Cabot Trail

candid Cabot Trail tips

 

Why the
Cabot Trail
is special

The Cabot trail in Nova Scotia, Canada is a beautiful scenic road looping around northern Cape Breton. The drive winds through mountain wilderness and skirts a rugged coastline.

Cabot Trail
tips & insights

Heritages

Along the route, you visit small fishing villages that reflect their Scottish and Acadian heritages. Some present performances of Scottish and Irish folk music in the local style.

Baddeck

It is the traditional starting and ending point of the loop in Nova Scotia. It boasts a museum devoted to Alexander Graham Bell (he regularly summered in Baddeck). It showcases his memorabilia and inventions, including the telephone.

Pleasant Bay

This bay (see photo) is the most photographic segment of the Cabot Trail. It's also a fine place for whale watching.

Cape Breton Highlands NP

Most of the Cabot Trail passes through this large national park. It has two dozen nature trails blessed with mountain scenery and wildlife. Some are short and easy, others are geared for the experienced hiker.

Bicyclists and bikers

Motorists are not the only ones who enjoy the Cabot Trail. It's popular with two-wheeled travelers.

When to go

Vehicular traffic appreciably thickens during the summer tourist season. I recommend that you visit in the Spring when the forsythia bushes and wildflowers are in bloom - or during the Fall when Mother Nature puts on her colorful foliage show.

Length of stay

The Cabot Trail is about 300 kilometers (185 miles) in length. It's possible to do as a daytrip, as some visitors do. But a duration of two or more days allows you more time to absorb the natural beauty and local Cape Breton cultures.

Name

The trail was named for John Cabot, an anglicized Italian explorer who "discovered" Cape Breton in 1497.

  

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