Category: Cape Breton Island

Cape Breton Island is full of long, sandy and deserted beaches but none is as hidden as Chimney Corner. Heading south along the Cabot Trail, visitors find themselves at beautiful Margaree Harbor and a fork in the road. Both directions are beautiful in their own unique way but if you are seeking a quiet, sandy beach away from the crowds that congregate on the bigger and more well-known beaches, I advise you to turn in the direction of Chimney Corner. The drive through Chimney Corner is a scenic one with forest on one side and the ocean on the other. […]

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Industrial Cape Breton is more than just the city of Sydney. Many people neglect to venture into the smaller towns and villages where there are many nice beaches, parks and museums. One town, in particular, has much to offer visitors and it is only a short drive away from the city center. Dominion is a very small town located between Sydney and Glace Bay. From Sydney, visitors can drive straight on the Sydney/Glace Bay Highway until the Gardiner Road turn off. It’s a fairly short drive but along the way, golf lovers can stop at Lionel’s Golf Center for a […]

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Cape Breton Island is well-known for its world-renowned scenic drive, The Cabot Trail. This well-marked trail encompasses most of the northern portion of the island but it does not go as far north as one can go. An entire area of the island is not included on the Cabot Trail and, trust me, it is well worth the extra short drive out of the way to see what this area of the island has to offer. Driving north from Ingonish, one will come to a fork in the road that takes visitors to one of two areas; Cheticamp to the […]

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Glace Bay was once one of the largest towns in Canada. Today it is still very much a large town but much of the industry that existed in its glory days are now distant memories that are kept alive in the people’s memories and the many museums located in the town. Glace Bay is about a twenty-minute drive from Sydney. The most popular attraction in the town is the Glace Bay Miner’s Museum. This museum is home to real underground coal mine that visitors can go down into to see for themselves what it was like for the men who […]

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Cape Breton Island Overview Just a little bit east off the Coast of mainland Nova Scotia in eastern Canada is the tiny island of Cape Breton. While the island belongs to the province of Nova Scotia and is a part of Canada, it is nothing like any other place in the country … or in the world for that matter. It is hard to know where to begin in telling you what the island has to offer because there is so much. The culture, the history, the scenery, the beaches, the hiking, the food, the nightlife! One can travel to […]

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Near the entrance to the Cabot Trail, an absolute must for any visitor to Cape Breton, is the picturesque village of Baddeck. (Local Baddeck Info). It is located on Bras d’Or Lake and because of its setting and facilities for sailing and other water sports is a favourite with vacationers. A sail on the lake aboard 67 foot schooner or a tour by boat to Bird Island to see the puffins are excellent ways to spend a summer day as is a swim on the beach at Baddeck. The best known resident of Baddeck was Alexander Graham Bell who in […]

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No trip to Cape Breton Island will be complete without taking in two sites that are close to the city of Sydney. They are easily accessible from Sydney’s airport and harbour and are well worth the drive over from the island’s famed Cabot Trail. Just a 30 minute drive from Sydney, Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of Canada, is a reconstructed, fortified French colonial town that provides a day-long living historical experience. Louisbourg played a very important role in the evolution of French settlement in North America. It was the site of two sieges in wars between the English […]

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Normally we come to Baddek to visit my wife’s father in the fall when the tourist season is finishing (October 31st) and the airfare is cheaper. This time it was to be a bit of a working holiday, so we came in June. We landed in Halifax late but managed to get to our favourite hotel, Inn on the Lake in Fall River near the airport, in time for a nightcap in the lounge. We highly recommend this place for its ambiance, warm service, comfortable rooms, excellent cuisine and pleasant views of Lake Waverly. The only drawback is there seems […]

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Beate of Canal House Bed and Breakfast reports that from its location in St. Peter’s, guests are within walking distance to: The historic Nicolas Deny Museum (commemorates the life of 17th century French explorer, trader and colonizer, Nicolas Denys of Tours) The St. Peter’s Canal (with its tidal lock system specially designed to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Bras d’Or Lakes) The MacAskill House Museum The St. Peter’s Marina that is linked to a walking trail which will take guests for an easy stroll along St. Peter’s Bay.   Day trips to famous Cape Breton attractions, such as the […]

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Without a doubt the most scenic drive in Nova Scotia is the Cabot Trail. This winding, hilly highway that circles the coast of the upper end of Cape Breton Island, should be a must on every vacationers itinerary. The views are breathtaking. One’s experience on the Cape Breton Trail is entirely at the mercy of the weather. If it is wet and foggy, as it frequently is in the spring and early summer, there is a chance that the blue waters of the Atlantic that crash into the shoreline along the trail will be obscured. We drove the trail on […]

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