🇨🇦Bay of Fundy

The Bay of Fundy offers families world-record tides, fossil beaches, whale watching, and sea caves across the coastlines of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Your family guide

Walk on the ocean floor at the Bay of Fundy

“The ocean floor vanishes twice daily, revealing a landscape of red cliffs and fossils older than dinosaurs. Time your visit wrong and you'll miss it entirely.”

— San & Jo

The Bay of Fundy is one of those rare places that genuinely stops you in your tracks. Straddling the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Atlantic Canada, this dramatic coastline is home to the world's highest tides, reaching up to 16 metres (52.5 feet). Twice a day, the ocean retreats to reveal a vast, otherworldly ocean floor your family can actually walk across. That alone makes it worth the trip.

But the Bay of Fundy is so much more than its famous tides. Your family can hunt for 300-million-year-old fossils on UNESCO-listed shores, kayak around towering sea stacks, spot humpback whales from a boat, and watch tens of thousands of migrating sandpipers descend on the coastline in late July. It is the kind of destination where curious, adventurous families thrive.

The region has a raw, rugged atmosphere that feels genuinely wild. Dramatic cliffs, thundering tidal bores, red sandstone caves, and charming fishing villages all share the same coastline. If your family loves hands-on nature experiences and wants to feel the scale of the natural world, the Bay of Fundy will deliver in the most memorable way.

New Brunswick and Nova ScotiaAtlantic Canada

June to SeptemberBest time to visit

Canadian Dollar (CAD)Local currency

Best things to do

Best things to do in Bay of Fundy

Walk the ocean floor at Hopewell Rocks

Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park is the Bay of Fundy's most iconic experience. At low tide, you can walk among enormous flower-pot-shaped sea stack monoliths on the exposed ocean floor. At high tide, those same rocks are submerged under metres of seawater. Timing a visit around the tide cycle makes this genuinely impressive.

Check the tide schedule before you go and aim to arrive 2 hours before low tide for the best floor-walking window.

2-3 hours

Hunt for fossils at Burntcoat Head Park

Burntcoat Head holds the record for the highest tides ever measured on Earth. At low tide, the exposed ocean floor reveals tidal pools, ancient rock formations, and real fossils from 300 million years ago. Kids absolutely love searching the rocks, and the lighthouse replica makes for great photos. The Bay of Fundy shoreline here is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wear rubber boots or old trainers you do not mind getting muddy. The ocean floor is slippery and wet.

2-3 hours

Explore the St. Martins Sea Caves

The red sandstone sea caves near the charming fishing village of St. Martins are accessible on foot at low tide, which makes them a brilliant low-cost adventure for families. The vivid rust-coloured rock, sculpted arches, and cave interiors feel dramatic and exciting. At high tide, you can explore by kayak or Zodiac for a completely different perspective.

St. Martins village itself is worth a wander. Grab fish and chips from one of the local spots before or after.

1-2 hours

Watch the whale parade off Digby Neck

The Bay of Fundy is one of the world's premier whale-watching destinations. Humpback, finback, minke, and the rare North Atlantic right whale are all regularly spotted, particularly around Digby Neck and Brier Island. Dolphins, harbour porpoises, and seals often join the show too. Boat excursions operate throughout the summer season.

Bring layers even in summer. It gets cold on the water, and the wind picks up quickly once you leave the harbour.

3-4 hours

Hike and beachcomb in Fundy National Park

Fundy National Park offers over 100 km of hiking trails through coastal forest, past waterfalls, and down to mudflat beaches where the tides put on a daily show. There is paddling on bays and lakes, birdwatching, and camping for families who want to go all in. The range of trail difficulties means everyone from toddlers to teens can find a route that works.

The town of Alma, right at the park entrance, is famous for its sticky buns. Do not skip them.

Half day to full day

See the sandpiper spectacle at Mary's Point

Every year in late July, around 30,000 migrating sandpipers descend on Mary's Point on the Bay of Fundy shore. Watching the flocks swirl, dip, and land in enormous waves is one of Atlantic Canada's great wildlife moments. It is free, accessible, and genuinely jaw-dropping for kids who have never seen a bird migration before.

Bring binoculars and arrive in the early morning or late afternoon for the most active flocking behaviour.

1-2 hours

Ride the tidal bore on the Shubenacadie River

Tidal bore rafting on the Shubenacadie River is one of the Bay of Fundy's most thrilling family adventures. The incoming tide creates waves up to 6 metres high, and rafts ride them through the river. After the ride, many tours include a stop for mudsliding down the riverbanks, which kids absolutely love. Check age and height requirements before booking.

You will get completely covered in mud. Pack a full change of clothes and a bag for the dirty ones.

2-3 hours

Our verdict

How the Bay of Fundy scores for families

Kids

Walking on the ocean floor, fossil hunting, and mudsliding hit differently for kids. There is genuine hands-on wonder here that is hard to find anywhere else.

Nature

World-record tides, whale watching, mass bird migrations, UNESCO fossil sites. The Bay of Fundy is a nature destination of global significance.

Culture

Acadian heritage runs deep in the surrounding communities, with distinctive food traditions, festivals, and a strong sense of local identity. Not the main draw, but genuinely interesting.

Food

Fresh lobster, seafood chowder, and fish and chips are everywhere and reliably good. The region is not a foodie destination, but families eat very well here.

Budget

Many of the best experiences (tide walking, fossil hunting, birdwatching) are low cost or free. Whale watching and rafting tours add up, but the overall value is solid.

Planning your visit

How long should you spend at the Bay of Fundy?

2 days

Weekend taster

Hopewell Rocks, one sea cave visit, and a seafood dinner in Alma. You will scratch the surface but leave wanting more.

sweet spot

5 days

Sweet spot

Enough time to cover both the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia sides, go whale watching, hike in Fundy National Park, and still catch a tide cycle properly.

7 days

Full immersion

Add tidal bore rafting, a fossil park visit, Cape Chignecto hiking, and time to simply slow down in a fishing village. The Bay of Fundy rewards those who linger.

Did you know?

Things to know about Bay of Fundy

It nearly became a Wonder of Nature

The Bay of Fundy was a finalist in the worldwide New7Wonders of Nature contest, competing against places like the Amazon and the Great Barrier Reef. It did not win, but the nomination says everything about how extraordinary this place really is.

The tide rises faster than you can walk

At peak tidal flow in the upper Bay of Fundy, the water rises at a rate of roughly 1 centimetre per minute. In some spots, the incoming tide moves faster than a person can comfortably walk. That is why following the posted tide schedules is absolutely essential when you are on the ocean floor.

Everyday inventions born on this coastline

The scuba tank, the combined hot-and-cold-water tap, and the sardine can were all invented in the Bay of Fundy region. Not bad for a stretch of rural Atlantic coastline. It's the sort of fact that makes ordinary bathroom taps seem more interesting.

Taste the Bay of Fundy

What to eat with your family on the Bay of Fundy

Lobster Roll

Must try

The Alma Lobster Shop, Alma, NB

Atlantic Canadian lobster rolls are the real deal here: generous chunks of fresh lobster in a buttered, toasted bun. Simple, messy, and absolutely delicious. Most waterfront spots and fish shacks along the coast serve them throughout summer.

Seafood Chowder

Kids love it

Harbour View Restaurant, St. Martins, NB

A thick, creamy bowl of chowder loaded with local clams, scallops, and fish is the Bay of Fundy's ultimate comfort food. Perfect after a cold morning on the ocean floor or a breezy whale-watching trip. Kids tend to love it, especially with a big chunk of bread on the side.

Alma Sticky Buns

Daily treat

Tidal Sweets Bakery, Alma, NB

The town of Alma, right at the entrance to Fundy National Park, is locally famous for its sticky buns. Warm, gooey, and enormous, they are the perfect post-hike treat. Several bakeries in town sell them fresh every morning and they sell out fast.

Dulse

Local favourite

Roland's Sea Vegetables, Dark Harbour, Grand Manan Island

Dulse is a dried red seaweed harvested from the shores of the Bay of Fundy and eaten as a salty snack. It is a genuinely unique regional food that you will not find like this anywhere else in the world. Worth trying at least once, even if the kids pull a face.

Poutine Rapee

Safe choice

Chez Christophe, Memramcook, NB

This traditional Acadian dish is a dense potato dumpling stuffed with salted pork, served with molasses or brown sugar. It is hearty, filling, and a real taste of the region's French Acadian heritage. Look for it at local community suppers and Acadian cultural events in the Annapolis Valley area.

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