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Cape Breton Island

No reviews yetIsland Nova Scotia, Canada
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, CanadaThe national park covers mountains, river canyons and rocky coastline, Cape Breton Island, Nova ScotiaThe Skyline Trail is a loop hike with a boardwalk overlooking the coast, Cape Breton Island, Nova ScotiaChéticamp is an Acadian fishing village on the west side of the Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island, Nova ScotiaPleasant Bay is a base for whale watching tours along the northern coast, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

About Cape Breton Island

Cape Breton Island forms the northeastern part of Nova Scotia, linked to the mainland by the Canso Causeway. Its landscape ranges from steep coastal highlands in the north to the inland sea of Bras d'Or Lake at its heart. Scottish Gaelic heritage runs deep here, alongside Acadian, Mi'kmaq and other communities, and the island is renowned for fiddle music and ceilidhs.

The Cabot Trail is the defining journey, a loop road through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Along it, the Skyline Trail reaches a headland boardwalk above the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Chéticamp offers Acadian culture and hooked rugs, and Pleasant Bay is a base for whale watching. Cape North and Meat Cove reward detours to the far tip, and Ingonish has beaches and a classic golf course. In Baddeck, the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site recalls the inventor who summered there, and Bras d'Or Lake invites sailing. To the southeast, the Fortress of Louisbourg reconstructs part of an eighteenth-century French fortified town.

Cape Breton suits road-trippers, hikers and music lovers. Distances are large, so it pays to choose a few areas rather than rushing. October brings fall color and the Celtic Colours music festival, while summer offers the warmest weather.

Best seasonJuly through mid-October, with peak fall foliage and Celtic music events in early October.
Ideal stayFive days to a week allows the Cabot Trail plus Louisbourg and Baddeck.
ArrivingMost travelers drive from Halifax over the Canso Causeway, or fly into Sydney's airport.
Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia Cabot Trail and Celtic MusicWiserMap travel guideCape Breton Island Nova Scotia Cabot Trail and Celtic MusicPlan Cape Breton Island with the Cabot Trail, Highlands National Park, Louisbourg, Baddeck and Celtic music, plus seafood, lodging bases and driving advice.Read the guide

12 Reasons to Visit Cape Breton Island

Scenic Drives 2

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

The Cabot Trail

The Cabot Trail is a loop road of about 300 kilometres around the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, known as one of the most sce...

Ceilidh Trail

The Ceilidh Trail follows the west coast of Cape Breton from the Canso Causeway north through Port Hood, Mabou and Inverness, an a...

Parks 1

Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Cape Breton Highlands National Park covers the northern highlands of the island, with deep river canyons, plateau forest and cliff...

Nature 1

Bras d'Or Lake, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Bras d'Or Lake

Bras d'Or Lake is a large inland sea at the heart of Cape Breton, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where salt and fresh water mix. It is...

History 1

Fortress of Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Fortress of Louisbourg

The Fortress of Louisbourg is a large reconstruction of an 18th century French fortified town on the Atlantic coast, one of the bi...

Museums 3

Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site

In Baddeck, the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site tells the story of the inventor, who spent his summers here, with exh...
Cape Breton Miners Museum, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Cape Breton Miners Museum

The Cape Breton Miners Museum in Glace Bay tells the story of coal mining on the island, and retired miners lead tours down into a...
Highland Village Museum, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Highland Village Museum

The Highland Village Museum in Iona is a living history museum on a hill above Bras d'Or Lake, showing the life of Scottish Gaelic...

Beaches 1

Inverness Beach

Inverness Beach is a long sandy beach on the west coast of Cape Breton, with some of the warmest ocean water on the island in summ...

Events 1

Celtic Colours International Festival

Celtic Colours is a music festival held across Cape Breton every October during the fall colours, with concerts in community halls...

Food and Drink 2

Glenora Distillery, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Glenora Distillery

Glenora Distillery in Glenville, on the Ceilidh Trail, was the first single malt whisky distillery in North America. Guided tours...

Red Shoe Pub

The Red Shoe Pub in Mabou is a lively pub known for its live Celtic music almost every night in summer and its hearty food. It is...

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Photo: Michel Rathwell from Cornwall, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Michel Rathwell from Cornwall, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0