With a landscape that consists of a large peninsula, two large islands, an interior hinterland and many smaller islands, its not surprising that the climate and ecology of the Maritimes is dominated by the sea. In Nova Scotia it is impossible to be more than 50 kilometers (35 miles) from the ocean; that number is even lower on Prince Edward Island. Most of the land in the Maritimes lies relatively close to sea level: the highest point is Mount Carlton in New Brunswick at 820 m or 2690 ft. Because most places in the region are close to the sea, rivers tend to be short, especially in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. New Brunswick’s river systems are longer and more complex: the Saint John River is the longest in the region.

Several car ferries offer access to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The ferry from Saint John, New Brunswick crosses the Bay of Fundy to dock at the town of Digby, Nova Scotia. The high-speed Cat ferry travels makes a four-hour journey daily from Bar Harbour, Maine to Yarmouth at the southern tip of Nova Scotia. Portland, Maine is also connected to Yarmouth via ferry. Ferries in North Sydney, Nova Scotia connect the communities of Port aux Basques and Argentia, Newfoundland, and a regular ferry service travels from Pictou, Nova Scotia to Wood Island, Prince Edward Island. Prince Edward Island can also be reached via the Confederation Bridge that runs from New Brunswick.

Sackville, New Brunswick is considered to be the geographical center of the Maritimes. It lies about seven hours drive from Portland, Maine and about 10 hours from Boston.The Maritime Provinces are also easily reachable by air.  Regularly scheduled flights fly daily to Halifax, Saint John and other regional airports from Boston, Toronto, Montreal and New York.