DRIVE
Halifax to Digby, Nova Scotia
Three hours 30 minutes
“You’ll travel through fishing villages with wharves crowded with lobster boats, and diners offering seafood that’s travelled mere feet from seawater to plate.”
GAVIN CONWAY, AUTOMOTIVE JOURNALIST
Landing at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia, most tourists aim their rental rides at Cape Breton Island and the Cabot Trail. That’s understandable—to get a sense of what Nova Scotia’s all about, the trail is a great place to start. But there’s another, less-travelled route that will also give you a genuine flavour of this province: from Halifax to the town of Digby in the west.
It starts on the so-called Lighthouse Route, a twisting road running right up against the evocative maritime shoreline. You’ll travel through fishing villages with wharves crowded with lobster boats, and roadside diners offering seafood that’s travelled mere feet from seawater to plate. Along the way, be sure to stop in Lunenburg, a charming example of a typical Nova Scotia fishing town. Old Town Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its fabulous riot of brightly painted gothic houses reminds us it was once one of the wealthiest towns in North America.
The second part of the drive passes through dense forest, and you’ll eventually arrive on the Atlantic shore and the furthest point on the route, Digby. Once in Digby, it’s an essential ritual to sample the world-famous Digby scallops. These are reason enough to visit this hard-working fishing village.
Really, there’s no question that the best Mazda for this trip is the MX‑5 RF. The road serves up a drivers’ menu of fast, sweeping curves and tight, low-speed corners, so you’ll need the composed, balanced handling that the MX‑5 is famous for. With the top folded, you’ll get to enjoy the forest’s green, sun-speckled canopy and that evergreen smell.
Make sure you keep your camera at the ready as postcard-grade images wait around nearly every corner. This drive will leave you with a proper flavour of the Atlantic Maritimes, Nova Scotia style.
THE 265 KM ROUTE
Head west out of Halifax on old Route 3, the beginning of the so-called Lighthouse Route. Trace the coast to Lunenberg, then head inland to Bridgewater and west on Route 325 until it reaches Route 8, the road that splits mainland Nova Scotia in half. After around an hour, you’ll reach Kejimkujik National Park (‘Keji’), famous for its beautiful lakes and traditional Mi’kmaw canoe routes. Continue northwest through thick forests until you reach Trunk 1. Head west, tracing the Annapolis Basin until you reach Route 303 and the town of Digby. Google map
joy of driving
Tell us about your road trip
Whether it’s three hours or three days, join the community of people who simply love to drive
