I have been living on the East Coast of Canada for almost one year, when my husband and I were invited to spend a weekend in Cape Breton Island. We were told that the best time to visit this magical island is during the fall, as the colours turn mesmerizing and the breathtaking coastal scenery becomes even more beautiful.
So here we are, together with our friends, happily carpooling and road tripping towards the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, on a bright sunny day, at the beginning of October.
Facts about Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island, in French -Île du Cap-Breton, is an island on the Atlantic Coast of North America, that forms the northeastern part of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
It is linked to the mainland by a causeway across the 2 mile wide Strait of Canso, and it’s divided in four counties: Cape Breton, Inverness, Richmond and Victoria.
Canada’s 18th largest Island, it holds geological evidence that, at least a part of it was joined with present-day Scotland and Norway, now separated by millions of years of plate tectonics.
The first residents were the Archaic maritime natives, the ancestors of the Mi’kmaq, who inhabited the island (known as Unama'ki) for several thousand of years and continue to live there to this day.
The European fishermen began landing in the territory as early as the 1520s, when the Portuguese under Joao Alvares Fagundes established a fishing colony of two hundred settlers on the island. They lived in a village, located according to some historians at what is now Ingonish on the island's northeastern peninsula.
Between 1800 and 1850, during Scotland’s Highland Clearances, as many as 50,000 Highland Scots immigrated to Cape Breton Island. These immigrants brought traditional fiddle music with them from Scotland. The Céilidhs, gatherings with musicians playing Gaelic folk music and dancing, are very popular on Cape Breton Island.
Nowadays, the island's residents can be grouped into five main cultures: Scottish, Mi’kmaq, Acadian, Irish, English, with their respective languages. English is now the primary language, including a locally distinctive Cape Breton accent, while Mi'kmaq, Scottish Gaelic and Acadian French are still spoken in some communities.
In 1885, the telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell acquired some land on Cape Breton Island near Baddeck overlooking the Bras d’Or Lake.
When it comes to the religion, out of a population of approximately 132,000 inhabitants, Statistic Canada in 2001 reported in Cape Breton a majority of 96,260 Roman Catholics.
While the economic history of Cape Breton Island can be tied to the coal industry, the rest of Cape Breton Island outside the industrial area surrounding Sydney-Glace Bay, is associated with a mixture of fishing, forestry, small-scale agriculture, and tourism.
Our Three Days Itinerary:
After paying the daily Cape Breton Highlands National Park fee of $16/ group, we gradually became speechless facing the wonders of the nature, the combination of cliffs dropping into the ocean, the rounded mountains, highland plateaus, glacially scarred rocks, and old-growth forests, that make the Cabot Trail one of the most beautiful stretches of road in North America. The viewpoints, beaches, hiking trails, small towns, and scenic attractions tempted us to pull over and linger along the way.
Egypt Falls
The Egypt Falls (originally Appin Falls) trail offers a descend down to the widest waterfall (approximately 60 feet) on Cape Breton Island.
To get to the waterfall you go down abruptly for about half an hour until a crossroad point when you must choose the path to the right. Going forward can be dangerous and accidents were reported.
I suggest you to be well equipped with hiking boots and be aware of the high difficulty of the terrain.
"View over Egypt Falls"
Cheticamp Village:
Cheticamp is a traditional fishing village situated along the picturesque Cabot Trail, nestled between the highlands of Cape Breton Island and the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a land that is celebrated not only for its stunning coastline, but for the rich Acadian culture, and thriving traditions.
Chéticamp has marketed its traditional rug hookers ("tapis hookers"), Acadian music and food.
Also, Saint Peter's Church with its French-Canadian Neo-classical character and silver spire towering over the town, is one of only a few stone churches on Cape Breton island, dating since 1893.
"View over Cheticamp's Shores"
Gypsum Mine Lake:
The Gypsum Mine Lake is a 2.6 kilometers multipurpose trail that begins on the waterfront at the Cheticamp Quai Matthieu and loops around a bog on the old railroad bed built in the early part of the century to mine the gypsum deposit at the base of the mountain Belle Marche. Belle Marche means Pleasant/ Beautiful Walk and this is what this trail is.
The gypsum mine which operated from the early 1900, closed in 1939. Today, the open pit mine is a beautiful lake visited by locals and people from all over Canada who have heard about it from word of mouth.
"View over Gypsum Mine Lake"
Skyline Trail:
One of the most popular hiking trails on Cape Breton Island, also known as one of the most beautiful in Canada, is the spectacular Skyline Trail.
The trail begins at the top of the French Mountain, on the Cabot trail and continues to a dramatic headland where cliffs drop into the ocean.
Remember that it's important to stay on the boardwalk, both for your own safety, as well as to protect the fragile plant life.
Another highlight is the view down into the Cabot Trail roadway far below. The distance out and back is of 6.5 kilometres, or you can make a loop of 8.2 miles on a somewhat more rugged trail.
"View over Skyline Trail"
As there is so much to visit and learn about the beautiful and historical Cape Breton Island, I would say that one weekend isn’t enough for a road trip, exploring its lands.
Some other important Cabot Trail stops include:
The Margaree Harbour and the villages in the Margaree River valley; the Salmon Museum;
St. Ann’s rural community in Victoria County, for the Gaelic College and the local art studios;
Baddeck village, for the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, golf and summer ceilidhs (Celtic music and dance events);
The Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site;
Cape Breton Miners' Museum in Glace Bay;
The Lighthouses of Isle Madame.
My friends and I will definitely return.
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