The Victoria Beach DriveView Scenic Drive to Victoria Beach, NS in a larger map
The Victoria Beach drive is full of history and great scenery. It is a great way to spend an afternoon and chance to learn a lot about our past life. There is great scenery all along this drive also. This scenic drive starts from Annapolis Royal where you will take the #1 highway east over the Annapolis Causeway. If you have a few extra minutes take the chance to stop into the Tidal Power Project building where you will learn all about this "first of it's kind", modern tidal generating plant in North America. This tidal plant is one of only three in the world and was opened as a pilot project for larger tidal generating plants on the Bay of Fundy. The Tourist Information Bureau is also located in this building, so it is a good chance to pick up any pamphlets you want about the area. Back out on the road again we continue our Victoria Beach drive across the causeway. A couple of things to look for here is if there are any fishing boats tied up in the basin on your left, or any fishermen fishing off the causeway on your right. Soon after you are off the causeway you will see the Port Royal road turning off to your left. Take this road which turns around 180 degrees and heads into Granville Ferry.
Granville Ferry, Nova Scotia this past era. At low tide you can still see remnants of the many wharfs that used to line the shore. Now Granville Ferry is home to a dance studio, art galleries, bed & breakfast, a senior’s complex, an elementary school for the whole area and the North Hills Museum. As you are leaving the village take a moment to look across the river to the waterfront of Annapolis Royal. Notice all the old wharfs that used to line their waterfront also. You also get a great view of the Fort Anne and the mouth of the Allain Creek from here. As you continue along the Victoria Beach Drive you will see the North Hills Museum coming up on your right soon after you pass through the little village. This is a very interesting little museum full of antiques telling the story of yesteryear.
A few miles down the Victoria Beach drive you will come to the Stoney Beach road on your left. This is a great little side road that will take you down to the shores of the Annapolis River where you will see the old Acadian dykes close up. The scenery is worth the short detour.Back out on the main road continue on down the winding road until you see the sign for the Melanson The Dyke at Stoney Beach, Nova Scotia Settlement on your left. At one time, before the Acadian Deportation of 1755, this was an Acadian agricultural community. The community was started approximately in 1664 by Charles Melanson dit La Ramee and his wife Marie Dugas. They had 14 children of which 8 either stayed or came back to settle here also. The Melanson Settlement was excavated by archaeologists between 1984 and 1986. They concentrated on one site that revealed four structures that were built before 1755. They also tested two other cellar remains and recorded all the surface features on the upland area. Next on the Victoria Beach Drive you will come to the Port Royal Habitation. In 1603 a fur trade monopoly for Acadia was granted to Pierre Dugua de Mons on the condition he build a colony there. He set out in 1604 with his geographer & mapmaker, Samuel de Champlain, 120 priests, noblemen and pheasants on 4 ships. They first settled on St Croix Island but after a disastrous winter they looked for a new place to settle and decided on Port Royal. They made friends with the local Mi'kmaq who helped them plant crops and survive the harsh winters here. The building here now is a replica of the original Habitation and is a National Historic site.
Heading on up the road you will dip down into Thornes Cove. This is a popular area for people digging clams when the tide is out. It is also the subject of one of the ghost stories in the popular book "Bluenose Ghost". When you have a chance to look across the Curtis & Stacey Posing by the Annapolis River now you will see Cornwallis Park on the other side. Not too long ago CFB Cornwallis was the largest training base for Canada's Armed forces. It was originally built as a Naval training base and several naval ships used to be seen in the river and basin back then. After a few more miles down the Victoria Beach drive you will notice that the road is getting closer to the water's edge with the mountain rising up on the other side. You will soon come to the monument on your left commemorating the Pony Express in Nova Scotia. Before the telegraph lines were strung up across the country mail would come from Halifax in the saddlebags of riders on horse back. The saddlebags would change riders and horses at certain spots throughout the 232 km, (146 miles) with the last one arriving at Victoria Beach to meet the ferry going across to St. John & Boston.
The Wharf at Victoria Beach, NS If the tide is out you will see most of these boats lying high and dry. Life here revolves around the tides as the fishermen need a high tide to drive their boats in and out of the cove. While you are here take a few minutes to stretch your legs and take a walk out on the wharf. If your timing is right you may see the ferry "Princess of Acadia" as she enters or leaves the Digby Gut. What a beautiful picture that is to see her steaming by. Back in the car continue back out of the wharf road and take a left up the hill and into the village of Victoria Beach. Do not be in a hurry on this narrow road, there are a lot of turns, dips and dives on it. Take in the beauty of this quaint village with the cliffs rising up on one side of the road and the drop off down to the water on the other. There are a couple brooks that form water falls on your right as they flow down the mountain to the bay. At one time this road used to go all the way around to Delaps Cove, but now unless you have a good 4 wheel drive it is not advisable.
This area is known to the locals as a great place to pick dulse, eatable seaweed. The dulse is picked at low tide, carried home and laid out on The Mary Pisser Waterfall at Victoria Beach, NS the driveway or roof of the house to dry. Once dried it is bagged up and sold along side the road or to the local stores. You will probably see a few stands selling dulse along the Victoria Beach drive. On your way back an alternative drive, and to make this Victoria Beach drive longer, is to turn left onto the Hollow Mountain road a couple of km past the Habitation. This is a dirt road but is kept up well. It will take you to the Fundy shore. It is worth the drive to turn left at the stop sign and drive the short distance down to Delaps Cove. There is a very popular campsite and cabin rentals located here just before you drive down on the wharf area. Unfortunately the wharf was heavily damaged in a storm a few years ago and was never restored. What a shame as this was always a favorite area of ours to fish off the wharf. Back out on the road you can follow along the shoreline where you can see several fish plants. You will come to Parker's Cove wharf and across from it another fish plant which is a good place to stop and buy some seafood for supper. After the wharf you will come to the Parker Mountain Road where you may turn right and head back over the mountain. Take a right at the stop sign and you will head right back to the causeway again and then into Annapolis Royal. The approximate driving distance of this scenic Victoria Beach Drive is 70 kms. You could do the drive easily in an hour and a half, but to really enjoy it I suggest you take the afternoon and make some stops to enjoy the scenery and learn about the history.
Do you know about anything else on this Scenic Victoria Beach Drive that I may have missed mentioning?
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As you drive through Granville Ferry take time to really look at the homes there. At one time Granville Ferry was a busy ship building port with several sea captains living there and the grand houses reflect 
On the other side of the Habitation you will see the Port Royal lighthouse and across from it, out in the river - Goat Island. Although it is uninhibited, it used to be a very popular spot for the locals. Back in the early 1900's the residents of Annapolis Royal and Granville Ferry would hold Sunday picnics on the island after the church services. 
Now the Victoria Beach drive starts to get narrower as it enters the little fishing village of Victoria Beach. When you come to a "Y" in the road lets first take the one to your left. This will take you down to the Victoria Beach Wharf and the abandoned Casey's fish plant. It is mostly lobster boats who tie up at this wharf now and you will probably see some of them there now. 
If you do decide to drive as far as you can, across the little bridge to the turning area, then find a place to park your car. There is a path here that heads down the bank to the shore where there is a waterfall named the "Mary Pisser". 
