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![Coastal view with lighthouse]()
Frequently Asked Questions
YAS, We Have the Answers for You!
From “what’s the weather like” to “where can I park my RV”, we’ve got all the answers to your Yarmouth & Acadian Shores FAQs!
Even though we’re a “southern destination” (in Nova Scotia), you can expect mild weather in the Spring and early Summer months, with forecasts that tend to be more consistent. In the summertime, be prepared for 20-25°C (68-77°F) temperatures, with cooler nights going down to 15°C (59°F) sweeping the coast. We recommend bringing layers with you, because blankets of cool fog tend to linger in the mornings and even in the afternoons at our beaches.
Exchanging currencies for Canadian dollars can be done at any local bank, such as Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, or any Credit Union. Please be advised that these services will not be available on weekends, and they may have reduced hours due to COVID-19 restrictions. If you’re in a pinch, we suggest withdrawing CAD at one of our local ATMs.
Yes, we accept American money! In fact, most Yarmouth & Acadian Shores small businesses like gift shops will accept USD. Many accommodations, attractions, galleries, and places to eat will also take major credit cards like Visa, Mastercard, or American Express. Be sure to call ahead to check.
If you’d like to see an up-to-date exchange rate for your currency, please visit the Bank of Canada daily exchange rates.
Welcome to the future! In the summertime, we are on Atlantic Daylight Time UTC: -4:00, making us 1 hour ahead of New York City (EDT), 2 hours ahead of Houston, Texas (CDT), and 3 hours ahead of Phoenix, Arizona (MDT). For our visitors on the Pacific Coast, Nova Scotia is 4 hours ahead.
If you’re visiting us from Europe, welcome to the past! Dublin and London are 4 hours ahead (UTC+1), while Barcelona, Bern, Brussels, and Rome are 5 hours ahead (UTC +2) of Nova Scotia.
Provincial Parks throughout Nova Scotia are open from May to October, and they permit those who are not registered as campers to enter as late as 10:00 PM (but you must leave by 10:30 PM). The smaller day-use parks that you might stumble upon, typically have their gates open from dawn to dusk. Please keep in mind that only campgrounds allow for overnight camping.
For more information on general rules and regulations, please visit the Nova Scotia Provincial Parks website.
Unfortunately, it is strictly prohibited to park overnight in the parking lots of shopping centres and rest stops. Walmarts are known to permit overnight parking on their store lots, but be sure to check in and ask the store manager for permission first. If you need a break to stretch your legs, rest stops along the highways can be used for up to 4 hours at a time.
For more information on RV travel in Canada, the Authentik Canada website has a good overview.
The province may look small on the map, but be prepared to cover a lot of ground! From Yarmouth to Cape Breton, expect 8-9 hours of driving because not all roads along the way are provincial highways, with some dipping below 80km (49mph) in places. And of course, with all the scenic views along the coasts, you will likely find yourself taking the long way to get to your destination!
Our Yarmouth & Acadian Shores restaurants are usually open until 8:00 PM, with some food-serving breweries offering tasty bites until 9 or 10:00 PM. If you happen to be travelling through later, a variety of fast-food establishments are open until 11:00 PM, or are open 24 hours a day.
View the Eat & Drink section of our website to see the many tasty options available to you in Yarmouth & Acadian.
If you’re looking for some good old-fashioned swings, monkey bars, and slides, there’s the Sprucewood Drive, Goudey Street and East Pubnico Playgrounds, as well as Beacon Park. And to captivate young historians, there are the following museums: Le Village Acadien in Pubnico, the Yarmouth County Museum, the Musee des Acadiens des Pubnico, the Wedgeport Tuna Museum, the Firefighter’s Museum, and the W. Lawrence Sweeney Fisheries Museum.
And of course, we always recommend planning park and beach days that are fun-filled and packed with picnics, exploring the shorelines, building sandcastles, and swimming!
In the height of the summer months, you can find live music in restaurants and breweries across the region, where you’ll find musicians who play anything from traditional Acadian to folk or classic cover-band music. Enjoy some tunes at the Red Cap Restaurant in Pubnico on Wednesdays from 6:00 8:00 PM, at Rudder’s Seafood Restaurant & Brew Pub every Friday between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM, or even gather ’round at the Heritage Brewing Co. for a locally crafted beverages and music. Be sure to check out their respective Facebook pages for updates on times and gigs!
In Yarmouth & Acadian Shores, we’ve struck a perfect balance of coastal and inland adventures with either guided or self-guided tours. Check out all our trails below and be sure to visit the Trails & Landmarks section of our website for more information.
Easy Terrain:
- Self-Guided Heritage in Your Hand Walking Tour
- Pleasant Street Multi-Use Trail
- Leif Erikson Trail
- Rails to Trails
- Chebogue Walking Trail
- Pubnico Wind Farm Trail
- Wedgeport Nature Trail
- Broad Brook Wetland Park
Medium Terrain:
- Rocco Point Trail
- Tkipok Trail
- Ellenwood Provincial Park Trail
- Stan O’Brien Interpretive Trail
- Roche St.-Pierre
Hiking:
- Guided Tobeatic Trail/Tour
Consider our sunsets as the opening act to the main event because “we live the night” stargazing. In Yarmouth & Acadian Shores, you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of brilliant stars wherever you are (except on foggy nights)! But for our favourite places to stargaze — from places with the darkest skies to lighter skies with scenic locations — visit the Stargazing page of our website.
Pro tip: Our Yarmouth & Acadian Shores Visitor Map is marked with extending circles that indicate which areas have the most optimal Dark Sky viewing conditions.