Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick

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Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick

The Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick

Not everyone knows their name, but they may already have seen most of you - at least in one photo: the Hopewell Rocks at the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. One of Canada's best-known landmarks in the Atlantic Province, they are a symbol of the world's highest tidal range, which day after day drains the entire bay between the two Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Twice a day, at low tide, seawater disappears into the bay, between the north shore of the bay and its southern shore on the Nova Scotia side, taking with it the waters of most of the rivers and streams that flow into this inlet. An impressive spectacle that has been going on here for millennia. With a tidal difference of up to 14 meters, the amount of water transported daily from the end of the bay to the Atlantic and back is considerable. It takes six hours and thirteen minutes for the entire Bay of Fundy to be refilled at high tide. And that is exactly what the visitor, who wants to take the opportunity to walk on the sea floor at the Hopewell Rocks, wants: three hours before the peak of the ebb, three hours later.

 

Like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, this boulder towers above the tide © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
The Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick: Like a Tyrannosaurus Rex, this boulder towers above the tide

 

We are here when the tide is already coming back and we can see the reddish-brown waters of the Bay of Fundy slowly narrowing the area we walk between the rock formations on the sea floor. The bases of the rocky outcrops are still clear of the water, but the shell-covered, algae-clad rocky pillars clearly show how high the water will rise - far beyond our heads.

 

This cave is filled with water at high tide © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
The Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick: This cave is filled with water at high tide

 

We are still standing in a rocky outcrop on dry ground, looking out at imposing boulders that show the traces of seawater that has been working on its pedestal for thousands of years. In fact, it's amazing that they have not been washed away by the waters that gnaw on them daily.

 

The area on the seabed is getting smaller and smaller for visitors © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
The area on the seabed gets smaller and smaller for the visitors

 

We observe how the water flowing from here drives the visitors back from their trip at the bottom of the sea to the coast. Slowly it is getting fuller before the stairs that lead up to the safe top of the cliffs. The area of ​​dry seabed is getting smaller and smaller, and people are pushing back to the stairs that lead up and to safety. This is not always possible for everyone, as the tide comes swiftly into these waters, and it happens a few times each year that Watt walkers notice the approach of the tide too late and are forced to swim ashore.

 

The sea water digs gorges into the cliffs © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
The seawater digs gorges in the cliffs

 

We do not want to take the risk and join the other mudflats as they climb back to the top of the cliffs. On the way, we take another look through the narrow gorges created by the sea, onto the rock columns, where it has been gnawing and working continuously for millennia.

 


The best way to experience the Hopewell Rocks, when you see them at low tide. For this reason, the ticket to this natural spectacle is valid for two days, and you can choose the right time.


Travel Arrangements:

Parking at the airport

Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.

Arrival:

Book yours here Arrival by plane, bus or train*. Air Canada, Condor and Icelandair fly from Germany to various airports in eastern Canada.

Car Rentals:

Cheap car hire - book quickly and easily!

Hotels:

Hotels in around Cape Hopewell* You can book through our partner booking.com.


Other Slow Travel Destinations here.

Source: own site research courtesy of Tourism New Brunswick and the Canadian Tourism Commission

Text: © Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Petar Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline

Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick

Monika Fuchs

Monika Fuchs and Petar Fuchs are the authors and publishers of the Food and Slow Travel blog  TravelWorldOnline. They have been publishing this blog since 2005. TravelWorldOnline has been online since 2001. Their topics are trips to Savor, wine tourism worldwide and slow travel. During her studies Monika Fuchs spent some time in North America, where she - partly together with Petar Fuchs - traveled to the USA and Canada and spent a research year in British Columbia. This intensified her thirst for knowledge, which she satisfied for 6 years as an adventure guide for Rotel Tours and then for 11 years as a tour guide for Studiosus Reisen around the world. She was constantly expanding her travel regions, but curiosity still gnawed at her: "What's beyond the horizon? What else is there to discover in this city? Which people are interesting here? What do they eat in this region?" As a freelance travel journalist (her articles have appeared in DIE ZEIT, 360° Canada, 360° USA, etc.), she is now looking for answers to these questions as a travel writer and travel blogger in many countries around the world. Petar Fuchs produces the videos on this blog as well as on YouTube. Monika Fuchs from TravelWorldOnline is among Germany's top 50 bloggers in 2021. Find more Information about Monika and Petar Fuchs here.

2 thoughts too "Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick"

  1. We were able to experience the natural spectacle of the Bay of Fundy from Nova Scotia 8 years ago. After seeing one and the same fishing boat before and after the tide change and realizing the difference of more than 10 meters, my neck hair curled, you get an idea of ​​the gigantic dimensions of the tidal range. Now we are planning another trip and surfing the Internet. A Swiss landlord offered us a log cabin with a lot of peace in the middle of a larger forest area. Pages like this make you want to travel again. We'll stay tuned anyway.

    1. The Bay of Fundy is definitely worth traveling. We have been there several times and have always discovered something new.

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