stop for lunch or a rustic loaf at the LaHave Bakery.

2. Summerville Beach, South Shore

Best beach for Atlantic swimming

Summerville Beach stretches away from beachside accommodations at one end and bends around the opposite end into the mouth of Broad River. Its warm, fresh water makes for a great swimming hole. Dunes separate the beach from a salt marsh that is teeming with birdlife.

Local tip: Try the Quarterdeck, an excellent restaurant in a building that honors colloquial architecture with floor-to-ceiling windows and a deck overlooking the beach.

• Location: Summerville Beach is part of Summerville Beach Provincial Park on the South Shore, about 15km south of Liverpool.

• Parking: There is a parking lot nearby.

• Amenities: Washrooms are open seasonally; there are picnic tables.

3. St Catherine’s River Beach, South Shore

Best beach for wildlife

Seals, shorebirds and even bears are spotted regularly at this seaside extension to the inland Kejimkujik National Park. The walk from the parking lot to the beach can take an hour, but the wild place at the end is worth every step. Camping options are available if you'd like to stay a little longer and explore the park and its excellent hiking trails. The beach becomes a piping plover nesting zone and is closed from April to August.

• Location: St Catherine’s River Beach is at Exit 22 off Hwy 103, 18km south of Port Mouton.

• Parking: There is a parking lot.

• Amenities: There are washrooms, a visitor center and drinking water stations. Most facilities only open in the summer months.

4. Carters Beach, South Shore

Best beach for photos

The contrast between the fine, white sand and the Caribbean turquoise waters studded by rugged spruce outcrops makes Carters an incredibly photogenic option. Many consider this the prettiest beach in Nova Scotia. Tucked away at beyond the sleepy village of Port Mouton, this once little-known beach is now often overburdened with visitors. Residents find the crowds tiresome, so go with courtesy and restraint in mind.

• Location: Carters Beach is about 3km away from Port Mouton.

• Parking: There is a parking lot 0.5km away from the beach.

• Amenities: There are toilets near the beach.

5. Crescent Beach, Lockeport, South Shore

Best beach for events

The band is rocking, and the waves are rolling at the annual Crescent Beach Bash in Lockeport. The beach and its dunes link to the town, so residents simply stroll over to the big parties when they feel like it. Otherwise, the beautifully designed Beach Centre is the visitor hub serving one of the loveliest beaches in Nova Scotia – it once graced the back of the 50-dollar bill.

Local tip: The beachside cottages are incredibly popular – book many months in advance to avoid disappointment.

• Location: Crescent Beach is less than 1km from Lockeport.

• Parking: There's a parking lot near the Beach Centre.

• Amenities: Visit the Beach Centre for toilets, showers and changing rooms, or walk into nearby Lockeport for something to eat.

6. Mavillette Beach, Yarmouth and Acadian Shore

Best beach to discover Acadian culture

A provincial park beach, Mavillette sits at the south end of Nova Scotia’s French Acadian coast. Backed by high dunes and a sprawling salt marsh, Mavillette is flanked on the north by the one-street village of Cape St Mary's. Explore the fishing wharf and promontory crowned by a lighthouse where interpretive signs and monuments tell the story of Acadian settlement and lost mariners.

• Location: Mavillette Beach Provincial Park is 3km from the small town of Cape St Mary's.

• Parking: There is a parking lot.

• Amenities: Amenities include fresh water taps and vault toilets.

7. Blomidon Beach, Bay of Fundy

Best beach for experiencing the world’s highest tides

Beneath red, crumbling cliffs, Blomidon Beach seems to run forever in either direction from the provincial park campground. Small waterfalls tumble onto the shore, and when the Bay of Fundy world record tides ebb, vast mudflats are exposed.

• Location: Blomidon is on the Minas Basin, part of the Bay of Fundy.

• Parking: There is a parking lot at the provincial park.

• Amenities: There are flush toilets and picnic tables. Find a grocery store and places to eat in Canning, 16km away.

Detour: This seascape influences the wines grown and sold at nearby Blomidon Estate Winery.

8. Scots Bay Beach, Bay of Fundy

Best beach for rockhounding

Over a narrow ridge from Blomidon is a yawning arc of gravel. Rather than sand, it’s the sheer variety of pebbles of agate, amethyst and quartz worn smooth by the constant tumbling of the tides that draws people to Scots Bay. If rockhounding isn’t your thing, there’s just as much driftwood to sort through.

• Location: Scots Bay is north of Blomidon Beach. At the end of the Scots Bay Rd is Cape Split, one of Nova Scotia’s great hiking trails.

• Parking: There are limited places to park near the beach.

• Amenities: Bring everything you need with you.

9. Lawrencetown Beach, Eastern Shore

Best beach for surfing

Surfers hit the waves at Lawrencetown Beach year-round, almost always in wetsuits. Sandwiched between grassy headlands, the beach is washed by waves that roll in from the open Atlantic. Surfing trainers and outfitters near the beach such as East Coast Surf School lead group sessions for first-timers.

• Location: Lawrencetown Beach Provicial Park is about 26km east of Halifax.

• Parking: There is a parking lot near the beach.

• Amenities: There are changing rooms, showers and toilets.

10. Clam Harbour Beach, Eastern Shore

Best beach for sandcastles

August is the most anticipated month at Clam Harbour Beach. That’s when the annual sandcastle competition takes place and thousands arrive to both participate and admire the skills of the sculptors. Pros and talented enthusiasts vie for prizes, as do kids in their own categories. Beyond the competition, the fine art of granular architecture is practiced here regularly.

• Location: Clam Harbour is about 66km east of Dartmouth.

• Parking: There is a large parking lot near the beach.

• Amenities: There are vault toilets and picnic areas. Parts of the beach are wheelchair-accessible.

11. Melmerby Beach, Northumberland Shore

Best beach for warm waters and families

Warm waters and small waves make Melmerby Nova Scotia’s most swimmable beach. It’s the location on the protected Northumberland Strait facing Prince Edward Island that warms the waters.

• Location: Melmerby Beach Provincial Park is about 6km from the town of Little Harbour.

• Parking: There are places to park on Little Harbour Rd adjacent to the beach.

• Amenities: Showers, changing rooms, flush toilets and supervision make this provincial park one of Nova Scotia’s most family-friendly beaches.

12. Arisaig Beach, Northumberland Shore

Best beach for fossil hunting

The cliff behind this short beach next to a little fishing wharf and lighthouse is chock full of fossils. Creatures common on Earth over 400 million years ago are exposed and scattered on the beach just waiting to be discovered.

• Location: Arisaig Beach is 30km northwest of Antigonish.

• Parking: There are places to park in the provincial park.

• Amenities: Bring everything you need; there are picnic spots.

Detour: A short walk up the steep hill, stop at Steinhart Distillery to sample the German-inspired menu and cocktails made with award-winning spirits.

13. Inverness Beach, Cape Breton

Best beach for golf and beer

One of Canada’s epic small-town recovery stories, Inverness transformed from a former coal mining settlement to one that attracts tourists from around the world. One of its greatest assets is its beach, just down the hill from the main street past moored lobster fishing boats. Golfers, pick up your jaws. This beach fronts two of the world’s top 50 golf courses – Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs.

• Location: Inverness is on the east coast of Cape Breton.

• Parking: There is a parking lot right by the beach.

• Amenities: There is a canteen and washroom facilities at the beach. Head into nearby Inverness for groceries and more places to eat. Craft beer enthusiasts should make a stop at Route 19 Brewing, a busy taproom not far from the beach.

14. Black Brook Cove Beach, Cape Breton

Best beach for contrasting experiences

This little beach in Cape Breton Highlands National Park is cut through by a brook that winds its way out of the back woods. After a cold dip in the ocean, head inland along Black Brook to Mary Ann Falls, one of Nova Scotia’s finest swimming holes, where you can swim right up to the falls.

• Location: The beach is 10km north of Ingonish.

• Parking: There is a parking lot.

• Amenities: There are change spaces and washrooms, which includes one accessible toilet.

15. Winging Point, Cape Breton, Atlantic Shore

Best beach for a remote hike

Winging Point is the wildest beach in Nova Scotia. Named for its shape, twin beaches extend like bird wings in graceful arcs from a rocky point. Eagles cruise the skies for prey while seals bask on the sand.

• Location: A 4km hike through the Gabarus Wilderness Area gets you to this spectacular place.

• Parking: Park at the Gull Cove Trailhead.

• Amenities: There are no facilities, so bring everything you need with you.

Detour: A must-see for any visitor to this Cape Breton coast, 18th-century Fortress Louisbourg is the largest historical reconstruction in North America.