The Best Ecofriendly Retreats In The Maritimes

Take an eco-friendly vacation in Canada’s Maritime Provinces. Find cabins, yurts and rustic lodges in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Here, you can experience stargazing, forest bathing and other natural escapes.

Canada’s Maritime Provinces are naturally attuned to the outdoors, from seaspray off the Atlantic to the deep Acadian forests and waterways dotting the landscape. It’s no wonder many regional innkeepers are devoted to offering sustainable alternatives to mass-market tourism. Book an eco-friendly yurt, solar-powered cabin or rustic-chic lodge room and get ready to reconnect with nature at its most primeval.

1. True North Destinations

Independent Hotel, Luxury

Break up your trip on Nova Scotia’s Cabot Trail with a night or two in a luxury geodesic dome with a private hot tub. Each dome has a kitchen, spacious living area and splendid ocean view that you can also enjoy from the wraparound deck. The resort is within the island expanse of Cape Breton Highlands National Park, where the mountains meet the Atlantic seacoast.

2. River Ridge Lodge

Resort

Light and bright accommodations prevail along with earth-friendly practices at this resort on Mahone Bay in Nova Scotia’s South Shore region. Rest well in the quiet rooms, start the day with a homemade organic breakfast, then enjoy complimentary access to human-powered transportation – bikes in summer or snowshoes in winter. The charming coastal villages of Lunenburg and Blue Rocks are a short drive away.

4. Treetop Haven

Independent Hotel

A geodesic dome on a raised deck at Treetop Haven.

Friendly world traveler Sheila Arsenault is the ideal host at Treetop Haven, where five geodesic-dome “treePODS” are hidden amid this haven on Prince Edward Island. The pods sleep up to six; each has a kitchen and a deck with a hot tub and barbecue. Experience the Japanese art of forest bathing, with yoga instruction and massage also available on request. The red sand of Chelton Beach Provincial Park is a 10-minute drive away.

5. Ridgeback Lodge

Independent Hotel, Hotel

Less than an hour’s drive from St. John’s, New Brunswick, Ridgeback Lodge has a couple of rustic cabins and several glamping domes, some designed for stargazing. Birdwatching, canoeing and snowshoeing are other ways to while away your time in the woods. Enjoy activities on the lodge grounds, or explore nearby attractions including a farmer’s market, pottery shop or friendly pub.

6. Cabot Shores

Resort, Eco Hotel, Hotel

With choices ranging from campsites to chalets, Cabot Shores has accommodations for every taste. Nestled between the famous Cabot Trail highway and the Atlantic Ocean, the resort has a freshwater pond and a private beach, plus access to extensive hiking trails along Indian Brook. After an active day, look forward to mingling with other travelers at a cookout featuring hearty food and s’mores for dessert.

7. Trout Point Lodge

Eco Hotel, Hotel, Lodge, Luxury

Trout Point Lodge is in the Tobeatic Wilderness of southwestern Nova Scotia, about 40 minutes from the ferry port of Yarmouth. Forget about cell phone coverage or satellite TV. Instead, soak in a wood-fired hot tub, swim in the river or take a guided stargazing walk under some of the darkest skies in North America. Rooms are luxurious yet designed with sustainability in mind.

This is an updated version of an article originally by Kate Horodyski.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.