In Halifax County, options range from a historic downtown and waterfront boardwalk to beaches, island visits and longer trails. The places and activities highlight different themes: city history, heritage, coast and nature. When planning your trip, you can first decide which of these aspects you’d like to focus on during your stay.
Downtown Halifax and the Waterfront Boardwalk
Downtown Halifax is the city’s oldest district and an easy-to-explore urban center. The Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk stretches for just under four kilometers along the water. Together, the historic downtown and waterfront boardwalk offer two different starting points for exploring Halifax.
The Alderney Ferry runs between Downtown Halifax and Downtown Dartmouth and is part of the city’s public transit system. If you’d like to include both downtowns in your plans, the ferry connects these two starting points. The Halifax Public Gardens offer a different focus: they are among the oldest Victorian gardens in North America and add a historic garden setting to the city’s attractions.
Historic Sites and Georges Island
Quaker House is the oldest surviving building in Dartmouth. In Eastern Passage, Fisherman’s Cove is a restored fishing village more than 200 years old. Both places represent different forms of local heritage: one is a single surviving building, the other a restored village. Peggy’s Point Lighthouse, meanwhile, is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world.
Georges Island offers another distinct focus for a visit: Fort Charlotte can be explored there. The island can be reached by ferry, private boat, canoe or kayak. Visits are subject to set operating periods; check them before planning your trip to the island. The different ways to get there and the timing requirement are important points to consider if you plan to visit Georges Island.
Beaches and Trails
Crystal Crescent Beach consists of three crescent-shaped white-sand beaches. It is also the starting point for a 10 km hike to Pennant Point, with opportunities for bird and wildlife watching along the way. You can treat the beach visit and hike as different priorities; the hike’s length is a practical consideration when planning your day.
The Gaetz Brook Greenway offers another way to spend time outdoors. It is a section of the Trans Canada Trail and includes three trestle bridges. Possible activities include fishing and birdwatching. Compared with the hike from Crystal Crescent Beach to Pennant Point, the focus here is different: the bridges and the choice between fishing and wildlife watching. Birdwatching is an option at both locations.
Discover the Shubenacadie Canal
The Fairbanks Centre is the main interpretation centre for the Shubenacadie Canal Waterway and includes a small museum. A working model of the Shubenacadie Canal locks provides a hands-on demonstration of engineering. The visit offers both an introduction to the waterway and a tangible look at lock engineering. This is a distinct focus among Halifax County’s historic buildings, gardens, coastal communities and trails.
Plan Your Stay
When choosing a hotel in Halifax County, it helps to first decide which experiences matter most to you. Would you rather focus your stay on downtown, historic sites, the coast or trails? Use these priorities to guide your plans, and keep the set operating periods for Georges Island in mind if you’d like to visit Fort Charlotte.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Halifax, Dartmouth, Timberlea, Glen Haven, Prospect, Herring Cove, Indian Harbour, Port Dufferin, Little Harbour, Oakfield, Head Of Jeddore, Lake Charlotte, Wellington, Sambro, Eastern Passage, Three Fathom Harbour, Musquodoboit Harbour, Peggy's Cove, Tangier, Lower Sackville, Portuguese Cove.
For the broader travel overview: Nova Scotia.
