Chester

Chester offers a variety of options for your trip: a year-round ferry service, two harbour areas, events, culture and leisure activities. The places and activities here offer a good indication of the topics that may interest you most—from sailing to performances and public facilities.

Ferry and harbour areas

The Tancook Island ferry departs from Chester and serves Little Tancook Island and Big Tancook Island. It runs daily year-round according to a set schedule. If you want to plan your trip around the service, check the schedule in advance: times may change.

The waterfront setting is also evident at two distinct locations. The Lido Pool is on the shore of Chester’s Back Harbour. Freda's Beach is a swimming spot on Chester’s Front Harbour. These two locations can therefore be distinguished by their respective positions on the Back Harbour and Front Harbour.

Sports and events

The Chester Skate Park is a 14,500-square-foot facility with street and bowl areas. Events such as skateboard and BMX competitions are held there annually. If you would like to experience one of these competitions during your trip, it is worth checking the event dates.

Another recurring event is Helly Hansen Chester Race Week: held annually, this four-day keelboat regatta is hosted by the Chester Yacht Club in the village of Chester. The programme includes public events featuring live music, food and yacht racing. It also includes regatta seminars with internationally renowned sailors, tacticians, boatbuilders and sailmakers. Individual programme items may change, so check the dates and offerings for the year in question.

The Chester Golf Club has been in operation since 1914. Its course is a par-70 layout with views of the sea and Chester Harbour. Alongside sailing-related events, Chester therefore also offers another connection to sporting activities. Lordly Park has a playground with slides, climbing bars and swings.

Culture and other points of interest

The Chester Playhouse presents local, national and international artists, as well as performances and other artistic content. Its cultural offerings complement the sporting events with a different focus: here, the artists and performances take centre stage.

The Zoé Vallé Memorial Library offers free Wi-Fi and the option to book meeting rooms. It is a practical place to visit if you want to use Wi-Fi or reserve a meeting room during your stay.

More attractions in the wider destination of Lunenburg County

Holden Lake Wilderness Area is located in the wider destination of Lunenburg County. It protects approximately 1,700 hectares of older mixed forest in the Gold River watershed, surrounding much of Holden Lake. The designated shoreline stretches cover about 10 kilometres along Holden Lake and about 4 kilometres along the Gold River. Both figures refer to different shoreline areas within the Wilderness Area.

Also in the wider destination of Lunenburg County, Indian Path Common offers a different perspective on the landscape: this is a 350-acre reclaimed Acadian forest. Hikers can explore 7 kilometres of natural footpaths on a series of loop trails. Rissers Beach Provincial Park offers camping and swimming at a sandy beach, as well as interpretive panels and a boardwalk through a salt marsh.

For cultural experiences in the wider destination of Lunenburg County, there is also Old Town Lunenburg: it is one of only two urban communities in North America designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its hilly streets by the sea are lined with colourful architecture, shops, restaurants and private homes. The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic is housed in red buildings on Lunenburg’s historic waterfront, which formerly accommodated a fish-processing plant. Its exhibits provide a comprehensive overview of Nova Scotia’s fishing industry and, in particular, its connection to Lunenburg County.

Discover more destinations: Barss Corner, Bridgewater, Western Shore, Hubbards, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg

Back to the wider travel overview: Lunenburg County.