The Maritimes: Worth the Times?

Canada is a beautiful country with many places to visit. The Maritimes is one of these places. Although they are far from me, I think they are worth the drive. The Maritimes is a place to remember because of the many tourist attractions, fun activities, and landmarks. 

One of the most popular tourist attractions in the Maritimes is Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park. It has many irregular rock formations created by erosion. It also has some of the highest tides in the world. Because of this, you need to time your visit correctly. Luckily, the tide stays low for a few hours, so you can arrive late and still explore the rocks. I came to Hopewell Rocks later into the low tide, which limited the time I could spend there before the tide came up. I recommend arriving early to view the high tide and have more time to explore the low tide. One of the only bad things about Hopewell Rocks is that it is crowded, which makes it hard to take a picture. Overall, I would rate Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park a 9/10. 

Cape Breton is another tourist destination—it’s a large island off the coast of Nova Scotia. It has many things to do, the most famous being the Skyline Trail and the Cabot Trail. The Cabot Trail offers incredible views and passes many tourist attractions, including Alexander Graham Bell’s home, French Mountain, and the Skyline Trail. Both trails are well known for the great views at sunset. Cape Breton also has a gypsum mine with pristine blue water. It is an excellent picture spot and is great for swimming, too. My favourite activity in Cape Breton was whale watching. It was an excellent experience, and we got amazing views of the rocky shore. Though we did not see humpbacks, we did see multiple pods of pilot whales. In the end, I would rate Cape Breton an 8/10.

Halifax is a large city and the capital of Nova Scotia. It has a harbour with multiple art exhibits and ships you can tour for free. Halifax also houses the Citadel, a giant walled fortress with guided tours, museums, and more.

The highlight of the Citadel is its guided tours. The tours cover the entire Citadel and are very informative, with highly experienced guides. If you come to Halifax, the Citadel is a must-see. Halifax is a great place to explore, with many attractions and parades if you arrive at the right time! I would rate Halifax a 10/10, mainly because of the Citadel.

Prince Edward Island is small but still has a few interesting attractions. It is home to the Green Gables Heritage Place, which inspired the setting for Anne of Green Gables. PEI also has many excellent beaches, which stand out because of the reddish hue of the sand. This colour of the sand comes from its high iron content. I did not stay in PEI for long, as I found it did not have many attractions. In my opinion, PEI was quite underwhelming, and I would rate it a 6/10. 

The Maritimes are awesome, with many sights and things to do. Among the most popular are Cape Breton, Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park, Halifax, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes are often overlooked but are worth the visit!