The Acadian Shores Interpretive Tour is a self-guided itinerary of 31 heritage sites that personify the Acadian spirit in Southwestern Nova Scotia, of which 15 are in Clare.
Pick up a map at a Visitor Information Centre and take your time to explore museums, churches, wharves and other hidden gems.
Appreciate the unique, earthy sounds of Acadian French, whose roots dateback to 17th century France, with expressions borrowed from the Mi'kmaq and English.
Bilingual way finding signs will help guide your way to the sites and interpretive panels. The individual sites are shown below.
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Radio CIFA
Radio CIFA is a non-profit community radio that first came on the air in 1990. As the only French radio station in Southwest Nova Scotia, Radio CIFA celebrates the Acadian and French culture.
Read more Rendez-vous de la Baie Visitor Centre
Rendez-vous de la Baie is a cultural centre and a tourism destination that introduces visitors to the rich culture and heritage of the Acadians of Clare.
Read more Meteghan Wharf and Marina
Clare’s largest fishing wharf is bustling with scallop draggers, trawlers, herring seiners, ground fish and lobster boats.
Read more Church Point Lighthouse
Visit this replica lighthouse on the campus of Université Sainte-Anne. Interpretive panels and displays illustrate the story of the lighthouse, the tides and marine ecology.
Read more Sacred Heart Church
Saulnierville’s Sacré-Coeur Church, built in 1880, is Clare’s oldest church. The church hosts an annual quilt exhibition.
Read more Saint-Alphonse Church
Admire the striking artwork at St. Alphonse Church!
Read more Saint-Bernard Church
Admire the architecture at a majestic stone church!
Read more Sainte-Marie Church
Marvel at the largest wooden church in North America! Closed in 2023.
Read more Cape Saint Mary Lighthouse Park
Clare’s newest park offers visitors panoramic views of dramatic cliffs and breathtaking sunsets over Saint Mary’s Bay and the Gulf of Maine.
Read more Belliveau Cove Municipal Park
Situated in the village of Belliveau Cove, the park is officially known as Parc Joseph-et-Marie-Dugas. The park features a 5-km (3-mi) coastal walking trail, and a lighthouse.
Read more Rails to Trails
The 42.4-km multi-use Sentier de Clare Trail winds through woods & crosses rivers from Weymouth to the Yarmouth County Line.
Read more Acadian Cemetery and Chapel
This historic attraction features the site of Clare’s first Acadian cemetery and first mass. In addition to a fenced cemetery area, the site features a commemorative cairn and a small wooden chapel (1892).
Read more Bangor Sawmill
Visit the Bangor Sawmill, the only restored and functioning water-operated sawmill in Nova Scotia! Closed for 2023 due to dam repairs.
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