Cape Breton absolutely delivered today. We set out along the Cabot Trail—a full loop around the island’s northern shores from Baddeck, where we’re camped, up to Cape North and back down the western side. With a 5 p.m. reservation for the Skyline Trail (a rite of passage for any visitor), we chose to approach it from the west. The early inland stretch is pleasant enough, but once you hit Margaree Harbour the whole world opens up: sweeping coastal cliffs, a calm inland flat, then rolling, tree‑covered hills that feel almost like mountains—just not the Alberta kind.
We stopped for coffee at Café Les Suêtes in Saint Joseph du Moine, a tiny hamlet of postcard‑worthy houses overlooking an endless sheet of ocean.
Farther along, a beach pull‑off near Le Bloc Beach tempted us down a long gravel track to a quiet picnic spot clearly missed by the tourist crowd. Apart from one local couple we chatted with, we had the place entirely to ourselves for a peaceful lunch.
With the afternoon slipping away, we pushed north past Skyline to see how far we could get before turning back. The road climbs French Mountain and levels out on a plateau, where we walked the short French Mountain Bog boardwalk—surprisingly fascinating, with its collection of bog plants, including pitcher plants waiting with their little insect traps.
We crossed the plateau and began descending toward Cape North, but time was tight, so we turned around at the Aspy Fault lookout and headed back for our Skyline hike.
Parks Canada describes Skyline as “a dramatic headland cliff overlooking the rugged coast,” and they’re not exaggerating. The full loop is about 8–9 km on easy gravel paths, but you linger—everyone does—because the boardwalk views are unreal. You sit on benches hundreds of metres above the ocean, watching seabirds wheel below like tiny specks. We even spotted a pod of dolphins cruising off the headland.
With daylight fading and Baddeck still hours away, we decided to grab dinner en route and landed at the Doryman Pub and Grill in Chéticamp. The place was buzzing—live music, dancing, everyone singing along. We ordered simple but well‑done pub fare, settled in, and soaked up the atmosphere before heading back to camp.
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