Off the Beaten Path in Halifax: Peggy's Cove
Updated: April 19, 2023
Written by
AAA Travel Editor, Patricia Miller
Peggy’s Cove Area Festival of the Arts
Various locations
If you’re an art lover who’s looking for things to do near Halifax, the best time to visit is in mid-July during the Peggy’s Cove Area Festival of the Arts. Due in part to the astounding natural beauty of the area, a large artists’ community thrives in Peggy’s Cove and its neighboring villages. During the festival, visit more than 60 local artists in their studios and watch them paint outdoors (aka plein air) on the rocks surrounding the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse.
Peggy’s Cove Boat Tour
Government Wharf
Passengers may spot whales, seals and screeching seabirds on a variety of jaunts through the waters off the Nova Scotia coast when they climb aboard the Seadog IV, a 42-foot powerboat that departs from the wharf near the lighthouse. On the puffin tour, the boat heads south to Pearl Island, where you’ll see endearing penguin-like birds with bright orange beaks and feet.
Peggy’s Point Lighthouse
Peggy’s Point Road
Built in 1914, Peggy’s Point Lighthouse is undoubtedly the shining star of Peggy’s Cove and has long inspired artists and photography buffs. Surrounded by an extensive outcrop of granite that is fun to walk on, the working red-and-white lighthouse still beams daily while waves from St. Margaret’s Bay crash on the shore below. Stand in front of the lighthouse and take a selfie that will make your friends at home green with envy.
Maritime Pasty Co.
110 Peggy's Point Rd.
Is all the salty sea air making you hungry? Just a short walk from the lighthouse, you’ll happen upon a charming little red building with a red-and-white striped canopy where you’ll find what may arguably be the world’s two best foods—lobster rolls and ice cream. Sink your teeth into a homemade toasted bun filled with succulent butter-drizzled lobster, followed by a scoop of banana cardamom or maple walnut from Dee Dee’s, and your day will be that much closer to perfection.
Where to Shop
Peggy’s Point Road
Pop into some quirky but cool gift shops set up in weatherworn Cape Cod houses along Peggy’s Point Road. Peggy’s Cove may be small, but it offers plenty of shopping, especially if you like to decorate with such nautical pieces as colorful buoys and whale bones (check out Roger’s Buoy Shop) or hand-carved driftwood and original works of art (stop at Beales’ Bailiwick and Hags on the Hill). You’ll also discover lovely pewter jewelry at Amos Pewter as well as clothing in the province’s official blue-and-green tartan and plenty of kitschy souvenirs at several other stores.
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