New Brunswick | Atlantic Treasure

Seashore Adventures

In all seasons, the ever-changing sea is a source of wonder and New Brunswick offers many unique vantage points. For instance, at Irving Eco-centre on la Dune de Bouctouche, a sinuous, raised boardwalk traverses 800 metres of a 12-kilometre sand dune stretching out into Bouctouche Bay, providing easy access to a sensitive protected environment.

Breathtaking view of Irving Eco-Centre on la Dune de Bouctouche.

To breathe the briny air above the gently stirring sea grasses, while taking in the enormity of water and sky, is to regain a feeling of perspective that can be hard to come by in our rapidly evolving world.

A short drive from the Irving Eco-Centre, the beautiful Parlee Beach Provincial Park at Shediac offers the warmest salt-water swimming in Canada.

Kouchibouguac National Park was created in 1969 to protect vulnerable bog and salt marsh environments. It’s also a dark-sky preserve, where the night sky is thickly peppered with bright stars. Biking and kayaking through “Kouchi” provides great opportunities to observe rare plants and animals, or perhaps a roving herd of seals.

Further inland, Mactaquac Provincial Park lies along the powerful Saint John River above Fredericton. The 1,300-acre woodland site is truly a four-season destination: breathtaking when the fall colours blaze and well set up to receive winter campers.

Rustic to Resort Accomodations

Founded in 1889 but rebuilt in 1914 in its current, striking Tudor style, Algonquin Resort at secluded Saint Andrew’s by-the-Sea is a portal to a different era. The luxury hotel could serve as the setting for an Agatha Christie murder-mystery novel, with its sea views and lavish appointments.

The secluded Tudor-style Algonquin Resort.

Its guest list over the decades has included presidents, prime ministers and princes, including King Charles, who popped in with Diana, Princess of Wales, back in the ‘80s. But it is undeniably a 21st century establishment; in 2014, it became the first Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel in Canada. The Algonquin is also famous for its golf course, which was given a $9 million upgrade in 2000 and further renovated in 2018.

At the other end of the scale, everyone knows by now about glamping (for glamourous camping), but New Brunswick was an early adopter and offers a plethora of choices. If cuddling up in a sheepskin-draped easy chair while enjoying a pristine winter panorama is your idea of feeling pampered, consider a site like EKÖ Nature Glamping in Lac Baker in Madawaska County. From private hot tubs to in-suite fireplaces, their wilderness domes take all the rigour out of roughing it.

Glamping at Ridgeback Lodge in a Dream Dome.

The Dream Domes at Ridgeback Lodge in Kingston come with complete kitchen and bathroom facilities as well as a five-star rating. Robin’s Nest, their cedar cabin built for two, has a wood fireplace while Deer Run is all logging-camp lodge on the outside and high-end hygge within. In the Fredericton area, Water’s Edge Glamping on Lake George includes outdoor saunas among its amenities, and Mangata Mactaquac on Scotch Lake provides charming A-frame cabins.

Crafty Creations

Combine a wealth of excellent local seafood with the French cultural influence of this officially bilingual province, and you’re bound to come up with bountiful fresh fare prepared with flair. Diners in the know flock to Port City Royal in Saint John, Billy’s Seafood Company at Saint John City Market and Wolastoq Wharf in Fredericton.

Grilled local Caraquet Bay oysters.

Moncton has an especially notable gastronomic scene. The Tide & Boar Gastropub (its name is a cheeky reference to the city’s famous tidal bore) makes many national best-of lists. Little Louis’ Oyster Bar and Catch 22 Lobster Bar are good places to sample the prized local Caraquet Bay oysters. The Windjammer in the Delta Hotel’s Beausejour and The Pump House craft brewery should also be sampled.

Speaking of beer, the province has a wealth of worthy craft brewers. Big Axe Brewery, about 45 minutes out of Fredericton, draws visitors with their signature IPAs, their award-winning Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout, a cider made with local apples and an array of seasonal beers. New Maritime Beer Company in Miramichi was started by local boyhood buddies Matt and Brent; their personalities shine in beer names like Rising Tides (a bright IPA made with Citra hops), A Cold One (a 7% IPA) and Refined Pirate (a coffee-flavoured 6% stout).

Artisan glassblowers are featured across the province.

Finally, craft of another sort is also in evidence, with the work of local potters, textiles artists, glassblowers and other artisans proudly featured across a province that preserves its traditional heritage. Well worth a visit are Aitkins Pewter in Fredericton and Savonnerie Olivier, a purveyor of olive-oil soaps near Moncton. Watch for Craft NB’s biennial Beneath the Surface artisan show and sale in 2025..

Whether enjoying breath-taking scenery, dining on the freshest seafood or glamping in a private cedar cabin, New Brunswick is an alluring place to unwind and relax. ✈