Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley: A taste of Atlantic farm life

Nova Scotia can be one seriously surprising province. It’s home to destinations that attract visitors from around the world like the Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse and the famous Cabot Trail. But did you know Nova Scotia also has the most lush and fruitful agricultural region you’ll find anywhere in Atlantic Canada? The Annapolis Valley is created by two ancient mountain ranges that trace the Bay of Fundy’s shores. Its roadsides are dotted with fruit and vegetable markets and farm stands filled with the region’s plentiful produce.

You can also tour a spectacular wine region that’s a dream to explore, especially for white and sparkling wine lovers. Plus, there’s a rich and fascinating history of Indigenous people and colonization here, waiting for you to uncover.

Here’s our road trip guide to exploring Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, from Windsor to Digby and everywhere in between.

The Annapolis Valley: What to know before you go

The Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia is a fantastic day trip or weekend road trip destination from Halifax. It takes one hour to drive from downtown Halifax, or from Halifax Stanfield International Airport, to the town of Wolfville at the eastern end of the Annapolis Valley.

From Wolfville, a straight drive across to the town of Digby can be completed in one and a half hours along the fastest route, Nova Scotia Highway 101. If you choose the slower route through the along Highway 1, the drive takes roughly two and a half hours. The scenery is not very different between the two routes through the Annapolis Valley. Highway 101 is an expressway while Highway 1 runs through the heart of the area’s many rural towns and villages. If you can spare the time, the slow route gives you a more authentic look at life in Nova Scotia’s countryside.

This guide to road tripping in the Annapolis Valley is presented in order from east to west. This is the order you would approach it when starting from Halifax or the Trans-Canada Highway. If you’re entering the area from Yarmouth in the west, start from the bottom of this list and work your way up to read about the destinations in the correct order.

The Annapolis Valley is part of our Southwest Nova Scotia road trip >

Wolfville is the heart of Annapolis Valley wine country

As you approach the Annapolis Valley from Halifax, the first destination you’ll encounter is Wolfville. This beautiful town is worthy of a day trip or weekend road trip on its own! Wolfville is worth visiting as the beating heart of Nova Scotia’s agricultural and wine country. It’s also home to the Church Brewing Company, the Annapolis Cider Company, and numerous farm stores selling local produce.

It’s worth planning your visit to the Annapolis Valley around the Wolfville Farmers Market. This year-round Saturday morning market is housed in a 9,000-square-foot turn-of-the-century apple warehouse. Each week, more than 65 farmers, artisans, and chefs gather to sell their products. It’s a beautiful celebration of everything that makes the valley special.

Explore Acadian history at Grand Pré National Historic Site

Just outside Wolfville, you’ll find Grand Pré National Historic Site. The Annapolis Valley was one of the earliest areas of colonial settlement in North America. The Acadian people made the village of Grand Pré their home from 1682 to 1755, until they were forcibly deported by the British. Their ingenuity and resilience remain on full display here, most notably on the land itself. Grand Pré translates to “large meadow,” and the vast and fertile meadow that still covers this area today was reclaimed from the sea through a complex system of dykes. It was an incredible engineering feat for the early 18th century!

Parks Canada offers overnight camping at Grand Pré National Historic Site in its village of oTENTiks. An oTENTik is a permanent camping structure that’s part tent, part cabin. From the oTENTiks, it’s a very short walk to the panoramic viewpoint over the Landscape of Grand Pré UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once the historic site closes to the public for the evening, you and your fellow campers will have the grounds to yourselves. Take an early morning stroll to contemplate the famous Statue of Evangeline to make the most of this special place to stay in Wolfville.

Learn more at these Acadian historic sites throughout Southwest Nova Scotia >

Kentville is a popular stop on a road trip in the Annapolis Valley

As you drive through the village of New Minas and into Kentville, you may notice restaurants featuring a wide variety of cuisines. People come from far and wide to enjoy and share in the Annapolis Valley’s bounty.

Once the tidal Cornwallis River narrows, you’ll reach Kentville, the largest town in the Annapolis Valley. It has a bustling downtown area with numerous pubs as well as the Maritime Express Cider Co., another cider house creating delicious concoctions with the area’s abundant apple harvests.

Kentville is the perfect spot to make a detour off the main highway and head to the Bay of Fundy coast. The drive is less than half an hour to Halls Harbour. Walk along the rocky shore to explore the nearby sea cave when the tide is out. (Or if the tide is in, you can marvel at how the beach is inundated with water. The Bay of Fundy is home to the highest tides in the world!) While you’re there, stop for lunch or dinner at the Halls Harbour Lobster Pound. You can pick out a lobster and have it prepared for you in any number of ways!

Annapolis Royal was once the most hotly contested settlement in North America

Continue westbound through the Annapolis Valley, either along the fast route on Highway 101 or the slow road along Highway 1, to reach Annapolis Royal. Here, you’re on the eastern edge of the Annapolis Basin. This deep harbour with a narrow inlet shelters sailors from the Bay of Fundy’s open waters. Because of its perfect position among safe harbours and fertile lands, Annapolis Royal was once the most desirable settlement in the new world. Today, the town stands as a monument in itself to the complex interactions between the Mi’kmaq, Scottish, British, French, and Acadian peoples.

Begin your journey through this history just outside town at Port-Royal National Historic Site. French explorer Samuel de Champlain established the first permanent settlement north of Florida by Europeans here in 1605. A replica of the habitation was built in the same spot and opened in 1941. Today, that replica still stands as Port-Royal National Historic Site. Visitors can tour through the buildings, interact with costumed interpreters, and explore Canada’s earliest colonial history. The modern habitation was constructed so thoughtfully and faithfully that, in its way, it’s worthy of national historic site status on its own.

A look into Canada’s first national historic site

Back in Annapolis Royal, the town’s centrepiece is Fort Anne National Historic Site, another place with layered meaning. The Scots briefly settled at this site in 1629 and gave Nova Scotia—or New Scotland—its name. It was later variously occupied by the Acadians, the French, and the British. Each group battled fiercely over this valuable location, often pulling the local Mi’kmaq people into their conflicts. Four iterations of the fort existed over centuries. Eventually, Fort Anne became the first place designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1917.

A visit to Fort Anne naturally becomes part of the itinerary as you walk through Annapolis Royal—its dramatic surroundings and waterfront views are impossible to miss. There are some great spots worth visiting along its main street across from the fort’s entrance. You’ll find restaurants, the One Scoop Two Scoop ice cream shop, and the Annapolis Brewing Company and East Coast Cider Company.

From Annapolis Royal, you can continue westbound to reach the end of the Annapolis Valley. You can also turn inland and head southbound on Highway 8 toward Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site.

Head to Digby for sensational scallops and wonderful whale watching

On the opposite side of the Annapolis Basin, the port town of Digby beckons. Technically, Digby is just west of the Annapolis Valley. But its famous scallop fishing industry means it’s not to be missed. You could spend a day just hopping between the town’s many waterfront restaurants trying their different takes on this local delicacy!

Digby Neck, a long peninsula west of Digby, is a hotspot for whale watching tours. A nearby underwater mountain attracts whales and acts as a feeding ground. During our tour with Petit Passage Whale Watch, we were only on the water for 10 minutes before we spotted a humpback whale. Not only did we watch it bop up and down through the waves for more than an hour, we also saw it breach twice! We spotted even more wildlife on this excursion, including dolphins, seals, and a puffin. It’s one of the most memorable whale watching tours we’ve experienced.

Once you’re ready to move on from Digby, you can either return to Halifax or continue westbound toward Yarmouth. You can also sail with Bay Ferries on the MV Fundy Rose, which travels between Digby and Saint John, New Brunswick. This is a convenient option for those driving home to Quebec, Ontario, or other points north and northwest.

Is the Digby ferry worth it? Here’s how to decide >

Discover more Nova Scotia road trips >