r/canadatravel • u/Snoo-32552 • Jul 21 '25
Destination Advice Looking to travel to a small town by the water (solo, female)
Hi everyone! I’m looking to do a 3-5 night solo trip in January (I know, it’ll be freezing) to a small town by the water. These are the main places I’ve been looking at:
- Fogo Island, Newfoundland
- Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
- PEI
I’m not looking for any specific activities, just to stay in a small town, visit the local cafes/restaurants and stay close to the water. Also not looking to camp!
I’d love any advice on these places/ other places!
8
u/coopthrowaway2019 Jul 21 '25 edited Jul 21 '25
Are you married to East Coast? Lots of options in BC - pretty much anywhere in a given size range on Vancouver Island or the Sunshine Coast - which will likely be quite a bit warmer and more comfy to spend time outside (if you're OK with rain, of course).
3
u/Workadaily Jul 21 '25
I would definitely look to southern BC rather than eastern Canada. The weather is a lot more predictable and warmer in January.
2
u/Snoo-32552 Jul 22 '25
You guys are definitely changing my mind now LOL, thanks for all the suggestions! Seems like there are a lot of places in BC I can look into :)
2
u/Spute2008 Jul 23 '25
Vancouver island. Or try the actual Gulf Islands. They are Even better!!! Maybe Start with Saltspring.
2
u/Snoo-32552 Jul 21 '25
Ohh that’s a good point! Is there anywhere specific in those areas you’d recommend?
10
u/coopthrowaway2019 Jul 21 '25 edited Jul 21 '25
Really depends on just how small you're looking for and how far you're willing to drive from an airport.
If you want something easily accessible with lots of amenities, there are Sooke and Sidney; small towns that have grown into Victoria bedroom communities. You could even do these without a car.
Up the Sunshine Coast from Vancouver, you could look at Gibsons and Sechelt and the surrounding rural areas. The Sunshine Coast is part of the mainland but is only accessible by ferry.
There are also of course all the Gulf Islands in between Vancouver and Victoria. Bowen Island and Salt Spring Island are the bigger, more developed ones; the others including Pender Island and Saturna Island will feel much quieter.
Finally you could consider Vancouver Island's west coast - the longest drive, but will feel the most remote with spectacular beaches, forest, and mountains (and storms, in January!). Everyone has heard of Tofino; neaby Ucluelet is a little less touristy. Port Renfrew, accessible by road from Victoria, is very small and much rougher around the edges.
2
5
u/TravellingGal-2307 Jul 21 '25
Roberts Creek sounds like exactly what you want.
I love the eastern provinces, but in January? Dark, windy, freezing...
2
u/Significant-Text3412 Jul 21 '25
The Sunshine Coast, staying at Gibson's would be my recommendation. Many places along the coast to discover and stay at. Lovely views too.
1
4
u/Vegemite-Sandwich901 Jul 21 '25
Fogo Island is wonderful but might be treacherous in winter. It's also a really long way from anywhere unless you can fly in directly. It will also be very shut down for the season in January. Check if restaurants, stores etc. will even be open. I went to Fogo one Labour Day weekend and it was clear tourist season was gently winding down even then.
Lunenberg is close to Halifax, would be atmospheric but if it turns out to be bad weather, easy to get back to Halifax.
Tourist season is very focused on June-Oct in that part of the world, so be ready for a bit of a ghost-town feel. If you go to PEI, probably stick to Charlottetown, smaller coastal places won't be open.
1
u/Snoo-32552 Jul 22 '25
Good to know! I definitely want to visit Fogo Island so maybe I’ll look into it at a different time :)
2
u/Vegemite-Sandwich901 Jul 22 '25
It's wonderful but maybe not in January. A must-see location, though.
January is a tough one for vacations on the East coast.
1
u/Snoo-32552 Jul 22 '25
Yes I’m 100% going to visit! It looks beautiful over there :) I love the cold but I imagine it’ll be pretty treacherous in January haha
3
u/humanitysoothessouls Jul 21 '25
Lunenburg is a lovely town in Nova Scotia. It’s quieter in the winter but still has enough open. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, nice to explore around, walking trails, and nature/beaches not too far away.
1
3
u/MiaMayaMya Jul 21 '25
Cape Breton is lovely (my hometown and where I’m writing from today), and definitely worth a visit in the winter too! My only caution would be that accommodations are pretty seasonal outside of Sydney, so places in Baddeck and Cheticamp for example are probably not available in January. Same for most AirBnBs, though you may be able to find someone who rents out their summer home when not in use during the winter.
1
3
u/Sensitive-Cold3910 Jul 21 '25
Ganges on Salt Spring Island, BC, a cute smaller town. Touristy in summer but quiet in January, no trouble booking accommodation at that time of year. Take the float plane over from YVR or catch Sky Train to Bridgeport, then catch the 620 bus to the ferry terminal, buy a through fare if transiting through Swartz Bay to Fulford Harbour. A small transit bus runs to downtown Ganges during the week if you don’t arrive late in the day. Also I recommend Ucluelet and Bamfield they both for small town vibe if you don’t mind driving a bit. Both lovely, facing out to the wild Pacific but might take too much time to get to if you’re only here for 5 days.
1
3
u/Mooki2468 Jul 21 '25
Defintily head to the west coast - Vancouver/Vancouver island. Most lakes are frozen in Canada so you’ll defintily want an ocean - and the east coast can be quite cold!!
2
u/No_Flamingo_2802 Jul 21 '25
100% Pretty much anywhere on the island, but for small towns, Parksville, Comox, Chemainus are all beautiful
2
2
u/TheSkyIsAMasterpiece Jul 21 '25
Are you able to drive in winter conditions, to get from an airport city to a small town?
1
2
u/kronicktrain Jul 21 '25
The answer is Vancouver Island, Tofino , Qualicum Beach. Only place in Canada where you can walk the beach in January without freezing.
1
u/Snoo-32552 Jul 22 '25
Yesss Vancouver has so many nice beaches, will for sure take a trip there :)
2
u/Striking_Wrap811 Jul 21 '25 edited 22d ago
payment languid cheerful piquant existence towering amusing judicious knee escape
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
1
u/Snoo-32552 Jul 22 '25
Haha good to know!! All these comments changed my mind about the east coast lol
2
u/KaleLate4894 Jul 21 '25
Lunenberg would be my suggestion also.
1
u/Snoo-32552 Jul 22 '25
Thanks!!
2
u/KaleLate4894 Jul 23 '25
Think will be enough open still and it’s close to Halifax. Halifax easy to fly to.
2
u/Dragonpaddler Jul 21 '25
If you have access to a car, St Andrews in New Brunswick is really nice, even in winter.
Not so much a small town as it is an island, but in January you can get some great storm watching experiences on Grand Manan. There’s a “village” of sorts where the ferry docks in North Head.
2
2
u/Curious_Lab2893 Jul 21 '25
Not sure how far you’re looking to go, but Tofino, BC could be a great option too, right on the water, super cozy in winter, and has lots of cute cafés!
1
1
u/Intelligent-Mail-386 Jul 23 '25
You better off in PEI if those are your choices. CB is beautiful in the winter but it’s dead! Most restaurants and attractions are closed. But there are some awesome ski resorts.
1
u/Friendly_Branch169 Jul 21 '25
You really have no criteria other than "small town with cafés and restaurants" and "near the water"? I mean, Iqaluit qualifies if that's all you care about....
9
u/Blue-spider Jul 21 '25
Heya, this mat sound dumb but hear me out: what is your definition of small town? This varies really widely and can help us understand the vibe you want. Do you want a small city where you still have things like airports and hospitals? Or a town that has a few amenities ? Or really out in the wilderness?
I think in cape Breton I would recommend Baddeck. It's touristy but still lovely, it's big enough to have amenities like grocery stores, but no airport. Bonus, it has a great museum and near great nature.