Cape Breton Island - Isola del Capo Bretone

Cape Breton Island

State	Canada
Region	Atlantic provinces
Surface	10,311 km²
Inhabitants	147.454 (2001)

Cape Breton Island is an island in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

To know

The maximum altitude is 532 m a.s.l.

Territories and tourist destinations

Cape Breton Island: full screen map.

Urban centers

Baddeck - Located on the shores of Lake Bras d'Or, Baddeck is packed with tourists during the summer. The lake, of glacial origin and very articulated, is 114 km long and cuts the island of Capo Bretone literally in two.
Englishtown
Ingonish - A few kilometers further south, Ingonish is located in a bay that opens onto a high and rocky stretch of coast. It has a handful of motels and a golf course. Nearby is Cape Smokey famous for its views and accessible via an 11km trail that branches off from the Cabot Trail.
Louisbourg - 36 km south of Sidney, Louisbourg is on a particularly windy stretch of coast. The village was founded by the French who in 1715 endowed it with a fortress. The fort was rebuilt from scratch on the basis of documents and today is a tourist attraction.
Neil's Harbor - Pretty village on a rocky outcrop dominated by an old lighthouse now used as an ice cream parlor.
St Ann's - In a deep fjord.
Sydney - Situated on a fjord in the articulate Spanish Bay, Sidney is a town of 30,000 inhabitants with a history of mining. Its tourist interest is limited to period houses and a few museums.

Other destinations

Cabot Trail - The term refers to a road layout that winds for 360 km in the northern part of the island, crossing the Northern Highlands National Park. It takes its name from the explorer Giovanni Caboto who was the first European to set foot on the island.
Chéticamp - Very touristy, the coastal village of Chéticamp has retained the air of the French colonial period. Its inhabitants, about 4000, are devoted to fishing and still speak French.
Mabou - A rural village on the western side of the island among beautiful landscapes. Bike excursions in the surrounding area are recommended. The place is famous for shellfish fishing, especially lobsters which end up in local restaurants. The inhabitants of Mabou, almost all of Scottish origin, have an innate passion for music and dance, of course of Celtic tradition, and show their singing skills in pubs but also in public squares.
Margaree Valley - Crossed by the river of the same name whose estuary is located on the western side, Margaree Valley is a secluded and green region whose inhabitants also dedicate themselves to salmon farming. The valley can be explored by bicycle but also by canoe.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park [1] - It occupies the northern part of the island and covers an area of 950 km².
Cabot Landing Provincial Park - On the northern stretch of the east coast that overlooks the Atlantic, Cabot Landing Provincial Park is the park established around the place where the explorer Giovanni Caboto landed. This is a 3km long beach with a distinctive ocher color in Aspy Bay.
Pleasant Bay - 141 km from Port Hawkesbury, Pleasant Bay, in a bay surrounded by forest-covered mountains, is the northernmost of the villages on the western side of the island. Its inhabitants, about 300, are devoted to fishing. It is the ideal place for whale watching in the period between June and October. Pleasant Bay is the base for excursions to Cape St Lawrence and the lighthouse, at the northern end of the island and off the beaten track by mass tourism.