Canadian coast and islands off the beaten path.
What are some less-touristed coastal towns and islands in Canada, for travelers seeking beautiful places with fewer crowds? Answer
Options include Lunenburg, a port town with its original 1753 street layout; Telegraph Cove, a former cannery village and base for whale-watching; and Carleton-sur-Mer, a town on Chaleur Bay below Mont Saint-Joseph. This page includes more than 90 options. Click here to see which are close enough to be day trips from major cities like Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto.
Cumberland
A compact Vancouver Island village with a well-preserved early-20th-century downtown streetscape of painted timber storefronts, set among forested hills with…
Lunenburg
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, Lunenburg is a port town on Nova Scotia's South Shore whose original 1753 street layout and wooden vernacular archit…
Carleton-sur-Mer
A modest town on the south shore of Quebec's Gaspésie region, Carleton-sur-Mer sits along Chaleur Bay, where two sandbars meet to form a barachois lagoon fre…
Harbour Breton
A fishing village on the south coast of Newfoundland's Connaigre Peninsula, Harbour Breton sits at the edge of Fortune Bay with hilly terrain rising behind i…
Port Moody
Waterfront city at the east end of Burrard Inlet in Metro Vancouver, Port Moody pairs a walkable food-and-drink scene with views of the Coast Mountains and s…
Telegraph Cove
A tiny former fishing and cannery village on northern Vancouver Island, Telegraph Cove is now a base for kayaking and whale-watching in Johnstone Strait, whe…
Souris
This small waterfront town near the northeastern tip of Prince Edward Island, Souris sits in a region known for its beaches and has a café and restaurant sce…
Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade
Every winter, a temporary village of fishing huts rises on the frozen Sainte-Anne River at this compact Quebec municipality, which calls itself the world cap…
Salmon Arm
Salmon Arm sits on the shores of Shuswap Lake in British Columbia's Southern Interior, home to the longest wooden freshwater wharf in North America.
Mahone Bay
A small waterfront town on Nova Scotia's South Shore, Mahone Bay is known for its photogenic streetscape of historic churches and sits near a UNESCO World He…
Caplan
A waterfront municipality on Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula with a strong photographic profile, Caplan sits along Chaleur Bay in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine…
Inverness
This little waterside village on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, sits within an hour's drive of Cape Breton Highlands National Park to the north and the Can…
Norris Point
This pocket-sized waterfront village on Bonne Bay in western Newfoundland, Norris Point sits at the edge of Gros Morne National Park amid mountain terrain.
Milan
This tiny waterside municipality in Quebec's Estrie region, Milan sits in sight of mountains in the Le Granit area.
Ladysmith
A small harbour town on the east coast of Vancouver Island, Ladysmith sits right on the water at the 49th parallel, with a café and restaurant scene that pun…
Chester
This small Nova Scotia sailing village wrapped around a deep blue harbour dotted with moored boats, where wooded shorelines, waterfront docks, and a compact…
Shawnigan Lake
A small lakeside town on Vancouver Island, where dense Pacific Northwest forest surrounds a little pond and Tudor-style buildings, with forested hills rollin…
Nanaimo
Nanaimo sits right on the harbour along British Columbia's Vancouver Island, with a walkable centre dense with cafés, restaurants, and heritage buildings, an…
Yuquot
Yuquot — also called Friendly Cove — on Nootka Island off British Columbia's west coast was the first place in British Columbia visited by Europeans, when Ja…
Ingonish
A cluster of small settlements on Cape Breton Island's Atlantic coast, Ingonish sits within Cape Breton Highlands National Park and along the Cabot Trail sce…
Terrace
Regional hub in British Columbia's Skeena valley where the Kitsumkalum River meets the Skeena, Terrace sits close to mountains with cafés and restaurants con…
Deseronto
A tiny Ontario town on the shore of the Bay of Quinte, Deseronto sits at the mouth of the Napanee River with water views and several historic churches for a…
Hubbards
Tiny Nova Scotia South Shore village where sailboats and fishing boats share a calm harbour backed by forested hills, with a surprisingly lively waterfront c…
Terrebonne
Suburban city on the North Shore of Montreal, Terrebonne sits along the Rivière des Mille-Îles with a walkable centre dense with cafés and restaurants.
Sioux Lookout
A gateway town in Northwestern Ontario known as the "Hub of the North," Sioux Lookout draws summer visitors to an extensive lake and river system fed by the…
Hazelton
This little hamlet in west-central British Columbia sits at the confluence of the Bulkley River and the Skeena River, where the two waterways meet to form a…
Lac-des-Plages
This tiny Quebec municipality in the Outaouais region takes its name from Lac des Plages — "Lake of Beaches" — a freshwater lake that draws summer visitors t…
La Macaza
Compact municipality in Quebec's Laurentian Mountains with lakes, beaches, and direct water access throughout.
Cortes Island
A summer destination in British Columbia's Discovery Islands archipelago, Cortes Island draws visitors for its warm weather, protected harbours, and quiet pace.
Shediac
Shediac, a tiny town on the coast of southeastern New Brunswick, calls itself the "Lobster Capital of the World" — a claim backed by an annual July lobster f…
Port Alberni
Sitting at the head of Vancouver Island's longest inlet and practically surrounded by mountains, Port Alberni is a waterfront town in British Columbia with s…
Elmvale
Compact Ontario village with a walkable main street of red-brick storefronts, flower-basket lamp posts, and a local coffee shop, sitting close to both Georgi…
Carbonear
Small town on the shore of Conception Bay on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, Carbonear has a history rooted in fishing and shipbuilding, and was the site of…
Gananoque
Gateway to the Thousand Islands in the St.
Saint John
Canada's oldest incorporated city, established by royal charter in 1785 on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Saint John pairs a walkable, heritage-thick cen…
Harbour Grace
One of the oldest towns in North America, Harbour Grace sits on Conception Bay along the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, with roots stretching…
Point de Bute
Sweeping earthwork ramparts, stone-walled fortifications, and a historic garrison building overlook the vast tidal flats of the Bay of Fundy in this rural Ne…
Shippagan
Shippagan, on the Acadian Peninsula in northeastern New Brunswick, is the commercial fishing capital of the province — a pocket-sized port town with waterfro…
Gabriola
This small Gulf Island in British Columbia's Georgia Strait — between Vancouver Island and the mainland — is sometimes called Petroglyph Island, a name that…
Sayward
Small waterfront hamlet on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, Sayward sits in the Sayward Valley near Kelsey Bay, with mountains close by.
Bathurst
A small city on the water in northern New Brunswick, Bathurst sits at the mouth of the Nepisiguit River where it meets Chaleur Bay, with a central core that…
Wolfville
This pocket-sized Nova Scotia town on the Bay of Fundy, Wolfville sits at the heart of Annapolis Valley wine country with vineyards nearby and views across t…
Winnipeg Beach
Modest lakeside resort town on the southwestern shore of Lake Winnipeg, Winnipeg Beach sits in Manitoba's Interlake region, founded in 1900 by Sir William Wh…
Vernon
This lakeside city in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, Vernon sits on the shores of Okanagan Lake with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants and…
High River
This small Alberta town south of Calgary where the Highwood River runs through the centre, High River has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its…
Twillingate
Sitting on the Twillingate Islands in Notre Dame Bay off northeastern Newfoundland, this tiny Canadian town is one of the island's oldest ports and a histori…
Yarmouth
Tiny port town on the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, Yarmouth sits at the entrance to the Gulf of Maine with a working waterfront built around fishing and…
Chicoutimi
A walkable waterfront borough at the confluence of the Saguenay and Chicoutimi rivers, Chicoutimi is the commercial and cultural heart of Quebec's Saguenay–L…
Duncan
This walkable waterfront city on southern Vancouver Island, Duncan sits in the Cowichan Valley with mountains close by and a centre well supplied with cafés…
Port Perry
A pocket-sized Ontario town on the shore of Lake Scugog — one of the province's largest man-made lakes — Port Perry sits northeast of Toronto and offers a ca…
Port Stanley
This pocket-sized Lake Erie village in Ontario with a real café and restaurant scene for its size, Port Stanley sits at the mouth of Kettle Creek on the nort…
Alberton
A small service-town on the western shore of Prince Edward Island, Alberton sits beside the harbour community of Northport and has served the surrounding fis…
Sidney
A waterfront small town on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula, Sidney has a café and restaurant scene that is well stocked for its size, and a shoreline al…
Barry's Bay
A compact lakeside community in Eastern Ontario, Barry's Bay sits on the shores of Kamaniskeg Lake near the eastern entrance to Algonquin Provincial Park, ab…
Collingwood
Georgian Bay town in Ontario known for winter skiing and summer access to limestone caves along the Niagara Escarpment, Collingwood sits on Nottawasaga Bay w…
Miramichi
Sitting where the Miramichi River meets Miramichi Bay on the Gulf of St.
Sault Ste. Marie
The Sault Ste.
Kitwanga
Tiny hamlet in west-central British Columbia where the Kitwanga River meets the Skeena, Gitwangak (also known as Kitwanga) sits on the north shore of the Ske…
Mont-Joli
A pocket-sized town on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec's Bas-Saint-Laurent region, Mont-Joli sits at the gateway to the Gaspé Peninsula.
St. Peter's
This small Cape Breton village where a historic canal separates Bras d'Or Lake from the Atlantic Ocean, St.
Neebing
A rural Ontario municipality just south of Thunder Bay, where open farmland stretches toward a dramatic flat-topped escarpment blanketed in boreal forest, of…
Kensington
This small Prince Edward Island town northeast of Summerside with a disproportionate number of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches for its size.
Owen Sound
Pocket-sized city on Georgian Bay in Ontario, Owen Sound sits where the Pottawatomi and Sydenham Rivers meet the water, with a compact centre of cafés and re…
Wheatley
A small Lake Erie community in Southwestern Ontario that bills itself the "Freshwater Fish Capital of the World," Wheatley has a working fishing port run lar…
North Sydney
Small Cape Breton community on Sydney Harbour, North Sydney is the western terminus of the Marine Atlantic ferry service — the marine link connecting the Tra…
Grand Bank
Pocket-sized town on the southern tip of Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula, Grand Bank built its identity around the sea — first as a French fishing settlement…
Shag Harbour
A small Nova Scotia fishing hamlet on the South Shore known for the 1967 Shag Harbour UFO incident, now commemorated at the local UFO Museum.
Courtenay
A walkable waterfront city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, Courtenay sits at the heart of the Comox Valley with a centre full of cafés and restaurants…
Tracadie–Sheila
A compact waterfront town on New Brunswick's Acadian Coast, Tracadie–Sheila sits at the centre of the Regional Municipality of Tracadie — the first of its ki…
Fermeuse
Little harbour hamlet on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, Fermeuse has sheltered fishing vessels since Portuguese sailors used it as a summer station in the…
Grand-Bouctouche
This modest francophone town on New Brunswick's southeast coast lines its main street with red-clad wooden buildings and hosts a summer mollusc festival, hin…
Corner Brook
A modest city on Newfoundland's west coast where the Bay of Islands meets the mouth of the Humber River, Corner Brook sits in mountain terrain with a compact…
Port-Royal
Founded in 1605, Port-Royal was the first successful permanent European settlement in what is now Canada and served as the capital of Acadia for most of its…
Sussex
A tiny town in Kings County, New Brunswick, straddling the Kennebecasis River between Saint John, Moncton, and Fredericton, Sussex is best known as the home…
Lockeport
This small fishing town on a peninsula in Nova Scotia's Shelburne County, Lockeport sits in Allendale Bay and connects to the mainland via the Crescent Beach…
Great Village
Small Nova Scotia village on the shore of Cobequid Bay, where a stately white clapboard hall with a bell tower anchors a quiet rural community backed by roll…
Guysborough
A little waterfront village at the head of Chedabucto Bay in Nova Scotia, Guysborough sits on its own harbour with vineyards in the surrounding area.
Summerside
Summerside sits on the Northumberland Strait in western Prince Edward Island, a heritage-dense modest city with a real café and restaurant scene and many his…
Baddeck
Tiny village on the shore of Bras d'Or Lake in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Baddeck holds the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site alongside a ha…
Port Dover
A Lake Erie beach town in Norfolk County, Ontario, best known for its recurring Friday the 13th motorcycle rally, which draws thousands of riders to the wate…
Doaktown
Atlantic salmon fishing on the Miramichi River draws visitors from around the world to this modest New Brunswick village, which also holds two museums — the…
Liverpool
This small Nova Scotia community sits where the Mersey River meets the Atlantic Ocean on the province's South Shore, with an unusual concentration of churche…
Musquodoboit Harbour
A small Nova Scotia village where the Musquodoboit River meets the Atlantic shore, featuring a vivid red heritage building amid evergreen forest, with upland…
Glace Bay
A coastal community on the eastern shore of Cape Breton Island, Glace Bay was once driven by coal mining and fishing before both industries declined in the 1…
Sackville
Small university town in southeastern New Brunswick, Sackville is home to Mount Allison University and sits alongside the water with a café and restaurant sc…
Hillsborough
This pocket-sized waterside village in eastern New Brunswick, Hillsborough sits in upland country near the Bay of Fundy region, offering heritage architectur…
Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel
This little Quebec town on the water where the Saint Lawrence and Richelieu rivers converge, Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel faces the Archipelago of Lac Saint-Pierre…
Qualicum Beach
This little waterfront town on Vancouver Island's Salish Sea coast, Qualicum Beach sits at the foot of Mount Arrowsmith with a walkable central core of cafés…
Tsawwassen
A suburban peninsula community in British Columbia's City of Delta, Tsawwassen is best known as the site of the BC Ferries terminal — built in 1959 on a caus…
Brigus
A compact waterside village in Newfoundland's upland country, Brigus offers a surprisingly lively café and dining scene for its size, making it a rewarding s…
Whitney Pier
Pocket-sized waterfront town on Cape Breton Island, Whitney Pier sits at the water's edge with upland country close by, offering a low-key base for exploring…
Chester Basin
Pocket-sized waterside community in Nova Scotia's Chester area, Chester Basin sits where upland country meets the Atlantic coast, making it a quiet base for…
Port Royal
A small waterside community in Nova Scotia's Annapolis region, where calm coastal waters meet rolling hills, offering a quiet, scenic setting for those drawn…
Barrington
Modest Nova Scotia coastal town where the water is never far away, with heritage architecture to explore and upland country close at hand for those who want…
New Minas
A small Nova Scotia town on the water's edge, New Minas offers a modest café and dining scene alongside easy access to upland country and the wider Bay of Fu…
St. Anthony
This little waterfront village in Newfoundland's rugged upland country, St.
Lake Cowichan
A little Vancouver Island town sitting directly on its namesake lake, with easy access to upland wilderness and a modest central core of cafés and restaurant…
Freeport
A compact waterside community on Nova Scotia's Digby shore, Freeport sits where coastal scenery meets nearby upland country, making it a quiet base for those…
Canadian coastal towns and islands: quick answers
Which Canadian coastal towns and islands can you visit on a day trip from Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto?
Ladysmith, Qualicum Beach and Nanaimo are among 9 coastal towns and islands on our day trips from Vancouver. Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel is among 1 coastal towns and islands on our day trips from Montreal. And Port Perry is among 1 coastal towns and islands on our day trips from Toronto.
Where are Canada's less-touristed coastal towns and islands?
Wandering Well lists 98 coastal towns and islands across Canada. The most are in Cape Breton (3), Chester (2) and Barrington (2).
Which are the highest-rated?
35 are rated gold, including Brigus, Lunenburg, Port-Royal and Tracadie–Sheila.
Which can you reach by train?
8 of the 98 have a railway station within a 10-minute drive, including Sackville, Bathurst, Gananoque and Port Moody.