St. Margaret’s Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada.

With the coming of spring, cruise ships are beginning their northern treks to the colder climates. Alaska on the Pacific Ocean and Canadian seaports on the Atlantic Ocean. Both are worthy cruise destinations. Last September we ventured from New York City to several cities in the eastern Canadian provinces. Our excursion to Peggy’s Cove was probably my favorite tour despite the approximate one-hour bus ride to the village on St. Margaret’s Bay from the cruise dock in Halifax. The fishing village begged for at least one color to black-and-white image conversion. But let’s start at the beginning of today’s Travel Tuesday post.

As we sailed into the harbor at Halifax, a small island attracted my attention. I would later find out it is known as Georges Island, named for King George II of Great Britain. The Island is the location of Fort Charlotte – named after King George’s wife. According to Wikipedia, as of August 6, 2020, the island is open to the public on the weekends from June until Thanksgiving weekend. A ferry is the means of transportation to the island.

The large harbor can accommodate multiple cruise ships. These two smaller ships were already in port as we pulled into our berth on the Carnival Magic. Halifax is home to almost 500,000 residents. The city’s large natural port has attracted seafarers since the early 1700s. There were several excursions that featured stops in the city, but we opted to focus on a trip to Peggy’s Cove.

We boarded the excursion bus and left the capital city of Nova Scotia and headed on a major highway to the southwest. The views out of the bus window begged to be captured. I don’t always have good luck shooting from bus windows, but the photos I captured turned out better than expected. I believe the image above is a view of the homes on the northwest end of White’s Lake.

I didn’t have GPS tracking available to tell me exactly the location of these images along our route, but I believe the images above and below to be Second Chain Lake just west of Halifax.

All along the route, the countryside was beautiful, with late summer greens punctuated by blue water.

Once we left the city, the drive to Peggy’s Cove was an enjoyable 45 minutes or so of natural beauty interspersed with small clusters of residences and lakeside businesses.

Peggy’s Cove is a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margaret’s Bay in Nova Scotia, Canada. The community is known for its picturesque lighthouse, stunning natural scenery, and its historic fishing village. A large parking lot was full of private vehicles and tour buses. We were given the option of following the tour guide on a guided walk or exploring on our own.

The Peggy’s Point Lighthouse, which was built in 1915, is the most iconic feature of the community. It is perched on a granite outcropping at the tip of the peninsula and has become a symbol of Nova Scotia. The lighthouse is still active today and serves as a navigational aid for sailors in the area. It was clearly the biggest draw for visitors that day. We stayed with the tour guide for a short time, then struck out on our own to explore the community.

Aside from the lighthouse, Peggy’s Cove is also known for its rugged coastline and granite rocks that have been sculpted by the powerful waves of the Atlantic Ocean. We explored the rocky shoreline and tidal pools and checked out the views of the ocean and surrounding landscape.

The community of Peggy’s Cove has a rich history dating back to the early 1800s when it was settled by fishermen and their families. Today, the fishing industry still plays an important role in the local economy, and visitors can watch the fishermen at work and sample some of the freshest seafood in the region.

In the harbor area only one boat, the Harbour Mist, appeared to be occupied. Someone was working on the boat, maybe finishing the cleanup from the morning’s fishing. In the background, we spotted a bright orange steeple. Earlier, our tour guide mentioned that the only church in the village is a tourist attraction of its own.

The Peggy’s Cove Saint John’s Anglican Church is the only church in the village. The small wooden building was built in 1893 and features a simple design with a sloped roof and a steeple. The church holds regular services every Sunday and volunteer docents are available daily to chat about the church and its history. Though the church is open, it’s a bit of a walk from where we were and we were running short on time before we reboarded our bus. If we had seen it a bit sooner, we’d have probably taken that walk.

It’s no wonder that most of the excursions for cruisers visiting Nova Scotia feature a stop at Peggy’s Cove. Its stunning natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant fishing culture make it a unique and unforgettable place to visit. All of the images in this post are available for pixel peeping in 2K HD at my Flickr gallery here.

John Steiner