New Brunswick Beaches
by Heather Ferguson
Where the ocean meets the sand and sky, magic happens! Beaches are spiritual places. It is here that one feels the awesome power of nature, of wind and waves moving in tandem to unseen rhythms. New Brunswick has some of the most beautiful beaches in Atlantic Canada and the warmest waters north of the Carolinas.
Surrounded by the Bay of Chaleur to the north, the Northumberland Strait on the eastern shore and the Bay of Fundy along the southern coast, New Brunswick’s shoreline displays an array of geographical features from rocky headlands to sheer cliff faces, salt marshes, and sandy beaches perfect for experiencing the restorative magnets of sun and surf.
Along the northeastern shore, New Brunswick’s Val-Commeau Provincial Park on the Acadian Coastal Drive has beautiful beaches perfect for digging for clams, watching shorebirds, and enjoying the panorama of the interplay of light on the ocean. As home to some of the finest beaches in the province, Kouchibouguac National Park attracts thousands of tourists yearly to its pristine sand dunes, sparkling waters, salt marshes, and naturally forested regions. Nature lovers especially love its wildlife and adventurers enjoy its hiking trails, biking paths, kayaking waterways, and paddle-boat and rowboat venues. The beaches are perfect for swimming, relaxing, and sunbathing, and as home to the local bird populations of terns and piping plovers, it’s a haven to for wildlife enthusiasts. Visiting the Richibucto Dunes? Be sure to have a look at the grey seals who frequent this perfect paradise.
A little south along Highway 11 are the numerous coastal communities whose history is steeped in the ancient art of fishing. Quaint villages and towns are filled with the lore of the sea and the pull of the ocean and a deep and abiding respect for the moody elements of wind and water so well expressed in the Biblical text from Psalm 107, “Those who go down to the sea in ships... they have seen the works of the Lord....” St. Louis-de-Kent, Rexton, and St. Edouard-de-Kent, all have small bays and inlets of private beaches lined with cozy and colourful cottages where one can enjoy exploring the flora and fauna of beach life. Hunt for sea shells, look for sea glass, or just bask in the sun.
A lovely, small town with a coastal view is the charming Town of Bouctouche. The Dunes of Bouctouche and the serpentine boardwalk along Sandy Beach are a major attraction and the Irving Eco-Park attracts scores of visitors annually. The perfect spot to wade in the ocean barefoot, lie on the beach and get a tan, enjoy a picnic, or just walk along the boardwalk and breathe in the salt air, this lovely beach with its expanse of natural beauty is just the place to leave the city far behind and relax, unwind, and move to the gentler rhythm of the waves lapping on the shore – it’s the sounds of nature’s very own metronome.
St. Thomas, Cocagne, Grand Digue, and Point-du Chene are all coastal towns of charming properties filled with bright flowers and neat lawns interspersed with the grand homes of New Brunswickers from the city who have opted for full-time life on the beach. The Town of Shediac has shed its resort town cottage image for a population of a more permanent year-round basis as many former city dwellers commute daily to jobs in the city and back to a peaceful sanctuary by the seaside after hours.
Parlee Beach Provincial Park boasts a lovely stretch of sandy beach that has become a summer destination of fun and sun to the young and the young-at-heart. A hub of thriving sun-worshippers flock to this beach for a respite from the hectic, everyday work-world each weekend where colourful beach umbrellas shelter brightly clad men, women, and children all intent on their day in the sun. Nearby, in the Town of Shediac proper, excellent restaurants, nightclubs, shopping, and accommodations make this town the place to be for summer beach-time fun!
Moving along in a southeasterly direction, Barachois and Robichaud continue the coastal scenic route to Cap-Pelé, home of the famous Aboiteau Beach where the Aboiteau Resort boasts small, independent cottages just right for a family vacation along the crystal clear waters, windswept sand dunes and beauty beyond compare. A photographer’s delight, the panoramic scenery here is especially breathtaking with wide vistas of the Northumberland Strait glistening under sunny skies. Continue to Murray Beach Provincial Park and further beyond to Cape Jourimain where kilometres of sandy flats are perfect for walking and exploring
Back along Route 15 through the City of Moncton to Route 114 which skirts the lower reaches of the Petitcodiac River as it flows out into Chignecto Bay, salt water marshes hug the coast right up to the Hopewell Rocks where you can walk on the ocean floor. Beyond to Riverside-Albert where a drive through Harvey along Route 915 arrives at Cape Enrage, cliffs fall away to the sea. Past the former shipbuilding community of Waterside, Dennis Beach is an absolutely jewel of a beach surrounded on all sides by headlands rising above it. Its beauty is of an other-worldly quality with rocky outcrops rising above its waters in magical formations in a scene that could be from The Lord of the Rings. A little off the beaten track, it’s an exciting discovery for those intent on exploring New Brunswick’s wonders.
To backtrack just a little to the Shepody National Wildlife Area, Mary’s Point lies along the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy on the migrating route of several species of birds. Designated a RAMSAR site in 1971 as a “wetland of international importance,” it is part of the Bay of Fundy Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve. A visit to Mary’s Point is akin to entering a watercolour painting come to life. Wind and water weave a spell of trickery so it’s not often apparent what time of day it is. It’s a place of movement and stillness existing in simultaneous paradox broken only by the armies of birds that descend on the mudflats answering the bidding of instinct – nature pre-programmed, as it were. Here, the air is cool with the whisper of the great Atlantic not far off. It is between July and September that these shorebirds arrive in the thousands to feed on tiny crustaceans, worms, and mollusks that inhabit the mudflats. One of only a few such sanctuaries for these aviators en route from James Bay to South America, this exceptional, untamed territory is a visual attraction to be savoured and enjoyed as part of a your New Brunswick seaside journey.
The small Village of Alma is the gateway to Fundy National Park. With a charm all its own, Alma sits on a strip of sandy beach at the mouth of Fundy Bay where markers exhibit a tidal range that is simply magnificent. It is here that shipbuilding thrived in earnest between 1870 and 1930, fed by the lumber mills the village was famous for. Windswept, but warmed by the sun on a bright day, this beach is a great place to visit. Here, one can walk forever at low tide marveling at the amazing things covered over by the ocean at high tide – huge, pink scallop shells, seaweed, colourful rocks, amazing driftwood, and the occasional part of a boat wrecked somewhere out to sea and washed up on shore in its death throes. Particularly lovely, its small marina is usually packed with brightly coloured craft moored in the bobbing brine like colts corralled in their pens eagerly awaiting release.
Within the park, the small sheltered nook at the end of a long road is the picturesque Herring Cove with a sandy beach lined with the most amazing variety of colourful rocks. Down a long flight of stairs from a picnic area and lookout, Herring Cove presents the perfect horseshoe shape protected by bluffs at the mouth of the bay on each side. Serene and very beautiful, it has the feel of a private beach where visitors can wade in the water, lay on the beach and enjoy a suntan, or just relax. Occasionally, boats have moored here, exposing barnacled hulls at low tide. Displaying a scenic view that is among New Brunswick’s best, Herring Cove is one of the most popular vacation destinations within Fundy Park.
A beach lover’s delight, the small historic Town of St. Martins along the Fundy Trail on the southern shore of New Brunswick, lays claim to some of the most unspoiled and interesting beaches in the province. Sandstone caves carved out by the mighty Fundy tides are a wonderful place to explore at low tide when fascinating features are most visible. Here, one can truly step back in time. Stately period homes, lovingly restored, echo this town’s rich heritage. A shipbuilding past brought wealth to this town at the water’s edge and the traces of days gone by bear witness to a history glittering with promise. Stand at the picturesque wharf and one can almost imagine the ghosts of ships of yesteryear sailing past this lovely town on their way to rendezvous with the past.
Past the great city of Saint John, a plethora of small towns and villages tucked in the recesses of an intricately patterned coastline contain scores of small gems of beaches perfect for exploring. Through Blacks Harbour, the home of the world’s largest sardine factory and a thriving aquaculture industry, and on to St. George the scenery is simply out of this world. The resort Town of St. Andrews at the entrance to the Passamaquoddy Bay has a high profile reputation as a world class centre, attracting many celebrities who have flocked to the famous Algonquin Hotel which holds an imposing position over the lovely town. Filled with exclusive boutiques and charming gift shops, their restaurants are famous for seafood. Here, the English Loyalist flavour permeates the atmosphere and the psyches of the locals in a departure from the Acadian influence felt in the seaside towns on the east coast. Of course, no trip to St. Andrews will be complete without an attempt at whale watching! Stand on the beach and try to catch a glimpse of these giants of the deep. Join a tour – it’ll be the highlight of your journey to discover the coastline of New Brunswick.
These are just a few examples of the best and brightest of New Brunswick’s many lovely beaches and coastal communities. There are so many other secret coves and hidden beaches of unspoiled beauty yet to be discovered, including the wonderful sights on the Bay of Fundy’s islands – Campobello Island, Grand Manan Island, and Deer Island. This summer, make it a point to visit one or more of this province’s many beaches. Here, once the saltwater enters your veins, you too will become a part of that vast canopy of sand, sea, and sky that colour a landscape in perpetual motion at New Brunswick beaches.
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