Resorts along the Nova Scotia coast offer access to historical and natural attractions with the added comforts of on-site restaurants, pools, and family activities. Accommodations range from private and self-sufficient cabins to hotel rooms with sweeping views. Families will enjoy summer activities such as surfing, beachcombing, swimming, and wildlife watching.
Family Activities at White Point Beach Resort
On Nova Scotia’s South Shore, White Point Beach Resort centers on its namesake stretch of sand. Older kids will learn to surf on the waves that break on White Point Beach while younger children will gravitate to dozens of bunny rabbits that nibble on the lawns around the resort.
White Point Beach Resort has family-friendly amenities such as an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a games room, and tennis courts. Rooms in the resort's main lodge building are close to these facilities, while cottages situated around the property offer more privacy with views of the ocean, lake, or river.
The resort is ideal for families with active kids. The boat house rents surfboards, canoes, and pedal boats. Local day trips include canoeing at the inland Kejimkujik National Park or hiking coastal trails at the park’s seaside adjunct.
The Digby Pines – a Picturesque NS Resort
A large outdoor pool, hiking trails, and a dab of luxury at the on-site spa make The Digby Pines a Nova Scotia resort with wide appeal. Kids will enjoy playing tennis, croquet, giant chess, and shuffleboard. The large, country-house style lodge was built in the early 1900s as a hotel and then used as officer barracks during WWII. The resort’s restaurants serve a favorite local delicacy: world-famous Digby scallops.
Local day trips from the Nova Scotia resort include visiting the costumed interpreters at Samuel de Champlain’s settlement Port-Royal National Historic Site and ferry-hopping down Digby Neck to Brier Island, where whale watching in the Bay of Fundy is a full-day activity.
Search for Treasure at Atlantica Hotel and Marina Oak Island
Atlantica Hotel and Marina Oak Island, mid-way between Halifax and Lunenburg, lies near the famed treasure mystery of Oak Island. Rooms at the resort overlook the marina as well as Oak Island’s wooded expanse. The resort offers guests an indoor pool and restaurant. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoor pool, mini golf, and basketball court.
Oak Island – the setting for a centuries-old treasure hunt that has seen six men die in the quest – is only occasionally open for tours run by the Friends of Oak Island Society. Alternate local day trips include visiting Peggy’s Cove, shopping in Mahone Bay, or taking a boat tour on the Bluenose II in Lunenburg.
Enjoy the Outdoors at Liscombe Lodge
A resort on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore, Liscombe Lodge offers a remote riverside location, wooded trails, and wildlife sightings. Independent chalets and cottages deliver privacy and have kitchenettes. Rooms in the lodge are close to the resort restaurant, indoor pool, and fitness area.
While visiting this riverside Nova Scotia resort expect to see deer, eagles, and squirrels in the nearby woods. The area is also a popular fishing destination.
Chloë Ernst - Chloë Ernst is a travel guidebook author who writes for Frommer's and Globe Pequot Press.
