The city is a popular visitor destination and offers many fine restaurants, historic houses, a waterfront boardwalk and interesting attractions. Bedford Institute of Oceanography on Bedford Basin is reputed to be the largest Canadian center for marine research. South of Dartmouth, at Cow Bay and Eastern Passage, is the Canadian Forces Base Shearwater, first built for American seaplanes during World War I.
Dartmouth's 23 lakes once provided the area with ice for summer refrigeration. Today they are the centers of year-round recreation. Lake Banook is the site of a world-class canoe paddling course where international paddling events are staged each year. Lake Micmac often is the setting of water-skiing competitions. In winter, skating and ice hockey are popular pursuits. Scenic beaches include Clam Harbour, Lawrencetown, Martinique and Rainbow Haven.
Self-guiding Tours
Brochures outlining self-guiding walking tours of the Halifax-Dartmouth area are available at the visitor information centers in Halifax.