Gran Fondo Baie Sainte-Marie is located in the Municipality of Clare, situated on the shores of Baie Sainte-Marie (Saint Mary’s Bay) in Southwest Nova Scotia, and home to the largest Acadian community in Nova Scotia. Clare is also known as “La Baie Sainte-Marie”, with a dozen coastal fishing villages stretching along the panoramic shores of Saint Mary’s Bay.
The Clare region is an excellent destination for a cycling trip, affectionately named the “longest Main Street in the World”. Visit awe-inspiring churches, notably the granite Saint-Bernard Church, and Église Sainte-Marie, the largest wooden church in North America. Explore the region’s numerous parks and trails – don’t miss the two kilometre stretch of sand awaiting you at scenic Mavillette Beach Provincial Park, dubbed the best beach in the Yarmouth & Acadian Shores region in a recent poll.
How to get here
By Land
Trans-Canada Highway from New Brunswick into Nova Scotia. Highway 101 or 1 via Annapolis Valley, or Highway 103 from South Shore.
By Sea
- MV Fundy Rose: Saint John, New Brunswick to Digby, Nova Scotia www.ferries.ca. Save time, fuel and hours behind the wheel on your next journey from Saint John, New Brunswick to Digby, Nova Scotia aboard the MV Fundy Rose. Spend less time driving and more time relaxing with a variety of onboard amenities and incredible views of the world famous Bay of Fundy.
- The Cat - Bar Harbor, Maine to Yarmouth, NS www.ferries.ca The fastest way to get from Maine to Nova Scotia, the high-speed CAT ferry takes you between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth in just 5.5 hours. With plenty of onboard amenities and knowledgeable staff and crew, the journey is more than just fast, it’s a way to discover the Atlantic en route. *Due to travel restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, The CAT will not operate in 2021. Ferry service will resume when the international land borders are reopened and public health circumstances allow.
- Northumberland Ferries - Wood Islands, PEI to Caribou, NS www.ferries.ca Take a 75-minute ferry voyage across the beautiful Northumberland Strait aboard the MV Confederation and MV Holiday Island. Travelling between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia, your journey with Northumberland Ferries offers a variety of onboard amenities and services tailored to the Maritime experience.
By Air
Robert L. Stanfield International Airport, Halifax, N.S. We are approximately a 3 1/2 hours drive from the closest major international airport in Halifax. Rental cars available. Mariners Shuttle offers a van shuttle service from Clare to the Halifax Airport via the Annapolis Valley.
Watch for the large blue signs on Highway #101 at Exits 28 and 32 that remind you that la Baie is only a few moments away!
For more information on what to see and do in Clare, Nova Scotia please download our Clare Visitors Guide flipbook or check out www.baiesaintemarie.ca
Where To Stay
Clare Accommodations:
Anchor Inn B&B
8755 Route 1Meteghan Centre
- T: 902-645-3390
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Visit the website
- Show Map
Baie Ste-Marie Oceanfront Cottages
1059 Riverside RoadBas-de-la-Rivière
- T: 902-769-0797
- Visit the website
- Show Map
Belle Baie Park Camping
2135 Route 1Church Point
- T: 902-769-3160
- Visit the website
- Show Map
Cape View Motel & Cottages
124 John Doucette Rd.Mavillette
- T: 902-645-2258
- Visit the website
- Show Map
Eagle’s Cliff by the Sea
96, chemin Eagle’s CliffSalmon River
- T: 954-337-1714
- Visit the website
- Show Map
L’Auberge au Havre du Capitaine
9118 Route 1Meteghan River
- T: 902-769-2001
- Visit the website
- Show Map
For Airbnb listings in the Clare area, please visit the website.
There are plenty of campsites available at Belle Baie Park and Church Point Campground (902-769-0070), situated 15 minutes from the start. If you have an RV or a tent, there is dry camping near Mavillette Beach for $20/night. Dry camping means no services, water, sewer, electricity. Contact Cape View Motel & Cottages: 902-645-2258.
Stay in a Yurt! Hostel-style lodging on campus of Université Sainte-Anne in Church Point. Visit the website.
We also encourage you to stay with one of our accommodation sponsor partners listed below. These properties are all located within a 45-50 minute drive of the event. New for 2018: a round-trip shuttle service from Digby Pines & Admiral Digby Inn for $40 bicycle/person. Reservations: 902-769-2477, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Our Accommodation Sponsor Partners:
Annapolis Basin Conference Centre
761 Broadway AvenueCornwallis Park
- T: 1-888-830-4466
- Visit the website
- Show Map
Rodd Grand Yarmouth
761 Main Street, Yarmouth- T: 902-742-2446
- Visit the website
- Show Map
Still need help finding a place? If the accommodation properties that you contact are full, please note that we are working with our community and have a list of private houses, camps, campers and rooms to rent, for singles, couples, families and groups of riders. Please call Ashley at 902-769-2031 (Mon. to Fri., 8:30 am to 4:30 pm) or message us using the form on the Contact page, and we will find you a place to stay that fits your needs.
There are also many accommodation options found 45 to 60 minute drive away from the event location in the towns of Yarmouth and Digby. For more information, visit one of these websites: