After a few months getting settled in Nova Scotia and patiently waiting for the temperatures to rise, we finally dusted off our bikes and headed out to Herring Cove. It was hot, and as Justine warned, it was hilly!
Normally, we would do an out-and-back along Purcell’s Cove Rd (Route 235), but due to some road construction, we decided to make it a loop and take Herring Cove Rd. on the way back.
Purcell’s Cove Rd. is a popular cycling route because there are ocean views, and an eclectic mixture of beautiful houses, big and small, from fishers’ cabins to mansions. Other highlights included a picnic on the rocks, a tub of gelato at Pavia and a couple detours on the way home!
Getting out of Halifax
Getting to Purcell’s Cove Rd from the north end is challenging! To avoid the busy roads, we winded through the quiet streets and neighbourhoods (Agricola, Almon, Westmount) and then hopped on the side walk at the bottom of Chebucto Rd.
To leave the Halifax peninsula, we had no choice but go through the Rotary. We didn’t cycle it. Instead, we went on the sidewalk and briefly up Herring Cove Rd, but then we turned left on Armshore Drive. We cycled through a nice residential neighbourhood on Anchor Drive until we reached Purcells Cove Road.
Purcells Cove Road has a bike lane on both sides. However, when we took it, it was being redone and was bumpy. It is hilly but it gives a nice view on the water, on fishers’ cabins and mansions.
Herring Cove
There is a parking lot at the entrance of Herring Cove Provincial Park. We locked our bikes to a tree and walked up a trail in the bushes to the rocks. We had sneakers and small saddle bags to be able to negotiate the windy rooty trail. Justine sat in the sun and Adrien in the shadow of a boulder. We both enjoyed the breeze and admired the sailboats while eating a salad, quiche and a square of chocolate.
Pavia Café
For dessert, we went to Pavia Café for an ice cream. It is at the corner of Hebridean and Herring Cove Road. It is a popular spot that you can’t miss!
Because of COVID-19, they only served gelato in cups from their freezer. We noticed that they also sold Italian deli, sandwiches and, of course, espresso. There were enough benches outside to enjoy the sun while being distanced.
When we had enough sugar, we hopped on our bikes to finish the loop.
McIntosh Run Community Trail
Going towards Halifax, we continued on Herring Cove Road.
Our plan was to catch the McIntosh Run Community Trail that goes east of Spryfield. Unfortunately we missed the entrance — apparently we should have been looking for Golden Way, instead of Honeygold Dr. We did manage to catch the end of the trail which crossed a stream and entered a residential neighbourhood. The trail looks great though, so we will definitely try it next time! A great way to avoid the busy section of Herring Cove Rd!
After winding through some quiet suburban streets (Abrams Way, Lois Lane), we joined up with Williams Lake Road. It has a shoulder and bike lane and is a quick way to get back onto Purcells Cove Road. Back at the Rotary, we didn’t feel comfortable biking up Chebucto Road because it is busy, so we went on Quinpool Road. The first part is a double lane with no shoulder but then you can take a side street and meander your way through the city.
We had an errand to do (buy the newspaper and some postcards at Atlantic News) so we took a detour.
All in all, we biked 40 km that day.