Blue Rocks

Blue Rocks sits a few kilometres from Lunenburg on a shore of slate that the sea has worn into tilted grey shelves, with lobster shacks, stages and dories among them and a scattering of small islands offshore. The slate takes on a blue-grey cast in certain light, which is where the name comes from. It has been a subject for painters and photographers for decades, drawing people to work from the rocks in early morning. It is a working fishing hamlet of a few dozen people, not a preserved village, and the sheds are gear stores rather than displays. Kayaking through the islands is the other activity.

What you actually see

• The slate shelves - tilted grey rock running into the water.
• The fishing sheds - working stages and gear stores on the shore.
• The offshore islands - a scatter of small islands and channels.
• The painters - artists working from the rocks in early light.

When to go

June to October; early morning gives the light people come for and the least traffic. Winter storms are dramatic but access is limited. Kayak operators run in summer.

Honest expectations

This is a lived-in working hamlet, and the sheds and yards are private property. Parking is very limited on narrow roads. There are no services at all.

Nearby

Lunenburg lies west; Mahone Bay is beyond it.