The Atlas Obscura Guide To Nova Scotia

48 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Nova Scotia

Updated November 9, 2026

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Cities

Unusual Attractions in Nova Scotia

Joggins, Nova Scotia

Joggins Fossil Cliffs

Cliffs that hold fossils, including the earliest known reptile, dating back more than 300 million years.

Horses on Sable Island

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Sable Island

This crescent-shaped sliver of sand is a magical haven for a herd of feral horses.

Burntcoat Head Park

Maitland, Nova Scotia

Burntcoat Head Park

The highest tides in the world come in and out here twice a day, allowing you to essentially walk along the ocean floor.

Black Hole Falls

Canning, Nova Scotia

Black Hole Falls

A beautiful waterfall and beach where precious stones are plentiful.

Rifled cannons.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

McNabs Island

This Canadian island is a veritable garden of decay with countless abandoned structures dotting the landscape.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Fairview Lawn Cemetery

The final resting place of 121 victims of the RMS Titanic, 42 of which may never be identified.

Coffins were stacked outside Snow & Co. in the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Five Fishermen Restaurant

How would you like to dine in the same room where some of the Titanic's victims were embalmed?

See All 48 Things To Do in Nova Scotia

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Nova Scotia

Coffins were stacked outside Snow & Co. in the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Five Fishermen Restaurant

How would you like to dine in the same room where some of the Titanic's victims were embalmed?

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Museums 7

Natural Wonders 4

Nature 4

Ruins 4

History & Culture 3

Islands 3

Monuments 3

Water 3

History 3

Animals 3

Military 3

Sculptures 3

Churches 3

Lighthouses 3

Sacred Spaces 3

Graves 2

Disasters 2

Ecosystems 2

Outsider Art 2

Abandoned 2

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Stories About Nova Scotia

The flavor and hue of the syrup depends on many factors, including minerals, bacteria, and time of harvest.

For Nova Scotians, Local Maple Syrup Is a Disappearing Pleasure

Sweet with notes of pine and ocean, the unique delight is under threat.

by Sarah Lohman, Atlas Obscura

The music, dance, and even the highlands of Cape Breton feel like old-world Scotland.

This Island in Nova Scotia Seems More Like Scotland Than Canada

Cape Breton’s cliffside scenery and old-world Celtic traditions rival those of Scotland.

by Shoshi Parks, Atlas Obscura

February 11, 2025

A painting depicting an Order of Good Cheer banquet procession.

Before Thanksgiving, There Were the Feasts of 'The Order of the Good Cheer'

North America's first culinary social club was born in the 17th-century Canadian frontier.

by Laura Kiniry, Atlas Obscura

November 21, 2023

Once upon a time there was a cemetery here, in Tangier, Virginia.

From Indonesia to Ingonish, Some Bones Won't Stay Buried

As seas and storms erode coastlines, cemeteries are giving up their dead.

by Jennifer S. Holland, Atlas Obscura

October 28, 2019

Nova Scotia Is Streaming Its Favorite Local Meat Log

The donair, a Haligonian delicacy, is getting its moment in the sun (or heatlamp).

by Cara Giaimo, Atlas Obscura

November 15, 2017