A few years ago while visiting Halifax, Nova Scotia, I was chatting with one of the locals who told us of a small beautiful coastal community in New Brunswick, Canada known as Saint Andrews by the Sea. Since we are always on the lookout for new places to visit on the ocean, my wife did some quick research and we vowed that one day we would make a trip. It may have taken a bit longer than we had hoped but we finally made it earlier this summer when we found ourselves in the Mt. Desert Island area.
About a 1/2 hour from Calais, Maine just over the Canadian border, Saint Andrews offers a picturesque town with beautiful ocean views in a laid back environment. With a population of approximately 1,800 year round inhabitants it grows in the summer with about 300,000 yearly visitors according to one of the local shop owners. I asked him if he wouldn't mind a few more tourists and he said another 150,000 visitors a year would be good for business. Just enough to increase sales for retailers and not overrun the town.
As we walked along we came upon a shop with a sign that said "back in 10 minutes" and we planned to walk down and come back a little later. When we did the shop was still not open and my wife wondered if they would ever open. The only other place I have ever seen this is in Hawaii where those who would like things to happen now and urgently just doesn't happen. I mention this because the life style here is not rushed. People come here to relax and take it easy.
Continuing on we reached the end of the main street area and saw the Gables Restaurant. Realizing that we were hungry and wanting to sample some local cuisine, we walked up the stairs to look over the menu. At the same time a man on bike rode by and yelled out that they had "the best food in town" and our decision had been made for us.
A pretty lush green entryway with a lobster.
Scrumptious fish chowder along with a
seafood platter
and chocolate carrot cake for dessert.
As you look out over the water you may not realize that on the other side in the distance is the Maine coast two to three miles away.
If you are vacationing in Down East Maine, you could probably do a day trip to Saint Andrews. Anyplace else and you should probably stay overnight and we happened to drive by a place for your consideration. The Algonquin Resort that has recently undergone some renovations.
Don't forget your passport that you will need to travel from the US into Canada.
Want to know how far it is to The Gables Restaurant and Saint Andrews by the Sea? Click on the map below for directions.