Nature and the City: Best Things to do in Saint John, New Brunswick

Why is it that it’s always a country mouse and a city mouse that end up marrying each other? Or worse, travelling together! One is always looking for ways to enjoy nature and the great outdoors, while the other is listing coffee shops and street art on their must-do list. Luckily, Saint John, New Brunswick may be the perfect solution for both people, without having to compromise at all (or involve any lawyers). Not only does this port city offer a vibrant and historic downtown, great restaurants, shopping and more, it also has huge swaths of parkland, beaches and hiking trails right within its city limits, not to mention one of the rarest natural wonders in the world: ‘Reversing Falls’. Here then, are the best things to do in Saint John for both nature lovers and culture vultures.

Start with an ‘Urban Hike’ AKA Walking Tour of Saint John

Since walking and hiking both involve getting exercise, a walking tour of Saint John may be one way for both city and country lovers to get their steps in, while at the same time absorbing some of the culture and history of this city, which (fun fact) happens to be the first incorporated city in all of Canada. A good place to start is at the waterfront and then work your way inland to King’s Square, zig-zagging along the grid of streets that make up the downtown area of Saint John.

FUN FACT: If you want to fit in with the locals, you need to know that ‘Downtown’ Saint John is actually called ‘Uptown’ since the centre of town is all located ‘up’ from the waterfront and port. (It’s easy to remember because the deeper you do into this urban centre, the more your legs will remind you that you are going uphill!)

Explore the “Area 506” Container Village

As a port of call for cruise ships from around the world, Saint John has made great efforts to transform its harbour into a destination for visitors, whether they arrive by sea or by land. At the centre of the waterfront is the colourful Area 506 container village (506 is the city’s area code), which is part art installation, part cultural hub and originally was built as a waterfront music festival venue in 2016.

The containers were a hit and today they serve as seasonal retail stores and boutiques for local artisans, retailers and cafes, plus there’s a stage where musicians and bands entertain during the summer months. For the hard working crews from those cruise ships, there’s even a specific lounge here where the staff can enjoy some time off when they have shore leave. Whether you pose for photos in front of the vibrant murals (created by international artists), shop, sip or dine, this Area is definitely one to check out if you are looking for things to do in Saint John.

Admire the Uptown Architecture

Heading inland from the waterfront, take time to explore the streets that run parallel to it, particularly Prince William, Germain and Princess Streets where you’ll find some of Saint John’s most beautiful stone buildings, most of which date from the late 19th century. You won’t find many wooden buildings of this vintage as this entire area was almost completely destroyed in 1877 by what is known as The Great Fire of Saint John. The fire which started in a storehouse at one end of town spread like lightning, engulfing 200 acres of the downtown core, destroying over 1600 buildings, killing 19 people and leaving thousands more homeless. Following this tragedy, all the public buildings and major structures were rebuilt with brick or stone, which has left Saint John with a permanent architectural legacy that you can enjoy today.

Be sure to look up, as many interesting details are carved into capitals and friezes that decorate the buildings and help to identify their function. On a former bank building on Prince William street (“The Palatine”) for example, you’ll see the head of a figure with money coming out of its mouth.

And the Chubb building at the corner of Prince William and Princess Streets (named after the owner), is known for its caricature-like ‘grotesques’ that are rumoured to represent some town councillors of the time, who apparently weren’t impressed by this form of ‘tribute’.

Another unique landmark that caught our eye was a church at the opposite end of Princess Street. Although the city lost many churches during the Great Fire, this one dates back to 1822 and survived the fire. It is particularly interesting because it was built using stone that served as ballast for the cargo ships arriving from England. For this reason, although it is officially named St. John’s church, locals have been calling this the Stone Church for almost 200 years.

Discover Public Art in Saint John

While strolling the streets of Uptown Saint John, be sure to walk up Grannan Street between Prince William and Germain and look to your right and left. You can’t miss the 80-foot tall green octopus mural on the side of a residential building, painted by the artist known as Uber5000 (Cape Bretoner Allan Ryan). Called ‘See Stories’, it takes its maritime theme to new heights literally, with an imaginative take on life under the sea. It was one of our favourite pieces of public art in the city for both its scale, and its whimsical imagery.

At Prince William and Duke Streets you’ll find another mural that speaks to the history of Saint John, specifically Partridge Island and the immigrants who settled here. Partridge Island was to Saint John what Ellis Island was to New York, an offshore island where new immigrants to Canada first disembarked and were documented (and quarantined if necessary). The mural was painted by Geoff Slater and represents some of these families, the skills they brought with them, and their role in helping to build the city that is here today,

In Saint John’s Market Square and Trade and Convention Centre on the waterfront you’ll find a couple of fun art installations, too. One is in the centre court of the retail space, and is called Balloon Girl – Charlotte by Judi Pennanen, which is so convincing it seems to be floating in space.

There are also a couple of sculptural pieces by John Hooper, including this one titled People Moving Apart Together. (I couldn’t resist including Henk as part of the art, so I guess now it is part performance art, too.)

Speaking of sculpture, Saint John is also part of an International Sculpture Trail, which is a cultural partnership with the state of Maine in the U.S. Inspired by a concept first brought forward in Austria in 1959, international artists are invited to create contemporary pieces which are then installed in towns along the Maine coastline and in and around Saint John. To date this Trail includes 34 sculptures in Maine and 38 sculptures in New Brunswick, a few of which we discovered outside the city as well.

Browse the Stalls at Saint John City Market

No visit to Saint John would be complete without a visit to the block-long Saint John City Market, the oldest continuing farmers’ market in the country, which was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1986. Completed in 1876, just a year before the Great Fire, the covered market miraculously escaped the flames which destroyed most of the city, and has remained a point of pride for the residents and the city to this day.

Originally the market was built to consolidate six different markets, so that people could purchase fish, cattle, produce and even hay all under one roof. Today the market has evolved (you won’t find any hay or live cattle here), and now includes international food shops as well as stalls that sell seasonal produce, artisan breads, home made baked goods, and one of the oldest chocolate bars in Canada, a ‘Pal-o-Mine’ which just celebrated its 125 birthday).

Shop Local

If you are in need of some retail therapy, many of Saint John’s historic buildings are now home to an assortment of independent boutiques. Check out Emporia for whimsical, eclectic fashion, decor and accessories, or admire the talents of local artisans at Handworks Gallery, specializing in handmade art, jewellery and textiles. Saint John prides itself on its locally-owned businesses, and downtown – er – uptown is the best place to find them.

You might also want to check out one of the independent coffee shops as well, like Java Moose (a local success story), especially if you need a caffeine fix to keep your energy up before heading out to explore the natural side of Saint John…

TIP: Because of the relatively compact size of the city centre, a walking tour is one of the best things to do in Saint John to really explore the city. There are several self-guided walking tour routes that you can access right on the Saint John tourism website, whether you prefer a printable brochure or a digital version, both of which highlight the main points of interest. (You can also search online to join organized tours if you prefer having a guide).

Hiking in the City: Irving Nature Park

When it’s time to swap the pavement of Saint John’s city centre for wooded trails and ocean air, you won’t have to travel far to find them: Irving Nature Park is located just a few kilometres away on the city’s west side, right on the Bay of Fundy. The 600 acres of the Park are home to a diverse ecosystem of forest, salt water marshes, beaches and rugged oceanfront, and is a favourite of locals. There’s a gravel road that winds through the park and doubles as an easy walking path for visitors of all ages, but there are also more rugged (but still easy) forested trails that follow the coastline, offering a chance to get closer to nature and the ocean.

At different vantage points along these trails you’ll find observation platforms for enjoying the ocean views, and there is also a boardwalk that takes you out into the salt marsh where you can get closer to the birds and wildlife that can be found there.

Locals love the park because there are also picnic and BBQ sites (free propane provided by the Irving company) and playgrounds for the kids, but there’s another reason for visitors to come here: the park is part of a unique geological area in New Brunswick, the Stonehammer UNESCO Geopark, the first one in North America to be awarded this designation.

Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark

Stonehammer Geopark is a huge area in southern New Brunswick (2500 square kilometres) with a history that dates back literally a billion years. Geoparks are places on the planet where it is possible to see evidence of the planet’s formation and geologic history, but it is also where these landforms and physical characteristics have influenced the stories and culture of the peoples who call this place home. Stonehammer is notable because of many unique natural features, including the Saint John river itself, and its world-renowned ‘Reversing Falls” (more on that later). But there are also important fossil records that are found in the rock formations and coastlines here, including the discovery of one of the world’s largest trilobites.

Culturally, Stonehammer Geopark recognizes the cultural and historic places that make this area unique, including monuments, bridges and manmade landmarks. One of these examples is the Three Sisters Lamp close to the waterfront in Saint John, which is part of the cultural heritage of the city because it served as a navigation aid in the maritime history of Saint John.

When it comes to highlighting both natural and cultural sites in and around Saint John, a visit to this Geopark may be the perfect way to satisfy nature-loving and culture-seeking travellers.

Dark Sky Viewing at Irving Nature Park

Not many places can offer a 600 acre ocean-side park inside a UNESCO Geopark, both of which are right in the city limits.Yet Saint John’s Irving Nature Park has another distinction as well: the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada has designated this an Urban Star Park. Which means that visitors can enjoy a dark sky location perfect for stargazing or photographing the night sky, without having to drive for hours into the wilderness. This is a huge opportunity for both residents and visitors because access to amazing night skies, while being so close to accommodations and urban amenities, is a rarity on today’s light-polluted planet. Henk and I travelled to Saguaro National Park near Tucson for this same reason, because it is designated as an Urban Night Sky Place as well, thanks to 70,000 acres of undeveloped, dark desert wilderness surrounding the city.

In the case of Irving Nature Park, the reason for its particularly dark skies is the Bay of Fundy itself. The open expanse of ocean directly opposite the coastline ensures no light pollution to the south, and even though the city of Saint John is just 10 km to the east, it emits relatively minimal light pollution compared to larger cities.

As an astrophotographer, Henk was keen to take advantage of these dark skies, and even though we only had a clear window at 4am one morning during our visit, we were game to head out in the wee hours to join fellow astronomy enthusiast and entrepreneur, Stéphane Picard, founder of Cliff Valley Astonomy. Picard started out as an avid amateur astronomer and astrophotographer, but has since become both an entrepreneur in the field of astrotourism, and an advocate for preserving and designating more areas as dark sky sanctuaries.

Picard offers Star Parties all around his home province of New Brunswick, where he introduces people to the wonders of the night sky and gives them the opportunity to view celestial objects through his telescopes. He has all the tools to make his guest experience a fun, interactive, educational one: Picard is even able to do on-the-spot image stacking in real time to display more detailed, composite images on his iPad. This allows visitors to see better photos of planets, nebulae and galaxies right on site, making it even more immediate and impressive for them.

The three of us set ourselves up at Saints Rest Beach, a long stretch coastline with unobstructed southern views right in Irving Nature Park, and despite being the wee hours of an October morning we were lucky to have no wind (much warmer!) and more importantly, no clouds. For the next 90 minutes, Stéphane took us on a mini tour of the heavens with his telescopes, pointing to and photographing several of his favourite objects which we could observe through his scopes and on his tablet. And as an added bonus, I even caught sight of a green fireball streaking towards the ground to the northwest!

The three of us also talked about upcoming events like eclipses and equinoxes, and Stéphane has already partnered with travel agencies to organize specialized trips around the world in 2026 and 2027 to observe these rare phenomena. And when he’s not doing that, Picard is travelling Canada to promote astrotourism, including in New Brunswick itself, where the province is hoping to designate a 180-kilometre long stretch of the Fundy coast as the world’s first ‘dark sky corridor‘. Irving Nature Park would form part of this future corridor, making it just ne more reason why this Park is so special to Saint John.

Rockwood Park

If dark skies and oceanside hiking at irving Nature Park aren’t enough to satisfy the nature-loving visitor, Saint John has an even bigger park in the city that offers 2200 acres of natural beauty: Rockwood Park.

At first glance, Rockwood is deceptive: the pretty public gardens and the paved drive leading to the Lily Lake Pavilion that greet you at the entrance might make you think that Rockwood is much smaller and more ‘groomed’ than it actually is. But although the Park has been a favourite destination for Saint John residents for generations, with children learning to swim in the lake beside the Lily Lake Pavilion, and families enjoying organized camps and community activities in the park, there are also huge areas of unspoiled beauty here – perfect for visitors who need a nature fix.

Hikers, runners and mountain bikers have access to 55 km of footpaths and trails that will make you forget that you are actually in the middle of a city. And if you want to get out onto the water to canoe, kayak or paddle board, there are 10 lakes in the park where you can paddle to your heart’s content. Many of these lakes are stocked with trout, too, so fishermen can cast their lines here as well (with proper licenses of course).

TIP: Since paddleboards and canoes don’t fit in most people’s carryon luggage, the Inside Out Nature Centre at Lily Lake offers rental watercraft for visitors who want to get out onto the water.

Rockwood Park is also part of the Stonehammer Geopark, and the fault lines, caves and diverse rocks that are found here are part of the story of why this part of New Brunswick is so unique. The rest of Canada’s geology is also featured in the Park’s ‘Confederation Trail’, via a collection of stone monuments made from native rock samples imported from each of the country’s provinces and territories, each one carved with a representative symbol of the province. It’s another way to showcase the natural resources that are found not just in New Brunswick, but across the country.

Reversing Falls – Saint John’s Natural Wonder

The name may be a bit misleading for visitors, because Saint John’s ‘Reversing Falls’ isn’t actually a waterfall that somehow defies the law of gravity. Instead, it may better be described as a series of rapids located on the Saint John River near Reversing Falls Bridge (less than a kilometre from where the river empties into the Bay of Fundy). Thousands of years ago, there was a series of 3 actual waterfalls in this narrow gorge where the river bottom dropped almost 40 meters, but as the river level rose over time, those waterfalls were submerged.

Today what you see are turbulent rapids on the river’s surface, churning over those deep underwater shelves – at least that is what you will see if you are here at low tide. But here’s the thing that makes this one of the rarest natural wonders in the world: return to the same place 6 hours and 12 minutes later at high tide, and you will be surprised to see the roiling waters gradually settle and become a calm, glassy surface. This is called slack tide, and lasts for only a short time before the tide starts pushing the water UPstream. Before long, that reversing water is moving very quickly and creating its own set of eddies and whitecaps, but flowing in the opposite direction.

This video shows the transition that took place over about 70 minutes, when the Saint John river reversed direction.

 

This seemingly impossible ‘reversing’ phenomena can only happen here, where the extreme tides of the Bay of Fundy are high enough, strong enough and voluminous enough to actually overpower the flow of the river. The amount of volume is staggering: close to 100 billion tons of water enters and exits the Bay of Fundy twice daily, so it’s no wonder that even one of the longest rivers in this part of North America is no match for its force. How’s that for nature!

TIP: Like when visiting Hopewell Rocks, in order to really appreciate the marvel that is Reversing Falls, you need to visit the site at least twice to witness the tidal effect that causes the river to flow upstream. Just be sure to check the tide charts on the day you are visiting, so you can time your visit first for the lowest tide, and twelve hours later for the highest. 

City Meets Country

Not many cities can offer activities and attractions that will satisfy both nature and city lovers, at least not without some compromise. Saint John, New Brunswick, may be that exception. Because whether you prefer to hit the trails in a UNESCO-designated Geopark and gaze at the stars without light pollution, or admire historic architecture and colourful street art, this city provides enough natural and urban attractions to keep both country mice and city mice happy. Which is no small feat, even for the second largest city in the province.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION FOR VISITING SAINT JOHN

WHERE TO STAY
Nothing beats the Delta Saint John for location, location, location. Located right on King Street inside a commercial mall that connects to Market Square and the Convention Centre, you are literally steps away from everything that Uptown Saint John has to offer. The hotel provides all the amenities you would expect from a Marriott property, including a pool, fitness room and restaurant, and the rooms are modern, spacious and comfortable.

WHERE TO EAT
With more than 80 restaurants and bars in Uptown Saint John, there’s something for everyone and every taste. For LUNCH why not wander through the Saint John City Market and stop by one of its delis or takeout restaurants for a quick bite. It’s one of the best ‘local’ things to do in Saint John, and there’s everything from homemade chicken salad sandwiches on artisan bread to Japanese fusion plates.

DINNER: Definitely make a reservation at Italian By Night as their excellent food and cozy ambiance mean tables fill up fast here, even on weekdays. The chef is not afraid to break with some Italian traditions (like pairing scallops with a cheesy carbonara penne, proving that fish and parmesan DO work together!), but they do Italian classics equally well like their delicious Sicilian arancini. We loved it.

Port City Royal is known for its great cocktails and seasonally-inspired menus which change frequently, sometimes weekly. It’s one way to keep it exciting for locals and regulars, not to mention the chef. The ambiance is industrial-chic meets historic pub, and the location on the short but steep Grannan Street makes it feel like a bit of a hidden gem. Whatever you call its decor style, it works, and the elevated dishes are just as eclectic.

For a casual ambiance and traditional Irish pub fare, head to the Cask & Kettle where you can expect local brews and huge portions of staples like Shepherd’s Pie (done the traditional way with lamb). Saint John is dubbed as Canada’s ‘most Irish city’, owing to the immigrants who came here including those who escaped the Potato Famine, and this pub leans into its irish heritage loudly and proudly.

WHERE TO DRINK!
For hand-crafted cocktails influenced by the eclectic resume and international travels of Eric Scouten, the owner/mixologist, head to Ka•ku•te•ru, an intimate lounge down Grannan lane. Eric may look like an off-grid philosopher/hippy, but he mixes a mean cocktail and the inspiration behind each makes for some interesting stories. The decor here is just as unique as the drinks, with opulent corners perfect for lounging, and a carved altarpiece that serves as the backdrop for the bar. The place holds 13 people max, and often hosts private events, so plan ahead by checking the Facebook page to make sure its a ‘walk in’ night.

Happiness is…$10 Wine Flight Wednesdays at Happinez Too Wine Bar! This cozy wine bar on Canterbury Street is everything you want in a wine bar: a great selection of wines by the glass, and decor that feels like you are in your bohemian friend’s loft apartment in SoHo. So when I saw that every Wednesday they offer $10 flights of 3 wines, this was a no-brainer. They also offer the shareable menu items from their sister whisky bar next door, Hopscotch. Visit both and your night may really take flight.

Special thanks to New Brunswick Tourism and Discover Saint John, who hosted Henk and I on our visit to Saint John and area.