It was a blustery day as we drove up the coast from Halifax following the winding road towards Peggy’s Cove. This small fishing village holds the claim of one of the most photographed places in all of Canada. So with that recommendation coupled with a long love of lighthouses we decided that we had to go and see this claimed beauty for ourselves.
Our first view of the small town was of the local church sitting up on the hill overlooking the rest of the town. Houses lined the water edge, with boats waiting patiently out in the water. Already we were captivated by the peaceful serene beauty of this town and the incredible views that surrounded it.
Sitting on the far end of the Chebucto Peninsula on St. Margaret’s Bay, is Peggy’s Cove. The town was founded in 1811 when Nova Scotia issued a land grant of 800 acres. The original residents of the town were six families that had immigrated from Germany. The families fished the seas and planted the land. Around 1900 the town peaked to a size of about 300, a number which it has never reached again. Even with its introduction as a tourist site after World War II, the village still strictly maintains the charm and personality of the small fishing village it has always been. Many of the residents can be found out in the water as they work to pull up the lobster traps.
The main draw of the cove is the Peggy’s Point Lighthouse standing on rocky shores of the Atlantic. This lighthouse was built in 1914, replacing the small wooden lighthouse that had sat on the site since 1846. At one time, there was a small post office situated in the main entry of the lighthouse that would serve the community. The lighthouse is still active and is used by the Canadian Coast Guard.
Visitors from all over the world come to walk and climb on the rocks surrounding the lighthouse as it looks out to sea despite the warnings. The dynamic rocks set against the stormy sea was so beautiful and it was easy to see why this is such a favorite place to visit.
And Tessa, who was just learning how to walk at the time, thought that walking on those rocks was the greatest adventure of her young life. We spent hours walking back and forth along the shore as she tried to get her little legs to cooperate enough to let go of the hands holding her up.
Some of the houses of the town sat right out on the edge of the rocks overlooking the water. It was incredibly picturesque and I couldn’t get over how beautiful this town was, sitting there on the rocky coast with the lighthouse in the middle.
We ended our visit with a lobster dinner in the local café. I felt a pang of sadness at the thought of leaving this beautiful town and thought I could stay forever walking the many paths along the rocks and taking in the peaceful beat of the ebb and flow of the tide.
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