Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy, located between the southern coast of New Brunswick and the province of Nova Scotia, is famous for the highest tides in the world.
This region of New Brunswick is notable for its seafood and historic coastal towns.
Other destinations
- 🌍
Deer Island
- 🌍 Campobello Island
- 🌍 Grand Manan Island
- 🌍 Machias Seal Island , a bird sanctuary and lighthouse
- 🌍 Fundy National Park , near Alma
Understand
The tidal range is famous as the Bay of Fundy acts as a funnel, directing massive amounts of tidal energy to one point; this generates the region's famously large high tides.
Talk
While New Brunswick is officially a bilingual province (due to the historic presence of both United Empire Loyalists and Acadians), the southern portion of the province is disproportionately English-speaking.
Get in
Most visitors arrive by driving the Trans-Canada Highway (which leads from Edmundston through Fredericton and Moncton), perhaps stopping to see attractions like the World's Largest Axe, the World's Longest Covered Bridge, the sunrise over the Saint John river valley and Magnetic Hill on the outskirts of Moncton.
Other options include intercity bus service to Saint John (although it does not reach smaller towns in the region) and an automobile/passenger ferry from Saint John to Digby.
Get around
Most get around by private motorcar.
As the region is relatively hilly, bicycle lanes are still limited, but one can bicycle around the region. The flat upper region of the bay is especially suited to this, and in places one can follow the Trans-Canada Trail.
See
The area is rich in natural beauty as well as cultural and historical highlights.
- 🌍 Hopewell Rocks (Route 114 to Hopewell Cape, 47km southeast of Moncton, look for park signs), toll-free: +1-877-734-3429, fax: +1-506-734-3357, e-mail: questions@thehopewellrocks.ca. 8AM-8PM (Jun 22–Aug 16); 8AM–6PM (Aug 17–Sep 2); 9AM–5PM (Sep 2–Jun 21). This provincial park at Hopewell Cape is most likely what you are here for. The tide swings 14m (47') here, twice every 25 hours, and the park gives you the facilities and trails to explore it. For three hours before and after low tide, you can walk on the bay floor and look up at unique "flower pot" sandstone towers topped by trees. Be sure to check the low tide times and aim to arrive one to three hours before the lowest tide. It is well worth planning your whole vacation to Eastern Canada around this time. Seeing the Hopewell Rocks at low tide is a deeply moving experience; it looks like something out of a Hollywood disaster film. The ocean is literally not there. It looks like the apocalypse. Walking on the ocean floor is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it is not to be missed. $8/adult, discounts for children, students, seniors.
- Check times of the tides so that you can see the Bay at both high and low tide.
- World's Longest Covered Bridge in Hartland.
- World's largest Axe in Nackawic.
- Magnetic Hill in Moncton.
- Potato Chip museum. and the World's Shortest Covered Bridge, also in Hartland.
Do
Eat
The area is known for its seafood, especially lobster, but you will also find other regional foods. The picturesque village of Alma on the east side of Fundy National Park, is a vibrant active lobster harbour, and boasts three different lobster shops. You can also dine at the hotel in town, and eat seafood while overlooking the harbour. Digby, on the Nova Scotia side of the bay, is known as the scallop capital of the world. Fiddlehead greens are a delicacy in the spring, and in late winter maple foods are common especially in the upper half of the bay.
Drink
Stay safe
Stay well away from the water as the tide is coming in, as the extreme tides in the basin mean that water levels could easily rise a few feet in a matter of minutes. A tremendous amount of tidal power is funnelled into a relatively-small area, potentially dangerous for the unwary.