Road Trip Halifax to Aspotogan – St. Margaret's Bay & Hidden Beaches
Halifax
Aspotogan
75
km
1h18
drive
Summer
season
The Itinerary
Between Halifax and Lunenburg, the Aspotogan Peninsula and St. Margaret's Bay form a delightful shortcut — less touristy than Peggy's Cove, dotted with wild beaches, coves and small fishing villages of grey-shingled houses. It's Nova Scotia's south shore best-kept secret.
From Halifax, take Highway 333 toward Peggy's Cove to Glen Margaret then turn onto Highway 329 — the "Aspotogan Loop." The peninsula tour offers Queensland Beach (white sand and turquoise water) and Cleveland Beach. At Bayswater Beach (Provincial Park), a moving memorial honours the victims of Swissair Flight 111, which crashed offshore in 1998.
Hubbards, midway, hosts the Hubbards Barn Association (Saturday farmers' market, contradances), microbreweries, and Shore Club (Canada's oldest boiled-lobster restaurant, 1936). Bayswater and Aspotogan Sea Glass Beach (sea-polished glass) are collectors' favourites. Don't miss Tantallon and its historic St. Margaret's Bay Estuary bridge-tunnel.
From Halifax, take Highway 333 toward Peggy's Cove to Glen Margaret then turn onto Highway 329 — the "Aspotogan Loop." The peninsula tour offers Queensland Beach (white sand and turquoise water) and Cleveland Beach. At Bayswater Beach (Provincial Park), a moving memorial honours the victims of Swissair Flight 111, which crashed offshore in 1998.
Hubbards, midway, hosts the Hubbards Barn Association (Saturday farmers' market, contradances), microbreweries, and Shore Club (Canada's oldest boiled-lobster restaurant, 1936). Bayswater and Aspotogan Sea Glass Beach (sea-polished glass) are collectors' favourites. Don't miss Tantallon and its historic St. Margaret's Bay Estuary bridge-tunnel.
Points of Interest
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Queensland BeachWhite-sand beach, turquoise water, St. Margaret's Bay.
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Bayswater Beach MemorialSwissair 111 memorial, crashed offshore 1998.
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Shore Club Lobster SupperCanada's oldest boiled-lobster restaurant, 1936.
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Hubbards Barn MarketSaturday farmers' market, summer contradances.
Protected areas along the route
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Deep Cove Conservation Lands
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Blandford Nature Reserve
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Captain Arnell Conservation Lands
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Purcells Cove Conservation Lands
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McNabs & Lawlor Island Provincial Park
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St. Margarets Bay Islands Nature Reserve
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Troop Island Conservation Lands
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Mahone Bay Conservation Lands
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South Panuke Wilderness Area
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West Dover Provincial Park
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Long Lake Nature Reserve
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Grassy Island Nature Reserve
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Take this route offline
Cell coverage thins out fast once you leave Halifax. Export the map as a geo-referenced PDF before you go and open it in BorealMaps — your GPS position shows on the map with no signal at all.
Try PDF Export How geo-referenced PDF maps workPractical info
- Departure Halifax
- Destination Aspotogan
- Distance 75 km
- Duration 1h18
- Category Short (< 100 km)
- Best season Summer
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