New Brunswick's Ultimate Attractions

New Brunswick, Canada, is a province full of natural wonders, historic sites, and exciting outdoor activities. From the world's highest tides to whale watching and rugged coastal scenery, there's something for every traveller to enjoy. Here's an introduction to some of the must-see attractions in New Brunswick:

- Bay of Fundy and Fundy National Park: Home to the world's highest tides, the Bay of Fundy is a natural wonder. Fundy National Park offers miles of hiking trails, waterfalls, and rugged coastline to explore.

- Hopewell Rocks: These iconic rock formations can be viewed from platforms at high tide or explored on foot at low tide.

- The Fundy Trail Parkway: A scenic coastal drive with lookouts, trails, and secluded beaches.

- Whale Watching from St. Andrews-by-the-Sea: With up to 12 species of whales, St. Andrews is a prime spot for whale watching tours.

- Roosevelt Campobello International Park: This park features the summer home of former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and offers insights into his early life.

- Reversing Falls, Skywalk, and Stonehammer Geopark: The extreme tides of the Bay of Fundy cause the St. John River to flow backward, creating a unique phenomenon known as the Reversing Falls.

- Fredericton's Garrison District: A historic site with museums, festivals, and the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

- Kingsbrae Garden: A premier botanical garden with themed gardens, sculptures, and a variety of plant species.

- Boyce Farmers Market: One of Canada's top community markets, offering local produce, crafts, and delicious food.

- Historic Saint John: Explore Victorian architecture, the City Market, and fine handcrafts and art galleries in this historic city.

- Grand Manan Island: A tiny fishing community accessible by ferry, known for its birdlife and whale-watching opportunities.

- Village Historique Acadien: A living museum depicting the lives of Acadian settlers from 1770 to 1949, with costumed interpreters and traditional crafts.

- Parlee Beach and Kouchibouguac National Park: Enjoy warm waters and fine sands at these beaches along the Northumberland Strait.

- Magnetic Hill and Magnetic Hill Zoo: A fun optical illusion and a popular zoo, both located in Moncton.

- Irving Nature Park: A nature park near Saint John with salt marshes, forests, and birdwatching opportunities.

Bay of Fundy and Fundy National Park

The Bay of Fundy is a must-see for anyone visiting New Brunswick. Home to the world's highest tides, it offers a spectacular natural wonder as visitors watch the immense movement of water twice daily, shifting 100 billion tons of water 15 metres (52 feet) in and out of the bay. At low tide, you can walk for miles, exploring rock formations, sea caves, and arches, and even drive along the ocean floor to Ministers Island near Saint Andrews.

The Bay of Fundy is also home to the famous Hopewell Rocks, a set of flowerpot rock formations that are a natural wonder of the world. Here, you can walk on the ocean floor and witness the power of the tides. The St. Martins Sea Caves are another highlight, where at low tide, you can walk into the massive caverns and explore their colourful interior, and at high tide, go kayaking to see the caves filled with water.

For those interested in hiking, the Fundy Trail Parkway offers a 30km stretch of dramatic views, including high sea cliffs, old-growth forests, secluded beaches, and hiking trails. The challenging multi-day Fundy Footpath is also rated as one of the top 50 hikes in the world.

Adjacent to the Bay of Fundy is the Fundy National Park, a beautiful coastal park with miles of hiking trails along rugged shores and bubbling forest streams. The park showcases a rugged coastline that rises up to the Canadian Highlands, the world's highest tides, and more than 25 waterfalls. It covers an area of 207 square kilometres (80 square miles) along Goose Bay, the northwestern branch of the Bay of Fundy, with views of the northern Nova Scotia coast across the bay.

The park has a variety of amenities, including a golf course, a heated saltwater swimming pool, three campgrounds, and a network of over 100 kilometres of hiking and biking trails, with 25 hiking trails in total. The most popular trail is the Dickson Falls trail, which takes you to a breathtaking waterfall. Other notable trails include the Caribou Plains trail, which provides access to upland forest and bog habitats, and the Point Wolfe Red covered bridge, which offers a unique photo opportunity.

The park is also home to a diverse range of wildlife, with over 260 species of birds, various amphibians and reptiles (including three rare types of salamanders), and nearly 40 species of mammals. Some of the commonly found species include eastern moose, white-tailed deer, eastern coyotes, chipmunks, red squirrels, and snowshoe hares.

Fundy National Park offers a wealth of natural beauty and outdoor activities for visitors to enjoy and is a must-see destination when exploring New Brunswick.

Whale watching from St. Andrews-by-the-Sea

Whale watching is one of the main attractions in New Brunswick, and St. Andrews-by-the-Sea is a great place to do it. The Bay of Fundy, with its impressive high tides, attracts several species of whales, including minke, humpback, fin, and right whales. The best time for whale watching is during the season, from June to the end of October, when you can also enjoy the beautiful coastal scenery.

There are various tour companies in St. Andrews offering whale-watching cruises and adventures. Fundy Tide Runners, for example, offers safe and exciting whale-watching tours on Zodiac vessels, with many positive reviews praising the captains for bringing them to the right spots to see plenty of whales. Quoddy Link Marine also provides similar experiences on a spacious, modern power catamaran, with a touch tank for a closer look at undersea life. They emphasise the importance of range, with faster boats being able to cover more distance and increase the odds of successful whale sightings.

If you're looking for a more unique experience, Jolly Breeze offers whale-watching on New Brunswick's only classic Tall Ship, with lower carbon emissions, as well as a high-speed Nautica Zodiac for a more adventurous option. Their captains and crew are experienced, and they have a high success rate of whale encounters, exceeding 96% in past years.

Whale-watching tours typically last around 2 hours, and you can often spot other marine life, such as seals, porpoises, and various seabirds, including bald eagles. So, if you're looking for a memorable experience in New Brunswick, whale-watching from St. Andrews-by-the-Sea is a great choice.

Hopewell Rocks

The Hopewell Rocks, also known as the Flowerpot Rocks, are a set of flowerpot rock formations located on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. They are a natural wonder of the world and are considered the most famous tourist attraction in all of Eastern Canada.

The Hopewell Rocks are a result of thousands of years of tidal erosion. The large volume of water flowing in and out of the Bay of Fundy has modified the landscape surrounding it. The Hopewell Rocks stand 12–21 metres (40–70 ft) tall and are made up of red-brown sedimentary conglomerate, sandstone, and minor mudstone rock from the Carboniferous Hopewell Cape Formation, part of the Mabou Group.

The tides at the Bay of Fundy move twice daily, shifting 100 billion tons of water 15 meters (52 feet) in and out of the bay. This is the highest tidal range in the world, with high tide reaching up to 16 meters (52 feet). Due to these extreme tides, the base of the rock formations is covered in water twice a day. At low tide, visitors can walk for miles, exploring the rock formations, sea caves, and arches up close.

The Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park offers three primary access points to the ocean floor:

• Main Deck: Features a large metal staircase with 99 stairs leading down to the ocean floor.
• North Beach: Offers a ramp with benches for those who prefer not to use stairs. However, the ocean floor may be challenging to navigate for wheelchair users.
• Demoiselle Trail: A trail leading south from behind the Interpretive Centre that gently descends to sea level, providing access to the ocean floor without the need for stairs or ramps.

The park also features a network of well-groomed, wheelchair-friendly trails, scenic lookouts, and secluded vistas. Visitors are recommended to stay for a full tidal cycle to appreciate the dramatic transformation of the landscape and the unique rock formations.

The Hopewell Rocks are a must-see destination when visiting New Brunswick. Visitors are advised to wear sturdy footwear, as the ocean floor can be muddy and slippery. Additionally, checking tide times before visiting is essential to ensure safe exploration of the area.

St. Martins Sea Caves

The St. Martins Sea Caves are a must-see natural attraction in New Brunswick, formed by the changing tides of the Bay of Fundy, which boasts the highest tides in the world. The caves are best visited during the summer when they are easily accessible, and the hiking paths are clear of icy conditions.

Visiting the St. Martins Sea Caves

During high tide, the caves are submerged in water, but at low tide, they are exposed and ready for exploration. Visitors are advised to check the tidal charts before visiting, as the tide rises and falls every six hours and thirteen minutes. The caves are located in the village of St. Martins, about three kilometres from the village centre. There is plenty of free parking available, but it can get busy. It is recommended to wear sturdy beach shoes or hiking boots, as the rocks can be slippery and treacherous.

Exploring the St. Martins Sea Caves

The sandstone caves are a beautiful sight, with shades of red adorning the shallow but large cave walls. Water drips down from the cliffs above, and visitors can walk on the ocean floor and explore inside the caves. There are also small streams and pools of water, where nature enthusiasts can observe sea life, shells, and seaweed. Visitors are advised to be careful of slippery mud and falling rocks. It is also important to note that the caves may be cordoned off to the public due to safety concerns.

Dining at the St. Martins Sea Caves

For an exclusive dining experience, Red Rock Adventure offers a five-course meal on the ocean floor at low tide, featuring locally inspired creations from The Kilted Chef, Alain Bosse. There are also great restaurants nearby, such as the Caves Restaurant, which serves a delicious bowl of chowder.

Other Attractions Nearby

If you visit during high tide, you can explore the Fundy Trail Parkway, a 16-kilometre road with walking trails through lush forests and along cliffs. There are five well-marked trails, ranging from easy to extremely difficult, including the Fundy Footpath, which takes approximately 3-4 days to complete and is recommended for experienced hikers only. The Fundy National Park is also nearby, offering kayaking and hiking opportunities.

Village Historique Acadien

The Village Historique Acadien is a living museum that showcases the daily lives of the Acadians from 1770 to 1949. Located in Bertrand, in northeastern New Brunswick, the site offers a glimpse into the past with over 40 historic buildings along a 2.2 km trail. The village is divided into the 19th and 20th centuries, with actors portraying the roles of Acadians and bringing their customs and traditions to life. It is a theatrical experience, with staff in character and costume, practising crafts such as wool dyeing and grain milling. The site also features the Hôtel Château Albert, a replica of a turn-of-the-century hotel, offering accommodations and dining. The village is open from June to September, with various services and cultural activities available during the summer months. Admission prices vary, with options for individuals, youth/students, seniors, and families.

The Village Historique Acadien is a must-see attraction for those interested in history and culture. It provides an immersive experience, allowing visitors to step back in time and explore the way of life of the Acadian people. The attention to detail, from the period costumes to the traditional trades, makes for a fascinating and educational visit.

The village has been recognised by the Society of American Travel Writers (1996) and Attractions Canada (2001/2002) with a Phoenix Award, showcasing its excellence as a tourist destination.

For those unable to visit during the operational months, the village is open to hikers and cyclists from November to March free of charge. This provides an opportunity to admire the bucolic landscape and explore the site at a leisurely pace.

The Village Historique Acadien is a unique and engaging way to discover the rich history and culture of the Acadian people, making it a highlight of any trip to New Brunswick.

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