Canada's Darling Little East Coast Town Is A Scenic Gem With Beaches, Fresh Seafood, And Endless Outdoor Fun

Canada's bilingual province of New Brunswick is a scenic Atlantic gem. Bordering the U.S. state of Maine and situated beside Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, this region is home to intense tides, bountiful wildlife and outdoor activities, and delicious seafood eats, particularly lobster. In order to appreciate the breadth of beauty that this province has to offer, visitors should add the small town of Bouctouche on the Atlantic to their itinerary. Located around 35 minutes outside Moncton, it's only about two hours away from the travel hub of Saint John. Originally named "Great Little Harbour" by the Indigenous Mi'kmaq, this town of around 2,700 people offers visitors an East Coast escape that's full of beaches, gardens, and outdoor activities. Home to not one but two lighthouses –the Bouctouche Bar Lighthouse and the Pointe à Jérôme Range Front Lighthouse both stand tall before slate-colored waves – the North Atlantic vibes are on point here.

Despite Canada's intense winters this town is great to visit during all seasons because of outdoor sports. In the winter, cross-country skiing is allowed in managed lands like the Irving Eco-Centre. During the warmer seasons, other outdoor activities, like kayaking, boating, fishing, hiking, biking, and swimming, are popular here. While exploring Bouctouche, one warm-weather seasonal outdoor activity that visitors should check out first is the free-to-visit Irving Arboretum. At this botanical park, visitors will get to walk through curated gardens, meadows, and beside adorable ponds. Areas of the park also showcase views of the sea. There's even a small chapel to explore or meditate at! It's also actually possible to hike from this location to the beach at Irving Eco-Center, so travelers who love hiking can traverse the 6.1 miles of forest, lakeside, and boardwalk trail.

Bouctouche has a number of excellent beaches where outdoorsy tourists can connect with the natural world. Bouctouche Beach has dunes, boardwalks, and family-friendly hikes. Rated 4.5 stars on AllTrails is the Bouctouche Beach Trail, which is a whopping 15.3 miles long. Fear not, travelers are by no means obligated to do the whole thing — individual stretches of this route can be taken to have tailored experiences here. For example, some sections of the trail have a boardwalk, while others just follow the shoreline. As they walk along the golden-sand beach, visitors can see Prince Edward Island, Canada's only province without bears sitting out amid the slate-blue waves. Visitors report seeing few tourists here, so it's likely that you'll have the whole beach to yourself on your New Brunswick maritime adventure.

Travelers who want to get a taste of outdoor fun at Bouctouche can also head to Irving Eco-Centre, a preserve on a 7.5-mile sand dune. Because the dune and salt marsh are home to a protected habitat (especially for migratory shorebirds), the park created a boardwalk that visitors can use to navigate amidst the cordgrass. This also means that this portion of the park is wheelchair accessible. While there, be sure to check out the educational displays at the nature center, and take advantage of public tours.

Another great outdoor spot to hang out near here is Kouchibouguac National Park, which has warm-water beaches, camping, and hiking. There, visitors can explore salt marshes, endless stretches of golden-sand beaches, and towering sand dunes covered in cordgrass. While camping here, keep an eye upward, as this park is also a Dark Sky Preserve. For adventurous tourists who want to explore Canada's Atlantic coast further, Prince Edward Island is a 2-hour drive away and has scenic East Coast parks like Cedar Dunes.

After a long day of exploring Bouctouche's many beaches, visitors should stop at a delicious local seafood place to taste the fruits of the sea. Lobster rolls are a ubiquitous part of East Coast life, whether you're in a charming coastal New England town like East Haven, Connecticut, or on the Atlantic shores of New Brunswick. In Bouctouche, visitors can find several different restaurants where they can try specialties like this. One such place is Ponzi's Restaurant & Fish Market, which has both indoor and outdoor seating. There, visitors can taste shrimp, clams, chowder, fish burgers, and, of course, lobster rolls. For those who want to cook at home or at their accommodation, this restaurant also sells fresh fish. For those who want to take a walk after lunch or dinner, the restaurant is located near a waterfront area where visitors can walk along a boardwalk.

Another seafood restaurant in the area that visitors can try is Pirate De La Mer Bouctouche. This nautical-themed dine-in and takeout restaurant sells classics like lobster rolls, crab rolls, fish and chips, clams, scallops, and fish burgers. For those who don't want seafood, the restaurant also offers land specials, including burgers, hot dogs, wings, and chicken nuggets. Like Ponzi's, this restaurant also sells fresh seafood like clams, scallops, shrimp, and oysters to take home to prepare by yourself.

Finally, a third seafood place in the charming East Coast town of Bouctouche is Restaurant La Sagouine. This restaurant delivers Acadian-style dishes like clam pie, along with other seafood plates including seafood chowder, seafood crepes, and seafood spaghetti. Its menu goes beyond seafood for those who want to try other Acadian favorites like potato pancakes and chicken fricot. The restaurant itself has indoor seating. Attached to the restaurant is also an inn, where visitors can book Acadian culture packages.