This Island Is A Cheaper Alternative To Crowded Maine With Scenic Views And Coastal Hikes

A windswept isle off the East Coast populated by puffins, pop-up lobster shacks, and quaint shorefront towns, New Brunswick's Grand Manan Island comes with all of Maine's charm and none of its summer crowds. The location is deal for travelers seeking a cheaper East Coast getaway without going to Maine's crowded top tourist destinations. On Grand Manan Island, visitors can chow down on the freshest seafood on the shore and escape the busier tourist destinations to the south, making the island a peaceful alternative vacation spot on the Canadian coastline.

Explore the parks, beaches, puffin perches, and lighthouses that line the shoreline on one of the demarcated walking routes, or bypass the outdoor exertions altogether and head straight for the best of Grand Manan's culinary scene. To reach the island, you'll need to hop on a 90-minute ferry with Coastal Transport Limited, which departs from the rural outpost of Blacks Harbour. That town itself is small but welcoming, an attractive fishing village in which to idle away the wait for the ferry. Best of all, it's easily accessible by drivers along the well-established tourist-friendly route up the New Brunswick coast and around Passamaquoddy Bay. Your car — as well as motorbikes and bicycles — can board the ferry, too, allowing you to easily travel around Grand Manan Island.

It takes less than an hour to drive the length of Grand Manan and less than half that time to drive its width. If you take a car with you on the ferry, you can navigate virtually all of the island's attractions with ease. There's also a number of biking and hiking trails that crisscross the coasts, running through the provincial parks and wildlife conservation spots scattered across Grand Manan. Popular stops include the Hole in the Wall, a 19-foot-tall stone archway off the shore of the colorful village of North Head, as well as the 19th-century lighthouses that offer sweeping views of the shoreline. More visitors still head straight for the beach; beachcombing is a popular activity in Grand Manan, as well as spotting marine mammals from the shore.

Wildlife is abundant on the island, especially for those with a keen eye and a boat. The island is a great destination for whale-watching. Off the coast, humpback, fin, minke, and North Atlantic right whales congregate in the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy during the prime tourist season, from mid-summer to early fall. The whales are joined by white-sided and white-beaked dolphins, as well as harbor porpoises and harbor and grey seals, all observable on one of the many whale-watching tours offered by local agencies like the well-reviewed Seawatch Tours. Expect to see flocks of pelagic and coastal seabirds, including the charismatic puffins that populate the craggy coastline. For a more up close and personal encounter with the sea giants, book a sea kayaking tour with Adventure High for an expedition along the shore.

Lobster rolls dripping butter and clams plucked fresh from the ocean are some of the main attractions on Grand Manan Island. Pop your head into the small takeout window at Sunrise Seafoods, a fish market and favorite local food spot open during the summer, and take a perch on one of the picnic benches out front. You'll promptly be served up perfectly cooked lobster bursting out of the generously sized bread roll or a portion of delicately battered halibut served over fat, seaside-style fries.

Later, you can look out over the harbor, where your dinner was delivered mere hours earlier, from a window seat at the Compass Rose Heritage Inn. The inn makes for an intimate setting for a seafood dinner, a small-scale accommodation option with a cozy atmosphere. Serving up enormous lobster dinners and a range of classic dishes with a coastal Canadian twist, it's a favorite spot of locals and visitors alike.

If you'd prefer to gather some savory souvenirs or get a broader perspective on the island's food scene, take a stroll through the Grand Manan Community Market. Grand Manan hosts farmers' markets in the summer and local craft markets the rest of the year, so you can browse fresh produce, indulgent baked goods, and artisanal products almost any time you decide to visit. Check the market's Facebook page to see when the next one is running. And if you love your Canadian island getaway and want more coastal food-centric adventures up north, check out our foodies' guide on Prince Edward Island and Les Iles De La Madeleine.