Best beaches in Lunenburg County
Updated: May 22, 2024
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If you're visiting the area of Lunenburg during the peak summer months of July and August, you absolutely have to make time to visit some beaches.
Nova Scotia is blessed to have many beautiful beaches and, in my opinion, the ones in the Lunenburg County area are some of the best.
1. Risser's beach
Risser's beach is located in Petite Rivière, just across the river from Lunenburg. Risser's is most definitely the largest beach on this list, and offers the most facilities. It has bathrooms, showers, a small canteen, and it is the only beach on this list that is monitored by a lifeguard.
Because of all the facilities and convenience that it offers, this beach is one of the busier ones however, I never find it too crowded. The lifeguarded area is usually quite busy, but the further you walk away from there, the less crowded it will be.
Risser's is also nice because it has soft grainy sand, and is not too rocky. The water does tend to be on the colder side here, and the waves are medium-sized.
For any of the beaches on this list in the Petite Riviere area, I recommend taking the Lahave River ferry if you're coming from the Lunenburg area. The ferry tends to just run when it's full during the peak summer months, so you won't have to wait more than 20 minutes, and the trip is only 10 minutes or so. Once you get off the ferry, there is a bakery called Lahave Bakery right there. They make great sandwiches and sweet treats so I always stop here on my way to the beach to grab some lunch or snacks to take with me.
2. Hirtle's beach
Hirtle's beach is located in Kingsburg, about 15 minutes from Lunenburg. This beach is also very large but doesn't offer as many facilities. There are port-a-potty style toilets but no showers or eating options. My recommendation for food would be to stop by the Rose Bay General Store on your way to the beach. They sell some pre-made sandwiches and snacks, or you can sit down and choose from their sandwich, salad, and pizza options.
This beach is a bit more on the rocky side however, there are usually some sandy spots scattered around. Hirtle's is also known for being one of the colder and windier beaches due to how open it is to the ocean, so I recommend going only if it is a very nice day out. You'll find the biggest waves at this beach, so if you're a surfer this is the beach for you.
Hirtle's also marks the beginning point of the Gaff Point Hiking trail, which is a beautiful 6km loop that hugs the ocean.
3. Crescent beach
Crescent is famous for being the only beach in Nova Scotia that you can drive your car on. Not to be confused with Crystal Crescent beach, which is a completely different beach right outside of Halifax. Crescent Beach is in Petite Riviere.
The element of being able to drive your car on the beach is fun, but I recommend trying to go during a lower tide, especially if your vehicle is only 2-wheel drive, as it's not uncommon for people to get stuck in the sand.
Crescent also tends to be one of the colder beaches, again due to how open it is to the ocean, so you may want to keep that in mind when picking what day to visit. The beach has very fine smooth sand, similar to Rissers. There are no facilities on the beach.
4. Bachman's beach
Bachman's is located in Second Peninsula, about 15 minutes outside of Lunenburg. It's quite different from the other beaches because it is nestled into a cove so there are no waves. Bachman's is one of the rockier beaches, but usually has the warmest water. There are also usually boats parked just off the beach and you can sometimes see the sailing lessons at the yacht club in the distance. There are no facilities at this beach.
If you're someone with kids and you're nervous about waves or the water, I'd definitely recommend this beach. Waves are small, the beach itself is a smaller size, and it's not too crowded, so it's easy to keep an eye on kids.
5. Green Bay beach
Another beach in the Petite Reverie area, although this one is just past that in Green Bay. This beach kind of stretches along the coast of the Green Bay area, and isn't super defined. There is also no proper parking lot, although you will see some areas off the side of the road where you can park.
This beach has fine smooth sand, and personally, I find it a bit warmer than the others in the Petite area as it doesn't face the open ocean as much.
There are no facilities for this beach however, there is a canteen just on the other side of the road where you can grab some food.
Conclusion
Overall you really can't go wrong with any of the beaches in this area. Regardless of which one you choose, you're getting to enjoy Nova Scotia's beautiful coastline.
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