When people picture Canadian beaches they rarely think of New Brunswick, and that is their loss. The beaches in New Brunswick range from the genuinely warm sand of the Northumberland Strait, home to some of the warmest saltwater in the country, to the dramatic, cold-water drama of the Bay of Fundy and its record-breaking tides.
We road-tripped the New Brunswick coast and stood on a lot of this sand ourselves, from sun-warmed Parlee in Shediac to Long Beach on the Fundy Trail and the sea caves at St Martins. This guide rounds up the 13 best beaches in the province, what each is good for, and crucially which ones are actually warm enough to swim, so you can plan a summer trip around the right stretch of coast.
Key Takeaways
- New Brunswick has two very different beach coasts: the warm, sandy Northumberland Strait in the east and the cold, dramatic Bay of Fundy in the south.
- The Northumberland Strait beaches are the warmest, with summer water often in the low-to-mid 20s Celsius, among the warmest saltwater north of Virginia.
- Parlee Beach in Shediac is the most popular, and the Shediac-area beaches are the closest warm-water swims to Moncton.
- The Bay of Fundy beaches are for scenery, not swimming, with huge tides, sea caves and the famous Hopewell Rocks.
- July and August are the season, when the water and weather are at their best.
New Brunswick Beaches at a Glance
New Brunswick’s coast splits neatly in two, and knowing the difference is the key to planning. The eastern, Northumberland Strait side (around Shediac, Bouctouche and the Acadian coast) is shallow, sandy and genuinely warm in summer. The southern, Bay of Fundy side (Saint John, St Martins, the Fundy Trail) is wild and cold, with the highest tides in the world. Pick your coast to match what you want: a warm swim, or jaw-dropping scenery.
New Brunswick Beaches at a Glance
| Warmest beaches | Northumberland Strait (Parlee, Aboiteau, Murray) |
| Most scenic | Bay of Fundy (St Martins, Fundy Trail, Hopewell Rocks) |
| Closest to Moncton | Shediac beaches (Parlee, Aboiteau) ~30 min |
| Best time | July and August for the warmest water |
| Getting around | A car, the beaches are spread across the province |
Because the beaches are scattered along two different coasts, this is a road-trip destination, so you will want a car to link them up. If you are flying into Moncton, Fredericton or Saint John and need wheels, it is worth comparing rates early for the summer peak.
The best beaches sit on two different coasts, from the warm Northumberland Strait to the Bay of Fundy, so a car is what turns a single beach day into a proper New Brunswick road trip. Summer is peak season, so rates and availability are best booked ahead.
Compare suppliers across Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John airports and book early for July and August.
The 13 Best Beaches in New Brunswick
Here are the thirteen beaches we would build a New Brunswick summer around, with where each one is and what it is best for.
| Beach | Coast / near | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Parlee Beach | Northumberland, Shediac | Warm swimming, most popular |
| Aboiteau Beach | Northumberland, Cap-Pele | Warm, supervised family swim |
| Murray Beach | Northumberland, near PEI bridge | Warm water, views of the Confederation Bridge |
| Long Beach (Fundy Trail) | Bay of Fundy | Scenery and a wild Fundy stop |
| St Martins Beach | Bay of Fundy | Sea caves at low tide |
| Saint John beaches | Bay of Fundy, Saint John | City-close nature and walks |
| Beresford Beach | Acadian coast, near Bathurst | Boardwalk and warm northern water |
| New River Beach | Bay of Fundy | Long sand and a provincial park |
| La Dune de Bouctouche | Northumberland, Bouctouche | A protected dune boardwalk |
| Indian Point, St Andrews | Passamaquoddy Bay | Whale-watching town beach |
| Anchorage, Grand Manan | Bay of Fundy island | Remote island beach and birdlife |
| Dennis Beach | Northumberland, near Shediac | Quiet warm-water alternative |
| Kelly’s Beach (Kouchibouguac) | Northumberland, national park | Warm dune-backed national-park beach |
1. Parlee Beach Provincial Park, Shediac
Parlee is the most famous beach in New Brunswick, and for good reason. The long curve of soft sand on the Northumberland Strait has water that is genuinely warm by Canadian standards, often in the low-to-mid 20s in high summer, plus supervised swimming, a boardwalk and food close by. It gets busy on hot weekends, which is part of its lively, summery charm. We spent a warm afternoon here and the water really is swimmable, no wetsuit required. It is also the closest big beach to Moncton, about 30 minutes away in Shediac, the self-styled lobster capital of the world.
2. Aboiteau Beach (Plage de l’Aboiteau), Cap-Pele
A little further along the warm Acadian coast at Cap-Pele, Aboiteau is a beautiful, supervised stretch of sand that is quieter than Parlee but just as warm. It has a boardwalk, change facilities and a relaxed, family-friendly feel, and the shallow water heats up nicely on a sunny day. It is one of the best picks if you want warm swimming without the crowds.
3. Murray Beach Provincial Park
Down near the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island, Murray Beach mixes warm Northumberland Strait water with a view of the bridge arcing across the strait. It is a relaxed provincial park beach, good for families, and a natural stop if you are combining New Brunswick with the beaches of PEI just across the water. The campground, picnic areas and warm tidal pools make it an easy, low-key day, and watching the sun set behind the eight-mile bridge is a quiet highlight.
4. Long Beach, Fundy Trail Parkway
Switching coasts entirely, Long Beach is a wild, pebbly cove on the scenic Fundy Trail Parkway south of the city. This is Bay of Fundy country: dramatic cliffs, forest tumbling to the sea, and the world’s highest tides rather than warm swimming. We pulled in here on the drive and it is the kind of raw coastal scenery the Fundy coast does so well, a complete contrast to the warm sand a couple of hours east.
5. St Martins Beach & Sea Caves
The pretty fishing village of St Martins, at the western end of the Fundy Trail, is famous for its sea caves, which you can walk right into at low tide before the giant Fundy tide rushes back in. The beach is rugged and red-brown rather than golden, with covered bridges and a working harbour for atmosphere. We timed the tide to walk into the caves, and it is one of the most memorable beach stops in the province. Just respect the tide tables, because the water comes back fast.
6. Saint John Beaches
New Brunswick’s largest city has surprising beach and shoreline nature on its doorstep. The Saint John area takes in the trails and tidal shore of the Irving Nature Park on the Bay of Fundy and the local Mispec Beach, where you get cold but beautiful Fundy coast within minutes of the city. We walked the Irving Nature Park shoreline, and it is a brilliant, free way to get out on the Fundy coast. For anyone based in the city, it is the easiest wild-coast escape going.
7. Beresford Beach
Up on the northern Acadian coast near Bathurst, Beresford Beach is a long sandy beach on the warm Chaleur Bay, with a boardwalk, a lagoon and supervised swimming in summer. It is well off the main tourist track but a genuine warm-water gem if your trip takes you to the province’s French-speaking north. The wider Chaleur Bay is consistently rated among the most beautiful bays in the world, and the Acadian towns along it add a distinct French-Maritime culture, food and festival scene to a beach day here.
8. New River Beach Provincial Park
Back on the Fundy side west of Saint John, New River Beach is a rare long, sandy Fundy beach, with a provincial park, walking trails and tidal flats. The water is bracing rather than warm, but the broad sweep of sand at low tide and the easy facilities make it a popular family stop on the southern coast. The park has camping, a coastal hiking trail out to the headlands, and rock pools to explore when the huge Fundy tide pulls back, so it is as much an outdoors day as a beach one.
9. La Dune de Bouctouche
At Bouctouche on the Acadian coast, the Irving Eco-Centre protects a fragile 12-kilometre sand dune with a long boardwalk running out over it, plus warm, shallow swimming along the sheltered shore. It is part beach day, part nature walk, and one of the loveliest spots on the warm coast.
10. Indian Point Beach, St Andrews
Genteel St Andrews by-the-Sea, on Passamaquoddy Bay near the Maine border, has a pleasant town beach at Indian Point, but the real draw here is the water: St Andrews is one of the best whale-watching bases in Atlantic Canada, with boat tours out to see whales, seals and porpoises in the Bay of Fundy. The town itself is a charmer, with its historic main street, the famous Kingsbrae Garden and the grand old Algonquin hotel, so pair a stroll on the beach with a whale tour and a wander for one of the best all-round days in the province.
11. Anchorage Provincial Park Beach, Grand Manan
For something truly off the beaten path, the island of Grand Manan, a ferry ride out into the Bay of Fundy, has a quiet beach at Anchorage Provincial Park backed by salt marsh that is a haven for birdlife. It is remote, wild and a world away from the busy Northumberland beaches, the reward for travellers who make the crossing. Grand Manan is a serious birding and whale-watching destination, the ferry ride itself is half the fun, and the island’s lighthouses, fishing weirs and cliff trails make it a proper multi-day escape rather than a quick beach stop.
12. Dennis Beach
Near Shediac, Dennis Beach is a smaller, low-key warm-water beach that locals use to escape the Parlee crowds on a hot day. With the same warm Northumberland Strait water and a quieter feel, it is a handy alternative if the big provincial park beaches are heaving in peak summer.
13. Kelly’s Beach, Kouchibouguac National Park
Saving one of the best for last, Kelly’s Beach in Kouchibouguac National Park is a barrier-island beauty on the warm Northumberland Strait, reached by a long boardwalk out across the dunes and lagoon. The water is shallow, warm and supervised in summer, and the surrounding national park adds trails, canoeing, cycling and some of the darkest night skies in the Maritimes. North of Bouctouche and a little out of the way, it rewards the drive and is a favourite for warm swimming far from the Parlee crowds.
The Warmest Beaches and Where to Swim
The single most useful thing to know about New Brunswick beaches is which water is actually warm. The answer is the Northumberland Strait, on the eastern coast: shallow, sun-warmed and often in the low-to-mid 20s Celsius in July and August, it holds some of the warmest saltwater anywhere in Canada and north of Virginia. Parlee, Aboiteau, Murray, Beresford and the Bouctouche dune are your warm-swimming beaches. The reason is geography: the Strait is shallow and sheltered from the cold open Atlantic, so it soaks up the summer sun and heats up far more than you would expect this far north.
The Bay of Fundy beaches (St Martins, the Fundy Trail, New River, Saint John) are dramatic but cold, with the world’s highest tides, so treat those as scenery, walking and tide-watching rather than swimming. If you are based in Moncton, the warm Shediac beaches like Parlee and Aboiteau are only about 30 minutes away and are the obvious choice for a swim, which is why “beaches near Moncton” so often points straight to Shediac.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best beach in New Brunswick?
Parlee Beach Provincial Park in Shediac is the most popular, with long sand and some of the warmest saltwater in Canada. For scenery rather than swimming, Long Beach on the Fundy Trail and the sea caves at St Martins are hard to beat.
What is the warmest beach in New Brunswick?
The beaches on the Northumberland Strait, such as Parlee, Aboiteau and Murray Beach, are the warmest, with summer water often in the low-to-mid 20s Celsius, among the warmest saltwater north of Virginia.
Can you swim in the ocean in New Brunswick?
Yes, especially on the Northumberland Strait side, where the water is genuinely warm in summer. The Bay of Fundy beaches are far colder and better for scenery, tide-watching and walking than swimming. We always carry SafetyWing travel insurance for peace of mind on long road trips like this one.
Are there sandy beaches in New Brunswick?
Yes, plenty, particularly along the eastern Northumberland Strait coast around Shediac, Cap-Pele and Bouctouche, where long, warm, sandy beaches are the norm.
What beaches are near Moncton?
The Shediac-area beaches, including Parlee and Aboiteau, are about a 30-minute drive from Moncton and are the closest warm-water beaches to the city.
When is the best time to visit New Brunswick beaches?
July and August, when the water and air are warmest. June and early September are quieter shoulder options if you do not mind slightly cooler water.
Final Thoughts
New Brunswick is one of Canada’s most underrated beach destinations, precisely because it offers two completely different experiences: warm, swimmable sand on the Northumberland Strait and raw, world-class scenery on the Bay of Fundy. Pick the coast that suits your trip, or better still do both, and you will see a side of Atlantic Canada most visitors miss. To round out the trip, see our guide to an East Coast Canada road trip and things to do in Fredericton. Which New Brunswick beach is calling your name? Happy travels.
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