4 Best Hotels in South Shore and Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia

Complete with walking trails, lavish gardens, and Annapolis Basin views, this casually elegant 300-acre property offers myriad comforts. Lodgings are in a Norman château–style hotel or cottages nestled around the property, and all have either a queen- or king-size bed. Local seafood is served in the on-site restaurant, and the lounge is perfect for quiet relaxation. Adults will appreciate the full-service spa and 18-hole Stanley Thompson golf course. Kids, meanwhile, can hit the playground or try out old-school games like croquet and shuffleboard. The resort has a beautiful heated outdoor pool. 

Swimming, paddling, hiking, and bedtime bonfires fill the agenda at this 375-acre wilderness resort 5 km (3 miles) north of Kejimkujik National Park. Accommodations include a water-view log lodge, chalets nestled in dense forest, or, for closer encounters with nature, in tipis by the shore of Lake Harry. Since the spot prides itself on being "barrier free," all are linked by a 2-km (1-mile) wheelchair-accessible boardwalk, and activities like kayaking are open to guests with physical challenges, too.

Built just above the high-water mark on the edge of the Summerville Beach Provincial Park, the accommodations here include quality villas, each with a furnished deck and propane fireplaces, and many with full kitchens. The modern Beach Loft apartments with private terraces range from studios to two-bedroom suites, and a smaller, more secluded cottage is also available as well as a range of other accommodation options. The lawns leading down to the beach invite lounging. The resort's grill is known for its seafood dishes.

A large and spectacular log building houses this remarkable wilderness eco-resort, where guests can get away from it all without sacrificing luxury, excellent food, or top-notch amenities. The three-story lodge—think a log cabin on steroids—sits beside the wooded banks of a picturesque river on the fringe of a protected wilderness. Rooms balance rusticity and elegance, pairing handmade log and twig furnishings with luxe linens and Tiffany-style lamps. Canoeing, kayaking, guided fishing, hiking, and wildlife watching are among the activities, and after dark the resident astronomer guides guests through the glories of the night sky (it's within a dark-sky preserve) and assists with astro-photography via impressive telescopes on a tree-top platform. The cuisine is superlative: guests gush over the two on-site restaurants, and classes are available at the cooking school.