Nova Scotia - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island - page 100

Eastern Shore Beaches
When downtown dwellers venture over the bridge to Dartmouth on a hot summer's day,
it's most likely en route to a beach. There are beautiful, long, white-sand beaches all
along the Eastern Shore, and although the water never gets very warm, brave souls ven-
ture in for a swim or a surf, particularly if the fog stays offshore.
The closest - and therefore busiest - of the Eastern Shore beaches, Rainbow Haven , is
1km long. It has washrooms, showers, a canteen and a boardwalk with wheelchair access
to the beach. Lifeguards supervise a sizable swimming area.
The most popular destination for surfers, cobblestone Lawrencetown Beach faces dir-
ectly south and often gets big waves compliments of hurricanes or tropical storms hun-
dreds of kilometers away. It boasts a supervised swimming area, washrooms and a
canteen. To surf, learn to surf or just enjoy the view, stay at Lawrencetown Beach
House ( 902-827-2345; www.lawrencetownbeachhouse.com ; dm/d $28/75) , a comfy hostel
with 10 beds and three private rooms. It's beautifully nestled in the beach grass above
one of the only stretches of real sand and often books up months before summer even be-
gins, so plan in advance. There are several places in the area to rent surfboards (around
$15 per day) and wet suits (also $15 per day). Surf lessons are around $75 for 1½ hours
including equipment; try Dacane Sports ( 902-431-7873; http://dacanesurfshop.com ) ,
Nova Scotia Surf School ( www.ecsurfschool.com ) or the all-women-run One Life Surf
School ( 902-880-7873; www.onelifesurf.com ) .
With more than 3km of white sand backed by beach grass, Martinique is the longest
beach in Nova Scotia and one of the prettiest in the area. Even if you find the water too
cold for a swim, it's a beautiful place to walk, watch birds or play Frisbee.
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Sambro
Just 18km south of Halifax, Crystal Crescent Beach is on the outskirts of the fishing
village of Sambro. There are actually three beaches here in distinct coves; the third one
out, toward the southwest, is clothing optional and gay friendly. An 8.5km hiking trail
begins just inland and heads through barrens, bogs and boulders to Pennant Point; to get
to the trailhead, take Herring Cove Rd from the traffic circle in Halifax all the way to
Sambro, then follow the signs.