St Andrews New Brunswick Travel tips

St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick: Where Tides and Tales mark time

Tucked on the shores of Passamaquoddy Bay, St. Andrews by the Sea feels like Canada’s best-kept coastal secret. This postcard-perfect town in New Brunswick offers the best kind of balance: welcoming locals, walkable charm, whale and seal sightings, and history that lingers in the salt air.

New Brunswick itself sits quietly between Maine and Nova Scotia, but it deserves some spotlight. And St. Andrews by the Sea is its shimmering gem— with Victorian charm, famed largest in the world Bay of Fundy tides, storied seafaring traditions, and stately old homes, plus a few proud hotels.

We drove east past Bangor Maine, driving the scenic Airline Road to Calais Maine where we crossed the US border into Canada. The road turned South and we were accessing the peninsula to St Andrews. Lobster lunch was calling down by The Pier at Market Square, where the tour boats dock. We savored our first lobster – a buttery lobster croissant sandwich, overlooking the Bay on the deck at Seasons by The Sea, served with a panoramic helping of the massive tide, as boats were tied well below the wooden Pier, at low.

We strolled St Andrew’s Water Street, the town’s main street and heart, appropriately named as it hugs the waterfront. Shopping brought chuckles and charm—at St Andrew’s dozen artisan boutiques and shops selling crafts to foul-weather gear (hint to winter here). My fave was the delightful Canadian Dollar Store. Maple Leaf flags flew with proud patriotism from nearly every corner—a cheery red-and-white welcome.

Then it was time to set sail. Boarding our whale watch with Quoddy Link Marine, we were welcomed by our two marine biologists, who matched safety and science with storytelling. As Captain Matt navigated the powerful tides out of Passamaquoddy Bay, we saw firsthand the 30 foot tidal changes that defines this spectacular region (further north in the Bay of Fundy tidal change can reach 50 – 70 feet). Seals posed on seaweed-covered rocks, and when a Minke whale surfaced not once but several times, we all snapped photos. The Minke came to play surfacing right up under our stern.

A Bald Eagle perched on a rocky outcrop island was another tour treat. The crew’s commentary was the perfect blend of insightful and unobtrusive. Rain clouds eventually chased us back to harbor—but hot cocoa and cookies served in the cabin kept spirits high. Our guides then brought out a holding tank of starfish, sea urchin, scallop and crab for us to touch, though she said “children before adults.” I think I was more enthused than the kids to hold a starfish, my shellfish soul mate.

Back on land, we checked into the lovely Treadwell Inn, poised right on Water Street, where the owners also operate a quaint Olive Oil shop and popular restaurant. Our suite had all the comforts—cozy robes, luxe King bed linens, and a glorious balcony overlooking the bay. We’d been tempted to stay at the grand old 1889 Algonquin Resort Hotel by the Sea, a beautiful property of generational wealthy visitors, but we loved being close to the pier, waterfront and even closer to the Treadwell Inn’s acclaimed Chandler Room restaurant downstair.

Dinner at Chandler Room was divine: we shared briny-fresh oysters, followed by local Bay scallops over gnocchi with garden-grown herbs, paired with distinctive wines by the glass. We heard Rossmont Inn just outside of town was another great dining spot, but books with reservations a month in advanced.

Sleeping with windows open to sea breezes was splendid, in the quiet of this small Canadian town of just 2,000. Sunrise had us up and ready for Treadwell Inn’s delightful breakfast buffet downstairs featuring flaky croissants, fresh fruits and yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, meats and cheeses – the type of spread we find in a European ski lodge.

Fueled up, we hopped on bikes and rode the town’s repurposed rail trail system—the Van Horne Trails, named for Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, the Canadian Pacific Railroad visionary. We’d tour his summer home later on Ministers Island, when low tide across the sandbar allows for crossing.

After visiting Pendlebury Lighthouse, we peddled along the scenic water’s edge, to the enchanting entry to Kingsbrae Garden. Artistic sculptures, blooms, and a mirrored obelisk made every step intriguing. Founded by the gracious Lucinda Flemer, who wishes to preserve and share her estate, Kingsbrae is both a horticultural haven and community gathering place, hosting summer concerts, kids’ camps, artist residencies, and even Broadway by the Sea. Our tour around the splendid 27-acre gardens led us to a Labyrinth and Maze, a rill and knot garden, a Sensitivity Garden for the Blind, a Veterans Memorial, a bee and butterfly sanctuary, and an authentic Windmill Lucinda surprised her (now deceased) Dutch fighter pilot husband with. Kingsbrae even features a small zoo with goats, rabbits and alpacas. The sculptures, as you wind your way around the elegant gardens, are fantastic as well. It’s ranked one of the top gardens in North America for good reason. An Amazing Race Canada episode was filmed at Kingsbrae, we met the host and Garden Director Brad, who is the former St Andrews Mayor, its that kind of Canadian cozy township. The Chef at Kingsbrae Café utilizes veggies and herbs from the gardens, and alpaca graze in the field as you dine. Kingsbrae hosts events, weddings, I can just imagine a luxurious garden wedding or a surprise engagement in the sculpture garden.

Continuing on bikes in the fresh sea breezes around St Andrews, we arrived at the Blockhouse, and learned about this 1800s seafront military defense of St Andrews. Interesting that St Andrews was formed in 1812, in part by New Englanders fleeing the American Revolution.

From this promontory, we popped in for lunch at neighboring Niger Reef Tea House, a cute cottage serving creative fare on a waterfront deck, or inside the cozy interior, where the Chef and his wife are the owners.

After lunch we peddled over to the tidally accessed Ministers island. This is another must when you’re in St Andrew’s! You can only reach Ministers Island and the Van Horne estate during a 5-hour low-tide window, by crossing the sandbar in your car, bike, or 1/2-mile walk. This magnificent Island was the summer cottage and home to Sir William Cornelius Van Horn, the American entrepreneur who conceived and built the Canadian Pacific Railroad, across Canada, and designed and constructed the most beautiful Canadian hotels along the way in the late 1800s, Quebec’s Frontenac, Banff Springs Hotel and Château Lake Louise, to name a few. The 500-acre ocean island property is magnificent, and the 50-room house tour is fascinating as you learn about this wealthy, ingenious man, Van Horne, who only slept four hours a day. He was also a writer and artist, engineer and visionary. His ideas were incredible, including a tidal swimming pool carved into the red granite shores. Don’t miss this at the circular stone Bath House, where the Bay of Fundy tides would fill and drain daily for the Van Horne family swims. Bring a picnic or enjoy the food tent, hike or bike (we recommend hiking unless you are a strong mountain biker) the 20-kilometers of nature trails around the rugged island.

Returning toward town, we stopped at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre by the Bay. This was the perfect end to our day’s St Andrews tour. The wonderful interactive marine exhibit teems with beautiful tanks full of local marine mammals, fish, shellfish, lobsters in every color shape and size. The seal feeding show is fun, like a little slice of SeaWorld in Canada. But this modern aquarium is also doing tremendous research on the Bay of Fundy and its vital marine ecosystem.

Char and Chowder across the street from Treadwell Inn was satisfying for a casual, come as you are dinner, no table service, but a cool vibe. Back on our balcony deck at Treadwell Inn, we said with gratitude, “enough already New Brunswick”, we were ready for the sun to set on this fun-filled day in Canada, eh?!

The next morning we’d drive 40 minutes to board the ferry from L’Etete to Deer Island, where we drove 30 minutes across the pretty island to board a second ferry passing Eastport Maine to Campobello Island, where Roosevelt Campobello International Park awaited. We were looking forward to touring U.S. President Franklin D Roosevelt’s summer cottage at this unique cooperative two-nation park. We planned to tour the cottage and grounds, then bike the impressive Friendship Trail out to Liberty Point cliffs. Then, crossing the bridge and border back to the US, we’d be in Lubec Maine – passports stamped – big smiles- full circle.

So, dear traveler, take this as your nudge: Go to St. Andrews. Go for the tides and gardens, the lobster and scallops, explore the rail trails, and see seals and whales. Go for the breezes, the early sunrise, and the cozy cocoa on a Bay boat ride. Go before everyone else figures out New Brunswick is a treasure.