Broad, long, beautiful beach. Great for a nice walk. If it's busy, there is always a quieter spot…read morearound the bend.

Rainbow Haven is a pretty popular spot for families, tweens, teens, and various miscellaneous folk…read more A gorgeous spot to take in the rays of summer, its also a spot that everyone knows about and will fill up quickly if the heat rises. Extended sandy beaches and beautiful backdrops of landscape, Rainbow truly is a haven worth having. If you can handle a largely populated dose of sun, then you will be fine! Although there are the odd days when you can trickle along the shores with minimal company as well. The beach is suited with all the perks: lifeguards, flush toilets, showers, a canteen, parking options, beach volleyball nets and boardwalks too. Balanced with beautiful nature scenes and convenient accommodations... Rainbow is well-rounded. Summertime aside, its a gorgeous spot to enjoy once the weather starts getting chilly. Early September and October allow for a little more quiet time, and a whole lot of outdoor beauty. Pop on a sweater, and enjoy a nice, crisp walk along natural landscapes.

Beautiful beach, lots of sandy space. Chances to see lots of sea birds, snails, crabs and big…read morerocks. Lots of beautiful plants and trees as well.

I really love this beach. It was one of the only beaches this summer that was warm enough to…read morecomfortably swim in. I'm not talking that... slow walk into the water until your body is numb enough to not feel how cold you really are. It was an enjoyable swim. Although, the day I was swimming there was patches of eel grass that we had to avoid. The beach is so huge so you're not on top of other people when setting up. Plenty of sand to go around! There were hundreds of people on the day my friend and I went, one rugby game and a volley ball net set up, with still miles of beach left to lay on. The best part is that there is a second smaller beach around a corner. It can be reached by walking along the waters edge, or by taking the path (see photos I posted). The path is amazing looking, like it's right out of a story book. Be careful when swimming in the river by the second beach, I heard there is a wicked undertow there. The one negative aspect, is the parking. There is basically no parking here. I'd suggest going early in the day to snag a side-of-the-road spot. The boardwalk is also in need of repair after last winter. Still, this beach is 5 stars! It's beautiful and I highly recommend checking out!

Best beach in Nova Scotia! It's only about 40 minutes from downtown and has great waves! It's a…read moreprovincial park. There is parking all along the back of the beach. There are also outhouses and bbqs. The boardwalk that leads down to the beach is picturesque. I highly recommend people to take their boogie board and a towel then head to the beach for the day! The beach never seems full because it is SO BIG! It's amazing.

What, you may ask is a non surfer, non body boarder, non para-sailor doing at this very rugged, and…read morepretty dangerous beach that stretches for 1.5km along the Atlantic Ocean? Walking and watching naturally. Long sandy beach and dunes are perfect for bird watching as well as those more daring than I. Not for me are the rip tides or high rogue waves. I prefer to take my shot of danger vicariously....while munching on a picnic lunch, thank you very much. Whatever your pleasure, though, you'll find it here..

Lawrencetown Beach has always been my personal favorite beach. I love the windy drive out there…read morewith its fantastic views. And that's before you even get to the beach. Lawrencetown is a beach persons beach. It's where all the serious beach activities happen. Surfing, windsurfing, kite boarding, and extreme sandcastles. It's where the big kids play. Lawrencetown is also an ever changing beach. Because it's not as sheltered as some beaches, its shoreline varies yearly. It goes back and forth between extremely rocky and a sandy haven. This year it's extremely rocky, probably the rockiest I've seen it in many years. If you're planning on swimming there is a life-guarded area and a nice bathroom/shower area in the big blue building. The water can be pretty cold, but if you're a local you won't mind. There is always a nice strong offshore breeze to cool you down on hot days as well. If you plan on going in the evening be warned that fog banks roll in more often than not. The beach is good for swimming, but for strong swimmers if you're venturing outside of the lifeguard area. Rip tides do occur and big surf is common. You can wander pretty far out on sandbars before encountering deep water though. In my experiences I haven't encountered too many jellyfish either. Lawrencetown has a bunch of very dedicated surfers who practice their sport year round. They're great to watch and easy to join. There is usually always a surfboard and wet-suit rental truck parked just before the beach. There are also several surf schools and lessons available on site. If you're like me and afraid of tempting fate you can stick to the easy to pick up boogie boarding. Lawrencetown is one of the best places to boogie board, even when it's rocky. If the shore is packed with rocks once you walk out in the water past your knees it's all sandbars. If you're really into the boogie boarding take advantage of any incoming storms or hurricanes. They make for uber warm waters and big surf. The parking situation is pretty good. There is a very long lot along most of the beach and in most cases you can park and walk fifty feet or so to a good beach spot. A word of warning: I have had my car broken into before. It was an old beater truck with crappy locks, but still be weary and hide all shiny things.

We rolled out of bed in time to hit the road by eight-ish this morning in hopes of spending a quiet…read moremorning in the wilderness of Duncan's Cove, a coastal hike out past the Herring Cove region. It's only a short drive, it's not even remotely busy, and it's off-the-grid enough to feel the relaxation benefits! I'll get to all the reasons why it's easily one of my new favourite places around the city in a minute, but I do have to point out that it lost some serious points with me before we even got there. Duncan's Cove isn't easy to find without someone who knows where they're headed, there are few (if any) directional signs pointing you in the right direction and even when you're on the right track, there are 'Private Property' signs making you doubt yourself the entire time. Without noticing the path naturally paved with smooth, white rocks for easy passage, we ended up plowing through a trail reminiscent of the raptor fields in Jurassic Park 2 (Anyone? Just me?) with foliage up to our shoulders, rough and dangerous terrain, and plenty of opportunities for injury including ankle-high stone walls, foot-deep sinkholes, and roots ready for the tripping. Nonetheless, we still managed to make it down but much happier with the more user-friendly route on the way back. Even with the safer trail, there are some dangerous spots so pay attention, watch your kids, and give it some serious thought if arriving with a mobility challenge. Once you reach the rocky shore, you can hike for hours without really reaching anything. All the while, you get an unobstructed view of the Atlantic complete with fishing and sailboats, coastguard patrols, schools of herring visible at water level, families of seals on the hunt, incredible diving birds that nab fish right out of the water, and yes - we even saw a school of pilot whales diving off the coast. This was some National Geographic stuff, guys! Dog-friendly for medium to large-size breeds but know that they're going to get messy in the process. Leave the short-legged guys at home, the ground will be a little too dangerous for them. And for any dog brought out, please remember to keep them on-leash to avoid harming any of the wildlife including geese that all too often fall victim to inattentive dog owners.

We stayed in one of the houses at Duncan's Cove (There are 3 or 4 available on airbnb). There is…read moreparking by the trail head which is kind of hidden. There is a gravel drive across from the parking bay area that leads towards a massive white house in the distance. Follow the drive and disregard the sign that says private no vehicles. You will see a sign pointing the direction of the actual trail on the right of the path. The trail forks immediately. Take a left to head to head the fastest way down to the ocean. You will definitely want proper footwear, as the path is not paved and it will involve some rock climbing. The path exits out of the undergrowth to the rocky shore and follows along it some way where it eventually meets the other fork. If you had taken the straight ahead path at the fork you hike for some distance before coming across an abandoned WWII bunker (we used it for shelter for a storm that hit during our hike). We had the privilege of being the only ones there on our sunny return visit the following day. We sat and watched almost two dozen seals play in the surf. The stormy day was as rewarding, watching the waves crash against the rocks. I encourage any hikers to please take the threat of ticks very seriously. You will be walking on narrow trails between thick undergrowth. Tuck pants into socks, spray repellent, and conduct thorough checks afterwards.

While this is a beach-related park, I don't foresee a lot of swimming here. It's more of a "wade…read moreinto the water a bit" kind of beach. The water's pretty cold and the wind is pretty strong. However, if you're looking for a gentle stroll along the water's edge on the wooden boardwalk, this is the place for you! It's right next to the Fisherman's Wharf shopping/eating area so this is a good way to walk off some of those calories. On a nice calm day, you can also find tons of stones to skip across the water.

Gorgeous little walk near Fisherman's wharf. Boardwalks make it accessible to anyone. Lots of…read morepretty plants, wild roses, rocks and opportunity to see sea birds.

I love coming here for a swim on the weekends. Now I may be giving away a secret here, but the…read morereally cool thing about this spot is that no matter what time you come, there's always a decent spot to park your car and to park yourself. This is a lifeguarded beach from 11-5 and there's a decent amount of sand for the kiddies to play in. I love the fact that this isn't a rocky beach at all. You can walk right in the water without worrying about stubbing your toe or having to dodge rocks under your feet. A downfall is that there aren't great facilities here. Just a port a pottie, so your trip may be cut short if you're not a fan of these. Other than that, Cunard Beach is a great spot for a quick swim on a sunny afternoon!

If you don't have a car, it's hard to get to the beach. Thankfully, Birch Cove Beach is here! It's…read morenot the largest beach in the world but the warm waters of Lake Banook invite you in. The parking lot and beach front have recently been renovated so there's lots of parking. A newly installed dock allows you to jump right in. The grass is a great place for a picnic during your fun. Not a fan of the water? There's a small park to explore as well.

Birch Cove is just a short walk from my house and is really one of the best spots in the city for…read morelake swimming. Due to the world canoe chamionships taking place here a few summers ago, the entire grounds, parking, etc. have been renovated and are top notch. There is a life guarded area, but I usually opt to plant myself on the grassy area a little farther down where it is a bit quieter. Great swimming that's clean and refreshing on lake Banook. It doesn't get much better than this.