Saint John

Currently experiencing a revitalization, Saint John is going from great to outstanding. It’s Canada’s oldest incorporated city and has the charm and presence to prove it.

With the Hilton Saint John as our home base, everything was within walking distance.

A new and creative Waterfront Container Village uses, well, shipping containers as satellite shops and is smartly set up beside the cruise ship port. It’s colourful, has food, drink and retail shops, and there’s even a stage for live entertainment. It was worth the ten minute walk.

The oldest market in Canada is here via the Saint John City Market, complete with all the wares you’d expect from fruit, meats, cheeses, drinks and more. When you go, look at the ceiling as it’s in the shape of an inverted ship’s hull.

Dining-wise, there are 80 non-chain brand but independent bars and restaurants in a 10 block radius, so there’s likely something for every taste. We tried a bit of everything over a few days that included seafood, Thai, Indian, Italian and traditional pub fare. There’s a strip of restaurants with joined patios facing the water, complete with ambient strand lights that are worth experiencing on North Market Wharf.

Keep walking and explore the streets and sights of the downtown and pop into an art gallery or two or an interesting shop.

It truly is a beautiful city that has plenty to offer visitors from beautiful waterfront views to a detailed dining scene, plus oh-so many attractions.

The one place you will have to drive to, (although you could walk the four km from the hotel…) are the Reversing Falls Rapids, which is exactly what you’re picturing.

As the tide is going out, the Saint John River flows into the bay and the rapids follow; when the tide comes in, the force pushes the water back upriver and like putting a car in R, the rapids flow in reverse.

The full cycle takes around six hours so you can sit tight and watch the full transformation if you have time, or visit twice; once in the beginning for 30 minutes and once at the end for another 30. That five hours in between can easily be filled with a variety of activities and attractions.