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Peggy's Cove granite shore
Wide granite rocks shaped by glaciers, at the edge of the Atlantic.
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Nova Scotia
Peggy's Cove and the South Shore
A tiny fishing village on bare granite, with one of the most photographed lighthouses in Canada, then a drive down the South Shore to the three churches of Mahone Bay and the yachting town of Chester.
Photo: Peggy's Point Lighthouse, Wladyslaw, CC BY-SA 3.0
Peggy's Cove is a small working fishing village on a wide shelf of bare granite, about 45 minutes from Halifax. Peggy's Point Lighthouse stands right at the edge of the Atlantic. Stay well back from the dark wet rocks and just watch the waves.
Farther down the South Shore, Mahone Bay's three churches line the harbour, and Chester sits among the islands of Mahone Bay. It's an easy, scenic drive.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
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Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park
White-sand beaches and a coastal hiking trail.
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Queensland Beach Provincial Park
A sandy beach on St. Margarets Bay.
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Bayswater Beach Provincial Park
A beach near the second Swissair 111 memorial.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
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Peggy's Point Lighthouse
The famous lighthouse on the granite at the edge of the village.
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Peggy's Cove village
Fishing shacks, boats and houses around the small harbour.
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deGarthe monument
A granite carving of village fishermen by artist William deGarthe.
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Swissair Flight 111 Memorial
A quiet memorial at the Whalesback near Peggy's Cove to the 229 people lost in 1998.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Peggy's Cove boat tours
Boat trips from Peggy's Cove harbour.
Season Sightseeing tours roughly June–Sept; short lighthouse tours into Oct (check before you go).
Part of our Nova Scotia coast guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Sunset at the lighthouse is best after the tour buses leave.
- The South Shore villages fill a second day.
- Lunenburg is just past Mahone Bay.
Nearby and worth the drive
Halifaxabout 45 min · Guide ↗
The waterfront and the Citadel.
Lunenburgabout 75 min · Guide ↗The UNESCO old town.
Ready-made trips with Peggy's Cove and the South Shore
Good to know
- Safety: Rogue waves are a real danger. Stay on the white rocks, well back from the dark, wet rocks.
- Tourism: novascotia.com.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Peggy's Point Lighthouse, Wladyslaw, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Peggy's Cove village, – Wladyslaw [Disk.], CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Swissair Flight 111 memorial, Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Mahone Bay churches, Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Chester, Nova Scotia, CP Hoffman from Washington, DC, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0