Vacation Tips - Nova Scotia's Hidden Gems: Digby, Tried and True

Digby’s history has never been one of wars and battles; it is a story of loyalists and a brave community settling in a harsh environment. During the early 1900’s the railway and steamship links made Digby and surroundings an easy to reach destination for the city crowd. The railway is long gone; all that is left is the old railway bed which is now used as a walking/biking trail. The Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa serves as an active reminder of this age over 100 years later, with a championship golf course designed by the famous Stanley Thompson and a stunning property set on the hill just across the water. The old Captain’s houses located mostly on Queen Street serve as a reminder of the once booming ship building and seafaring industry. Much has changed, although Digby’s fate is still and will probably forever be connected to the bountiful but merciless Bay of Fundy. The Admiral Digby museum, a cute little museum, actually offers a pretty nice overview of Digby’s history forever connected with the ocean.

This little fishing town of 2,300 people is located within the AnnapolisBasin, offering a protected harbour from the unpredictable Bay of Fundy. Locals and world travelers dock their sailboats at the protected marina, right across from the fishermen’s wharf. Some of the boats look like new, others show the challenges they have faced on the world’s oceans. Still, the tides determine the pace of the town. Is a storm brewing while the tide is coming in? Better hunker down and make sure you have all you need. Fishing boats and sailors alike enter into the Bay of Fundy through the Digby Gut with the outgoing tide, and return with the incoming tide. Not only do they save fuel and effort, it also makes hauling in their catch far easier. Even though the highest tides are recorded further up in the Bay of Fundy, Digby still sees tides of about 25 feet (8 meters). Take a moment when you’re walking down the wharf and see the narrow vertical ladders the fishermen use to get to and from their boats. It will make you appreciate your wonderful scallop dinner that much more.

Digby is considered by many to be one of those scenic places with little to do. But if we are honest to ourselves: do we always want to be kept busy with ‘must-see sights’ and ‘must-do’ touristy attractions? Location wise though, Digby is located an easy drive away from Bear River, Annapolis Royal and Digby Neck and Islands – all destinations that will fill any desire you might have to be kept busy, in a good way.

What makes Digby special is the fact that, despite having attracted its share of tourists over the years, it has remained real. It hasn’t fallen into the typical tourist trap of pretty-ing everything up for the tourists and creating some sort of rosy coloured image. Digby still is a working fishing town and you can feel (and sometimes smell) it in the air. The fishermen that have just returned from a week long of fishing walk around town smelling of fish in their rubber boots. The Tidal Boat Works and Larche Industrial Marine still operate their boat repair and servicing businesses right in town. The fish plant is also still located right in town, just off of the wharf. The only concession towards tourism made here is the great little seafood market and restaurant that has been added to their business.

The Royal Fundy Seafood Market and Restaurant is a small no-frills place located right next to their fish plant just off of the wharf. They simply do what they do best without bragging or showing off: prepare great seafood. The no-frills attitude just fits with Digby as Digby itself is a no-frills kind of town. Go for a walk on the fishermen’s wharf and you could find yourself learning a lot about the fishing industry. Many of the local fishermen enjoy sharing their knowledge of the sea and their delicious catch. You could get lucky and buy yourself some delicious fresh scallops or lobsters right from the boat.

The ocean side boardwalk invites you to take a relaxing stroll along the waterfront, enjoying the views of the AnnapolisBasin and the colourful fishing fleet. You will find several more restaurants along the boardwalk and on Water Street, all serving the fresh seafood and the Digby scallops that have given Digby its claim to fame. The fishermen’s memorials along the boardwalk and at the FishermanMemorial Park serve as a reminder of the constant challenges and threats faced by this entire community. The canons serve as a reminder of the old day threats this community faced. The stores along Water Street offer a variety from little tourist souvenir shops to the eclectic Bluefin Pottery, to stores that sell all kinds of gear and clothing for the fishermen to a great quilt shop that offers workshops as well. All these shops have a down to earth feel to them against the backdrop of the beautiful views Digby has to offer.

Sometimes porpoises play around in the basin, a delight to watch with the sun shining on their backs. The fog that occasionally comes rolling into the basin through the Digby Gut in the evening gives the whole scene something eerie. The awe inspiring tides of the Bay of Fundy, the bank of fog you can see rolling in, the beautiful thunderstorms in the distance over the water, and the mighty fishing fleet that is so fragile at the same time: Digby is a little no-frills fishing town that brings you back to reality.