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Nova Scotia · Canada
The agricultural valley of Nova Scotia: the Acadian landscape of Grand-Pré, the fort at Annapolis Royal, Champlain’s habitation and the fossil cliffs of Joggins.
In the photo: Annapolis Valley with Cape Blomidon in the background
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
The Annapolis Valley cuts across Nova Scotia for about 130 km, between two low mountain ranges, from the Minas Basin to the Annapolis Basin. It is the province’s farming region, with apple orchards, farms, wineries and small towns of wooden houses.
It was one of the first areas settled by Europeans in North America. In 1605 the French built Port‑Royal habitation in the Annapolis Basin, and in the following decades the Acadians, French settlers, drained the tidal marshes with earthen dykes. In 1755 the British deported the Acadians from the region, an episode commemorated at Grand‑Pré, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Wolfville, a university town in the eastern valley, lies close to Grand‑Pré and the wineries. Annapolis Royal, in the west, preserves Fort Anne, historic gardens and streets of old houses. To the north, across the Minas Basin, the Joggins cliffs reveal fossils of 300‑million‑year‑old forests, also a UNESCO site.
The valley combines history, countryside and sea, with the Fundy Bay tides rising and falling along its shores.
This destination brings together 2 cities: Wolfville, Annapolis Royal.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence) / geoBoundaries. Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), in Halifax · 85 km to Wolfville
The nearest airport is Halifax (YHZ). By car, Wolfville is about 95 km from Halifax via Highway 101, and Annapolis Royal about 200 km. The Saint John ferry from New Brunswick arrives in Digby, near Annapolis Royal.
Suggested arrival point: Wolfville
University town in the eastern Annapolis Valley, home to Acadia University, with a main street of wooden houses, cafés and wineries on the hills. It is a few minutes from Grand-Pré, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and from the Minas Basin, where the Bay of Fundy tides leave large expanses of mud exposed.
Small town in the Annapolis Basin in the western valley, with streets of 18th‑ and 19th‑century houses, Fort Anne and historic gardens. It was Nova Scotia’s capital until Halifax was founded in 1749. About 10 km away is a replica of the Port‑Royal habitation of 1605.
The local experience
An earthen star‑shaped fort overlooking the Annapolis River, fought over by French and British, with a museum and a tapestry that tells 400 years of the region.
Landscape of dykelands and fields created by the Acadians on the shores of the Minas Basin, with a memorial church and a statue of Evangeline. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012.
Cliffs on the Bay of Fundy with fossils of forests and animals from about 300 million years ago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.
Reconstruction of the 1605 French habitation, one of the first European settlements in North America, with wooden buildings around a courtyard.
Themed riverside gardens, with a rose collection, a replica Acadian house, a Victorian garden and dykes over the tidal marshes.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
June to October. Spring brings the apple blossoms in May and June; September and October are harvest time with autumn colours. Several historic sites are open only from May or June through October.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Two or three days: one for Wolfville and Grand‑Pré, one for Annapolis Royal and Port‑Royal, and one for the Joggins cliffs, which require a driving detour.
Wolfville has B&Bs in old houses and small hotels near the centre and the wineries. Annapolis Royal has historic inns on the main street and by the river. Kentville and the towns in the middle of the valley have roadside hotels.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Two or three days for Wolfville, Grand‑Pré, Annapolis Royal and the Joggins cliffs.
Yes. Historic sites, wineries and towns are spread out across the valley.
For the landscape of dykes and fields created by the Acadians and for the memory of the 1755 deportation.
About 200 km, roughly two and a half hours by car.
Atlantic Time: UTC−4, and UTC−3 from March to November.
