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
- The Fundy Rose - Saint John, NB to Digby, NS www.ferries.ca
- The Cat - Portland, Maine to Yarmouth, NS www.ferries.ca
Promo Code: GFONS* (15% discount) for use from September 17, 2018 to October 2, 2018. *Book online at ferries.ca or by phone 1-877-762-7245 using the promo code “GFONS”. The discount will be available for travel between the dates of September 17 through October 1. Bookings can take place anytime up until October 2, 2018 and are subject to availability. This discount is valid for one-way and return travel. This offer cannot be combined with any other offers.
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. www.hiaa.ca 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 2018 Visitors Guide flipbook or check out www.baiesaintemarie.ca
Where To Stay
Can I find a place to stay near the Gran Fondo start? Yes - we guarantee it!
If the Clare accommodations 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 Louanne at 902-769-0221 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 still 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.
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
Château Sainte-Marie Bed & Breakfast
959 Route 1Little Brook
- T: 902-769-8346
- 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
Our Accommodation Sponsor Partners:
Annapolis Basin Conference Centre
761 Broadway AvenueCornwallis Park
- T: 1-888-830-4466
- Visit the website
- Show Map
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:
- Digby Tourism http://digbyarea.ca/accomodations/
- Yarmouth & Acadian Shores: http://yarmouthandacadianshores.com/places-to-stay