Free
Pendlebury Lighthouse and the waterfront
A small lighthouse at the end of Water Street, with bay views.
Home / Guides / St. Andrews by-the-Sea
Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick
St. Andrews by-the-Sea
A seaside resort town on Passamaquoddy Bay, with huge Fundy tides, whale-watching boats, Kingsbrae Garden, a War of 1812 blockhouse and an island estate reached by driving across the sea floor.
Photo: The Algonquin Resort, Skeezix1000, CC BY-SA 3.0
Loyalists founded St. Andrews in 1783, and it later became a summer resort for wealthy Canadians and Americans. The Tudor-style Algonquin Resort still looks over the town.
The Bay of Fundy's tides rise and fall several metres here. At low tide, a gravel bar lets you drive or walk across the sea floor to Ministers Island and the summer estate of railway builder William Van Horne. Check the tide table and go.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Fundy tides
Watch the bay drain and fill, the wharf shows the difference best.
Paid
Ministers Island
A tidal island with Van Horne's estate, crossed at low tide.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
St. Andrews Blockhouse National Historic Site
A wooden blockhouse from the War of 1812 on the shore.
Free
The Algonquin Resort
A historic Tudor-style resort hotel above the town.
Paid
Fundy Discovery Aquarium
Seals, touch tanks and Fundy sea life at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Paid
Whale-watching from the wharf
Boat trips into the Bay of Fundy.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
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.
Quoddy Link Marine whale watching
Whale-watching cruises from the Saint Andrews wharf.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Jolly Breeze tall ship whale watching
Whale watching aboard a tall ship from Saint Andrews.
Season Whale season roughly June–Oct (check before you go).
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Ministers Island Tickets
- Kingsbrae Garden Tickets
- Whale-watching from the wharf Cruise
Part of our Bay of Fundy guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Whale-watching and Ministers Island both run on the tides, so you may need two days.
- Water Street is lovely on a summer evening.
- Kingsbrae Garden takes half a day.
Nearby and worth the drive
Bar Harborabout 3 h 30 · Guide ↗
Acadia National Park across the border.
Saint Johnabout 80 min · Guide ↗The Reversing Falls, Irving Nature Park and the City Market.
Ready-made trips with St. Andrews by-the-Sea
Good to know
- Tides: Ministers Island is only reachable at low tide. Follow the posted crossing times.
- Tourism: standrewsbythesea.ca.
- 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: The Algonquin Resort, Skeezix1000, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Pendlebury Lighthouse, St. Andrews, Gordon Leggett, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The low-tide crossing to Ministers Island, Quiet kiai, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: St. Andrews Blockhouse, Judith Bourque, CC BY-SA 2.0