A Road Trip to Peggy's Cove

About 42km (26 miles) southwest of Halifax is the fishing village of Peggy's Cove (pop. 120), which offers postcard-perfect tableaus: an octagonal lighthouse (surely one of the most photographed in the world), tiny fishing shacks, and graceful fishing boats bobbing in the postage stamp-size harbor. The bonsai-like perfection hasn't gone unnoticed by the big tour operators, however, so it's a rare summer day when you're not sharing the experience with a few hundred of your close, personal bus-tour friends. The village is home to a handful of B&Bs and a gallery, but scenic values draw the day-trippers with cameras. While there, make sure to check out the touching Swissair Flight 111 Memorial among the rocks just before the turnoff to the cove; this site memorializes the passengers of that flight, which crashed into the Atlantic just off the coast.

Want to stay awhile? A good lodging choice in the area is Peggy's Cove B&B (tel. 877/725-8732 or 902/823-2265), close to the lighthouse with five rooms costing C$99 to C$145 per night; breakfast is included. Units all have phones, Wi-Fi access, and DVD players. If it's full, Code's Oceanside Inn (tel. 888/823-2765 or 902/823-2765), about 2 miles away in West Dover, has two rooms and a suite for C$105 to C$195 per night. (The name isn't some mystic or cryptic puzzle. The owners are a couple whose last name is Code.)

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.