I had grand plans to island hop in Greece this past summer … but, when that didn’t transpire, I packed up my family to do a Canadian version of the same type of trip. Find our “hopping good” itinerary for Montréal and the Maritimes below. —Noa Nichol
Montreal
The perfect starting point for this tour is in the city-island of Montreal, which buzzes with festivals, food and fun. Rent a car at YUL and, 45 minutes later, check into the Auberge du Vieux-Port—located in picturesque Old Montréal and facing the St. Lawrence River, this comfortable inn is delightfully close to museums, art galleries, shops and restaurants, including two eateries of its own, and a rooftop bar that’s bumping most nights. Once you’ve dropped your bags, head to Le Saint Motel: a quirky selfie studio featuring more than a dozen themed rooms. After an easy hour of snapping, walk down to Atwater Market; housed in an Art Deco-style building, its many vendors offer cheese, produce, baked goods and meat, plus a variety of take-out food (Le Petit Sao for Vietnamese, Satay Brothers for Singapore street food, Aylwin Barbecue for Texan-style smoke). A second food option is Le Central: this gourmet carrefour boasts 25 restaurant-kiosks, including Ragú (chef Sandro Carpene serves the best gnocchi you’ll ever taste) and Mignon for churros and dip. Afternoons are well-spent experiencing Root for Nature at Oasis, which will immerse you in a striking interpretation of biodiversity via digital displays, and riding the Montréal Observation Wheel (La Grande Roue)—a giant ferris wheel at the Old Port of Montreal. For dinner, the hotel’s Gaspar serves filling French cuisine—the perfect fuel with which to explore Old Montréal through its ghosts with Montréal Ghost Tours.
Prince Edward Island
It’s about 11 hours by car to Prince Edward Island—and well worth it. The island is breathtaking: all rolling green hills and rainbow-hued flowers and that famous red soil and sand. A good place to stay is Sydney Boutique Inn & Suites in Charlottetown, especially if you wish to attend the Anne musical at Confederation Centre of the Arts across the street (the show is only on every second summer, so plan accordingly). Anne fans will also want to work the Anne of Green Gables Museum, Green Gables Heritage Place and Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace into their itineraries. After a morning of Anne, Anne, Anne, lunch at Avonlea Village, with nine eateries and six shops on site, is nice; or, visit the storybook fishing village of Victoria by the Sea, for fresh seafood from one of several restaurants (Landmark Oyster House, Lobster Barn, Richard’s Fresh Seafood or Casa Mia by the Sea) and a stroll along a main street lined with shops, galleries, studios and perhaps the most tempting chocolate factory outside of Willy Wonka. Charlottetown itself is also incredibly charming, and delicious. Among many great eateries, a standout bite for us was discovered in Founders Food Hall: a perfectly baked PEI potato stuffed to the brim with a mixture of toppings at Dal’s Potato Bar. Finally, spend some time in the great (beautiful) outdoors: hike the Greenwich Dunes Trail in Greenwich, PEI National Park, which includes a walk over a pond on a floating boardwalk out to one of the island’s most fabulous beaches. Alternately, Panmure Island Provincial Park, with water on both sides of a causeway, is known as one of the most picturesque places on PEI; you’ll want to have your camera ready at the scenic viewing tower.
Nova Scotia
The 12.9-kilometre Confederation Bridge takes about 10 minutes to drive across, and connects PEI with New Brunswick—but you won’t be stopping in that province yet. It’s about two-and-a-half hours to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the Moxy—a boutique-style hotel that’s anything but traditional, with a games room and library, selfie ops in the elevators, free candy at the bar and rooms that make the absolute best use of every inch of space. It’s walking distance to the Halifax Waterfront, too, where you’ll find the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and Maritime Museum of the Atlantic (to learn more about the city’s rich history), the Fog Company (for premium ice cream adorned with cotton candy “fog”), and Canada’s first-and-only The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc. boutique, where you can concoct your own fragrance (or just purchase one of the Halifax-born brand’s best-selling scents). Another peek into the town’s past can be had at Halifax Citadel National Historic Site—the large hill overlooking the harbour below that led the British military to found the town there in 1749. Tour the Army Museum Halifax Citadel, which tells the powerful and compelling stories of Nova Scotian soldiers, and watch the sentry guarding the front gate be changed every hour the citadel is open. Listen for the Noon Gun, fired daily by the 3rd Brigade Royal Artillery, and consider picking up a Parks Canada Perfect Picnic at the coffee bar onsite to enjoy on the ramparts, Cavalier porch or outside the walls of the fort on the grassy hill. Fast-forwarding to dinner, there’s no better place to tuck in than The Bicycle Thief for food with Italian soul on Halifax’s waterfront; standouts include the seared local scallops with a panko crust, yuzu beurre blanc and toasted almonds; handmade ravioli filled with fresh crab and mascarpone, butter-poached Argentinian shrimp and Limoncello crema; and layered butterscotch caramel cake with crunchy crushed toasted pecans.
New Brunswick
The final leg of this hop takes you to New Brunswick, and the Canvas Moncton Hotel in the town’s downtown core. Once settled, it’s time to see the area’s most famous site: Magnetic Hill. Be amazed as you drive your car to the bottom of the hill, put it in neutral, and roll back uphill—incredible! The surrounding site has been turned into an attraction, complete with water park, amusement park and zoo. Speaking of animal encounters, Llama-zing Adventures in Saint Andre LeBlanc will lead you on a beach walk with your very own llama; trust us, this is a must-do in New Brunswick. Next, it’s time to get up close with Mother Nature; do a guided fossil tour or go ziplining and rappelling at Cape Enrage, or visit Fundy National Park, which boasts 25 waterfalls, 25 hiking trails and lots of things to see and do. For dinner, head to Hopewell Rocks for a once-in-a-lifetime low-tide Taste The Tides dining experience that includes a guided tour with a walk on the ocean floor and a chance to stand next to the famous Flowerpot Rocks. A team will then serve you a multi-course dinner showcasing local New Brunswick ingredients right on the beach as the tides wash in. Fredericton is up next, where a highlight is the Boyce Public Market every Saturday morning (so time it right!). There are savoury samosas, fresh-squeezed orange juice (that everyone drinks on site from a straw stuck right in the bottle) and the best croissants we’ve ever had, stuffed with goat cheese and sweet roasted onions, from Milda’s.
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