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

A very distinctive former mansion is at the heart of this property, and contains four bed-and-breakfast rooms, with additional motel-style rooms in two attached wings. The very friendly owner is obliging enough to stay open until ferry passengers from Maine have checked in, regardless of arrival time. A full breakfast is included for B&B guests and a continental breakfast is included for motel room guests (who can upgrade to the hot breakfast for C$10).

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.