10 Best Beaches Near Halifax
With so many great beaches near Halifax, it can be hard to decide which one is the best. To help narrow down your search, we’ve created a list of 10 great beaches near the city, each with its own unique features.
From oceanside beaches to ones on urban lakes, and fine sand beaches to popular surfing spots, the area around Halifax boasts a diverse selection of beaches, each offering its own unique charm and appeal.
Having moved to Nova Scotia to be close to the ocean, we’ve explored these beaches extensively and are excited to share our favourite spots with you. Whether you’re looking for a place to relax, swim, surf or explore, there’s sure to be a beach on this list that’s perfect for you.
10 Best Beaches Near Halifax
1. Crystal Crescent Beach
📍Sambro Creek Road, Sambro Creek NS
Crystal Crescent Beach is easily one of the best beaches near Halifax. While it’s a bit of a drive from the downtown area, it’s worth the drive!
With gorgeous white sand beaches, beautiful ocean views, and crystal clear – although pretty chilly – water, it’s no wonder this is a favourite among locals and visitors alike.
Crystal Crescent Beach actually has three separate beaches. There’s a boardwalk connecting the first two beaches, making it easy to explore all that this beach has to offer. (FYI – The third beach is clothing optional.)
You can also spot the Sambro Island Lighthouse from the beach, which is the oldest operating lighthouse in North America.
Crystal Crescent Beach holds a special place in my heart, as this was one of the first beaches I visited while living in Halifax years ago, and it was also the first beach that my kids visited when we returned to Nova Scotia.
While it’s not a frequent spot for us to visit as we now live on the other side of the harbour, Crystal Crescent Beach is still one of our favourite beaches in the area.
2. Lawrencetown Beach
📍NS-207, East Lawrencetown NS
Located just 30 minutes from downtown, Lawrencetown Beach is another of the best beaches near Halifax, and one of our personal favourites.
It’s a popular spot for surfing – even in the winter! While the winter months are usually for those who are experienced surfers, lessons and board rentals are available from several nearby surf schools during the summer months.
Rent a surfboard for the day or sign up for a lesson, or just grab a boogie board and try some body surfing in the waves.
If you’re not into surfing, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and walk along the beach. It’s a perfect way to spend a hot afternoon in the summer!
3. McNabs Island
📍McNabs Island NS
The closest beach to Halifax is not the easiest to reach, but it’s worth it! And it’s a perfect beach to visit if you’re spending time in Halifax without a car.
One of Halifax’s best-kept secrets, McNab’s Island is located at the entrance to the Halifax Harbour and is accessible by ferry from Halifax or Dartmouth.
The island is home to several beaches, including Maugers Beach, which is a great spot for swimming and exploring the island’s many hiking trails or old military fortifications.
Bring a picnic lunch and spend the day!
4. Rainbow Haven Beach
📍2248 Cow Bay Road, Cow Bay NS
Rainbow Haven Beach is a beautiful sandy beach located just outside of Halifax on the Dartmouth side of the harbour. It’s one of the most popular beaches in the area, and can get pretty busy on a hot summer day.
Rainbow Haven is more sheltered than Lawrencetown or some of the other beaches on this list, and the water here is often quite calmer, making it perfect for families (although the photo below shows one of the less calm days).
This is our personal favourite, and we’re here year-round – playing on the sand in the summer and walking along the beach in the winter.
From the first boardwalk leading to the beach, you can easily walk for 20-25 minutes along the sand and around the curve toward the Salt Marsh before turning around the head back.
There are two boardwalks leading to the beach; one from the parking lot at the entrance, and the other from the larger parking lot that’s only open during the summer months. The larger, main parking lot, has a pavilion with washrooms and a boardwalk with a ramp leading to the sand. There’s a small mat along the sand during the summer months.
Washrooms are available in the main pavilion and lifeguards are on duty in the summer months.
5. Chocolate Lake Beach
📍14 Purcells Cove Road, Halifax NS
Chocolate Lake is one of the nearest freshwater lakes to Downtown Halifax, and is accessible by bus, or is just minutes away by car.
While it’s not a large beach, the sand and water are clean and there are washrooms and change facilities, as well as paved paths and a beach mobility mat, making it accessible for all.
It’s a popular spot for families in the summer months, and a great beach for swimming. There’s a roped off section for swimmers and a lifeguard on duty in the summer months.
6. Conrad’s Beach
📍395 Conrad Road, Lawrencetown NS
Conrad’s Beach is a beautiful sandy beach located on the Eastern Shore, just before Lawrencetown Beach.
It’s a bit of a hidden gem and not as well known as some of the other beaches on this list, but it’s definitely worth a visit.
This is one of the nicest sand beaches in the area, with a large stretch of soft sand that’s perfect for throwing a blanket down and relaxing on taking your shoes off and walking along.
There are no lifeguards on duty and no official parking lot, but you can park along the side of the road and walk along the boardwalk to the beach.
**Conrad’s Beach is not to be confused with Conrods Beach (no apostrophe), which is a little further down the Eastern Shore in Lower East Chezzetcook.
7. Martinique Beach
📍East Petpeswick, NS
Stretching for over 5 kilometres, Martinique Beach is Nova Scotia’s longest sandy beach.
Relax on the beautiful white-sand beach or bring a picnic to enjoy in the wooded areas behind the sand dunes.
During the summer months, there’s a surfing school here, as this is another of the best places to surf in Nova Scotia.
The beach is supervised during the summer months and change facilities are available.
There are several parking areas stretching along the length of the beach, with boardwalks to access the beach.
Martinique Beach is located about an hour from Halifax, on the Eastern Shore.
8. Queensland Beach
📍9600 Highway 3, Queensland NS
One of the most popular beaches on the South Shore, Queensland Beach is a gorgeous beach with white sand and some of the warmest water along this stretch of the coast.
This is one of the smaller beaches, but it’s also one of the busiest, especially on hot summer days. We visited one Sunday afternoon at the end of August and had trouble finding a parking space!
Change facilities and vault toilets are available, and lifeguards are on duty during the summer months.
Parking is available just steps from the beach, although it does fill up quickly in the summer months.
9. Shubie Beach
📍30 John Brenton Drive, Dartmouth NS
Shubie Beach is located on Charles Lake in Dartmouth. The beach is actually in Shubie Park, next to Shubie Campground – can I say Shubie any more times?
Shubie is a small beach that is popular with families, as the water is usually very calm, making it perfect for little ones to swim or splash around at the water’s edge. The beach area is small, with a single picnic table and a vault toilet, but there’s always room to put a blanket down on the sand.
While the beach is accessible year-round, lifeguards are only on duty during the summer months and swimming lessons are held in the mornings during July and August. In fact, my kids took swimming lessons here in the mornings during the summer months, which is how we discovered this beach.
When you’re done hanging out at the beach, Shubie Park has plenty of trails to explore. In fact, it’s one of the best places to hike in Halifax. The trail from the beach leads either to the parking lot or to the canal. If you head to the canal, you can walk along the trail that follows the canal, cross on one of the bridges and walk back on the other side. Other trails follow the shoreline along Lake Charles, or you can head the other way to the trail along Lake Micmac.
Pro tip: Shubie Beach is also a great place to launch your kayak or paddle board. From the beach, or the area to the side of the beach, you can paddle out into Lake Charles or head down the Shubenacadie Canal to the Fairbanks Center.
10. McCormack’s Beach
📍1641 Shore Road, Eastern Passage NS
McCormack’s Beach is located about 30 minutes from Halifax, just past Dartmouth and beside Fisherman’s Cove.
It’s a smaller beach with a 1km wooden boardwalk path that loops around the point, providing some fantastic views of Downtown Halifax.
When the tide is low, you can walk along the sand and even dig for clams.
Beside the beach is Fisherman’s Cove, a historic fishing village that’s worth exploring. Browse the boutique stores, pick up some seafood or enjoy an ice cream while you walk along the boardwalk.
3 Beaches that are Worth the Drive from Halifax
Clam Harbour Beach
📍158 Beach Road, Lake Charlotte NS
Clam Harbour Beach Provincial Park is located about 1 hour from Halifax on the Eastern Shore. It’s a beautiful white sand beach with warm water, perfect for swimming.
It’s a great beach for kids, as it’s pretty shallow for quite a ways out. It’s also home to an annual sandcastle competition, which takes place in August.
Lifeguards are on duty during the summer months and there are washrooms and change facilities available.
Bayswater Beach
📍4015 NS-329, Hubbards NS
Bayswater Beach is located just over an hour from Halifax on the South Shore. It’s a beautiful white sand beach with warm water, plenty of picnic tables and a great view of the ocean.
Washrooms and change facilities are available during the summer months.
Across the highway from the beach is the SwissAir Flight 111 memorial, dedicated to the passengers and crew of the flight that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 1998.
Carters Beach
📍89 Carters Beach Rd, Port Mouton NS
While Carters Beach is just under 2 hours away from Halifax – which, I know, doesn’t really count as one of the beaches near Halifax, but it’s just too beautiful of a beach not to mention.
Carters Beach is one of the most gorgeous beaches in Nova Scotia, and with its soft white sand and clear water, it’s like a scene from the Caribbean.
It’s definitely worth the drive!
Final Thoughts: Best Beaches near Halifax
Halifax’s location on the coast means that there are some great beaches nearby.
Choose from the white sand beaches of Crystal Crescent, the warm waters of Queensland Beach, or the waves to surf at Lawrencetown and Martinique Beaches.
Then there’s the sheltered cove at Rainbow Haven Beach and the hidden gem of Conrad’s Beach, or the boardwalk trail at McCormacks Beach and the freshwater beach at Chocolate Lake.
And if you’re up for a longer drive, Carters Beach is an unforgettable destination with its Caribbean-like waters.
No matter what type of beach experience you are looking for, there are some great beaches near Halifax that are perfect for you.
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