In Nova Scotia it’s impossible not to be close to the beach. In fact anywhere in the entire province is less than 70km from the ocean. That means within an hour in any direction you will be at the beach! Even though it’s located on what is considered a frigid North Atlantic ocean, many of the coastal waters of Nova Scotia Beaches are surprisingly warm. Not that cold water has ever stopped my children! This makes visiting a beach along the 7500km of coastline in Nova Scotia something you should do on your next visit.
I have been visiting my family in Nova Scotia since I was in University. At the end of the year I would visit my family there in Liverpool for a week to rest and relax before heading home to start my summer job. Now that I have kids, I keep the tradition alive by taking them every year at the end of their school. They go berry picking, make jam and of course visit the beach!
Best Nova Scotia Beaches
Here are our favorite Nova Scotia beaches to visit.
Summerville Beach (South Shore)
Located in Port Mouton, this is one of the most amazing beaches in all of Nova Scotia. My husband who is a fan of the Caribbean was shocked when he visited to find a white sand beach in Nova Scotia. Being from Newfoundland with rock lined beaches I too was surprised at the soft and beautiful sandy beach. The beach is a protected Provincial Park and has some of the lightest beautiful white sand and clear water. The beach itself is around 1 km long and has beautiful sand dunes my kids loved running along.
This is one of the best beaches in Nova Scotia for swimming. If you can handle the somewhat cold water. The sand dunes are also a nesting area for Piping Plover, which was listed on Canada’s endangered species list and due to increasing populations is now ‘near threatened’.
Like many beaches in Nova Scotia, Summerville Beach is open seasonally from May to October. After that the cold Atlantic wind gets a bit too strong even for walking on the beach. They do have portable bathrooms available on site. Be warned, if you are going in the off season they will not be available.
This was tourists taking a picture of my daughter swimming…they thought she was crazy because it was a cold windy day.
This is the best beaches in Nova Scotia because it also has The Quarterdeck Grill and villas. The Grill offers a seasonal menu with a beach-ful charm decor. You can’t go wrong with the haddock or lobster roll.
How to get there
Summerville beach is located on the south shore and is a little less than 2 hours from Halifax. It’s only 15 minutes from my family in Liverpool and there are plenty of signs to navigate you.
White Point (South Shore)
White Point Beach offers 1 km of white sand beaches, but I have to be honest that this beach has a bit higher waves and a bigger drop into the water (meaning a less gradual entry than Summerville or Melmerby).
Probably the most commercialized of all the beaches, White Point Beach is worth the visit. White Point Beach Resort Nova Scotia’s favorite Beach Resort, but it’s also one of the few higher end luxurious resorts with activities for kids, campfires, indoor pool.
The private beach is owned by White Point Resort Lodge, which has a history that dates back to 1928, when it was a hunting and fishing lodge. For a $10 day pass you can have access to the beach, related facilities, programs, wifi and services – this includes their campfires. It is spectacular to sit in front of the fire and hear the rolling ocean. They also have an amazing program for kids with arts and crafts, nature activities, paddle boating, campfire s’mores and more.
They also have a great restaurant in the lodge (Elliot’s Dining Room) and bathrooms which is not always guaranteed at beaches in Nova Scotia.
How to get there
Again this beach is located in Liverpool (75 White Point Beach Resort Rd, Hunts Point, NS B0T 1G0) and you just follow Route 3 and the signs to White Point Beach Lodge. White Point Beach is around 1 hour and 40 minutes from Halifax.
Melmerby Beach (Northumberland Shore)
Melmerby Beach Provincial Park is located in Little Harbour on the Northumberland Shore. The beach at Melmerby Park offers a 2km sandy beach with beautiful boardwalks and lots of room to spread out, toss a ball or fly a kite along the sand barrier. This is one of the warmer beaches with water averaging 19-22° Celsius in the summer. The beach got it’s name after the barque (sailing vessel) “Melmerby” which sank off the beach on October 12th, 1890 returning from Quebec City. Perhaps since it was named after a ship that sunk is why they have made efforts to educate people on water safety and undertow.
Available on site are changing rooms, toilets with plumbing, showers to rinse off the salt, picnic tables, boat launch and life guards during the summer months (10am – 6pm). Although they do offer a lot of amenities, there is no food available on-site so pack a picnic.
Although my favorite beach is Summerville, this one is my kids favorite. They love looking for hermit crabs, strolling along the beach and I have to admit I don’t mind having to sit back and enjoy the view of the coastline connecting Kings Head with Roy Island.
How to get there
This beach is located in the Provincial Park on the Northhumberland Shore by New Glasgow. Take Route 289 towards Littel Harbour and follow route 289 to Melmerby Beach. There should also be signs for the Provincial Park. This beach is around 2 hours from Halifax.
Halifax Beaches
Chocolate Lake Park & Beach
If you are visiting Nova Scotia’s capital of Halifax and want to spend time at the beach, check out Chocolate Lake Park and Beach. Located right within Halifax city limits, this is one of the best beaches in Halifax.
is the main airport in Nova Scotia, Chocolate Lake Park and Beach – Halifax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_Lake
It’s an easy drive, but be aware that there is limited parking so get there early. They recently expanded the parking lot in the past few years and we have never had a problem finding a space.
Chocolate Lake is located in the Amdale neighborhood of Halifax and is the nearest freshwater lake to downtown Halifax. This means it was also the most used beach we visited in Nova Scotia. This led to us finding a bit of garbage laying around. But there is also a basketball court and play structure on the pathway leading to the beach, so there is the added bonus for the non-swimmers in your family.
Can you tell we watched Karate Kid on this trip?
Now that kids are getting bit older we will be checking out Halifax Beach Volleyball on your next visit: HFX beach volleyball 1479 Lower Water St, Halifax, NS B3J 3Z3
How to get there
This beach is located right in the city of Halifax, so super easy for visitors to even take the bus!
