4 Best Sights in The Fundy Coast, New Brunswick

These famous "giant flowerpots" have been carved by the Bay of Fundy tides, and though a major rockfall in 2016 robbed the one they call 'the elephant' of its distinctive profile, walking among them at low tide remains a remarkable experience. At high tide, all you see is the very top, crowned with vegetation and appearing as tiny islands. There are also trails, an interactive visitor center, a café-restaurant, a gift shop, and a children's play area. Guided tours are available. It's about a 15-minute walk from the visitor center to the rocks, but there's also a shuttle service (C$2 each way). The tide comes in very quickly, so check tide tables, keep an eye on your watch, and exit the beach with time to spare.

A bizarre optical illusion has been attracting visitors since the days of horse-drawn wagons. If you park your car in neutral at the designated spot, you seem to be coasting uphill without power. Don't be tempted to turn the vehicle around; the effect is most pronounced when you are going backward. Get out and try it on foot and it seems harder to walk downhill than up. There are shops and a restaurant within the attached Wharf Village, designed to resemble a traditional coastal village ( www.magnetichillwharfvillage.ca).

If the name of the cape isn't enough of a hint, the 140-year-old (still-working) lighthouse perched on the end of its rocky promontory says much about the nature of the waters here. Add tides that rise as much as 16 vertical meters (53 feet) and this becomes a must-see. If the ziplining, rappelling, and rock-climbing opportunities represent too much excitement, you can walk the boardwalk to a viewing platform below the lighthouse, and from there head down to the long "wilderness" beach below (check tide times and leave at least two hours before high tide; staff can advise).

These beautiful falls within a park inside the Stonehammer Geopark tumble over ancient rocks and near a fossil of a rare tetrapod trackway. The park provides visitors with tantalizing views of the falls from the boardwalk in the wooded surroundings, where there are picnic tables and hiking trails. At the right time of year, you can pick wild strawberries here.