12 Best Hotels in The Eastern Shore and Northern Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia

With a 600-foot private beach and 20 acres of lawns and gardens overlooking Northumberland Strait, this inn has an interesting range of lodging options. Choices include standard rooms, suites (some with Jacuzzis and fireplaces), and cottages with kitchenettes, and guests can choose accommodation only, breakfast included, or breakfast and dinner included rates. The inn's restaurant serves laudable four-course, prix-fixe dinners that incorporate homegrown produce.

Turn-of-the-20th-century Victorian style—but with modern amenities—reigns at this beautifully restored turreted mansion. During its glory days the inn hosted celebrities and former prime ministers. Those joining their ranks now will note that every immaculately kept room has attractive period touches as well as up-to-date must-haves such as air-conditioning and Wi-Fi. There are also two apartments with fully equipped kitchens. Outside, the inn has nearly 5 acres of delightful grounds that extend to the East River.

Colorful gardens border the driveway leading up to this 1890 home that is convenient to Parrsboro but also a great choice for active visitors—the hosts can organize golfing, kayaking, and hiking experiences for you. Antique furnishings, hardwood floors, and five fireplaces are a testament to its Victorian vintage, yet modern amenities (among them free Wi-Fi) ensure you never feel cut off from the present. The 2½-acre property is ideal for strolling, and guests are often seen relaxing on the front lawn or the marvelous veranda.

In a superb natural setting, with a choice of lodge rooms or secluded chalets and cottages, this place pairs an away-from-it-all location with a wide range of activities. The Liscomb River provides the setting for boating, swimming, and bird-watching, and lacing the property are 16 km (10 miles) of wooded and riverside trails for hiking. Tennis and a heated pool are both on-site, and you can bike here. Once you've worked up an appetite, the Riverside Dining Room offers a broad menu based on fresh local ingredients. Most cottages and chalets have fireplaces and verandas.

Two Italianate homes built in 1893 have been combined to form this charming inn within walking distance of downtown Parrsboro and the waterfront. Local residents often reserve Room 1 because many of them were born here when the building was a hospital and this was the delivery room. The interior design leans toward the flowery, with backdrops like red walls in the Raspberry Room and black rooms in the Black Velvet Room. Public areas include a veranda (splendid for watching sunsets) and a flowery sitting room with a flat-screen TV.

Although this 1880 home, set far back on a 4-acre lawn, presents an imposing face, it's bright and modern inside. Each room is decorated according to a theme. The quiet ground-floor guest rooms are spacious, with big windows and sitting areas; the upstairs suite has slanted ceilings, wood floors and walls, and an extra sofa bed. Breakfast is buffet-style with options like local berries and smoked salmon.

Nestled between Cape d'Or and Cape Chignecto, this is a working cattle farm where you can enjoy the bucolic pleasures of country life or take a short drive to the Fundy shore. The three simple rooms are motel-style and the two self-contained two-bedroom cottages are set apart near the vintage farmhouse; both include full kitchens and dining areas, beds for four or five guests, and decks from which to enjoy the views.

Rooms at this modest B&B are cheerful and bright: ditto for owner Ruth Mailloux, who knows the province from stem to stern and will happily advise you about itineraries and attractions. The name comes from the fact that stained glass adorns almost every available window, wall, and cranny. The breakfast menu includes homemade breads, jams, muffins, seasonal fruit, bacon or sausage, and eggs. Evening tea and coffee are served between 7 and 9 pm with a homemade dessert.

Before automation, two lighthouse keepers manned the light on rocky Cape d'Or, and their cottages have been transformed into a small inn with unparalleled views of the Minas Basin. Guest rooms are basic, but there's a welcoming common area with a breakfast bar, books, games, and a small refrigerator, and there's an excellent restaurant on-site. Although getting here is challenging, the wild beauty repays your effort.

Set peacefully back from the street, this picturesque 1898 Georgian house stands out for its grandeur, and the hosts are extremely welcoming and helpful. Lovely stained-glass windows, hand-carved woodwork, a fine collection of Inuit art, and gorgeous hardwood floors set the tone, and the guest rooms are furnished with period pieces and pictures of the founding fathers after whom they are named. A complimentary full hot breakfast is served each morning; the menu changes daily.

A registered Heritage Property built in the 1860s, this centrally located inn, a block from the waterfront, is furnished with antiques and original oil paintings. Several rooms have ornate fireplaces and some feature 12-foot ceilings. Libraries on both guest floors have a selection of reading matter (take one or leave one), and the deck dotted with plants is a great place to relax. Mountain bikes are available for guests to use. 

Sleep in an 1887 train station or one of eight beautifully converted cabooses parked on the tracks outside, with authentic railroad memorabilia throughout. The stationmaster's quarters include a three-bedroom suite with a parlor and kitchenette. The main-floor café serves tasty breakfasts and there's a dining car for lunch and dinner utilizing organic produce from the station garden. Caboose suites have all creature comforts, plus touches of railroad life such as signal switches and elevated conductors' cupolas with revolving chairs.