Description: I've been to Peggy's Cove many, many times over the years. My best friend grew up in the village, you see. Peggy's Cove is a working fishing village about a 45 minute drive from Halifax on Highway 333. The lighthouse perched on the granite rocky coastline is quite well known and one of the, if not *the* most photographed spot in the area. It's very pretty, quaint and picturesque. There's a little wooden church, wooden houses and a harbour with fishing boats, lobster traps and wharfs. There's a restaurant by the lighthouse and a smattering of craft and gift shops along the narrow road.
And there are tourists. Ye Gods, there are tourists!!! In the summer, they come by the bus load. There are two parking lots, one near the entrance of the village and a larger one behind the restaurant by the lighthouse and on sunny days, they're both filled with busses and cars. Crowds of people crawl over the rocky shoreline, often getting too close to the water. They don't realize how dangerous it is! Trust me. Every year there are a few people that get washed off the rocks by a rogue wave. The waves on a windy day are very pretty to watch. But not from out on the rocks which can also be slippery from the sea spray. As tempting as it is, don't get too close to the edge!!!!
The gift shops do have some nice items and the restaurant is pretty good. The lighthouse has a post office in it though the queues to get your postcards stamped there can be long.
There's a gallery of paintings by William DeGarthe who lived here and his paintings are very good. There's also his sculpture along a rock face just before you get to the harbour. That's worth having a look at as well.
Peggy's Cove *is* picturesque but in the high tourist season, it's a bit of a mad house with so many people. If you can come in the off season, that's a far better time. It's spectacular in the winter with ice covering the rocks. It's even more so after a storm when the waves are crashing high on the granite boulders. Obviously you stay well clear and watch from a safe distance but the views then are impressive.
All along that highway from Tantallon and around St. Margaret's bay are lots of pretty spots and craft shops. The whole peninsula is worth driving around the loop. Take some of the little side roads to places like Prospect or McGrath's Cove or Shad Bay. Continue down through Hubbards and on to Chester, Mahone Bay and Lunenburg.
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