Our Day in Numbers
Total time: approximately 9 hours
Our totals (per person) from our last time in July 2025:
- Price per day without including accommodations : $120.17 CAD
Setting the Scene for the Day
Cape Breton Island is home to one of the prettiest coastal drives we have ever seen. With its dramatic cliffs, stunning peek-a-boo views, and differing landscapes, the Cabot Trail is without a doubt a must-see of any trip to the East Coast of Canada. For this specific day, we were super excited since we were heading to Pleasant Bay, which is a town right about the midway point of the drive, to go whale watching. Unfortunately, the weather gods had other plans for us as we woke up to some of the most ferocious winds we’ve ever experienced, and ultimately the tour company cancelled our tour. We didn’t let that ruin our day though, so we pivoted and made our day in Cape Breton Island memorable in a different way.
Getting There
We had done the full Cabot Trail the day before going counter-clockwise from Baddeck to Inverness, but the cloud coverage seriously impacted the views. We felt that the portion from Pleasant Bay to Cheticamp would probably offer the most spectacular landscapes, given the time we had, so we decided to head up to Pleasant Bay to start our day.
Breakfast: The Dancing Goat Inverness
This café was a short drive from where we were staying and an easy place to grab a filling breakfast before we started our day.
Activity: Pleasant Bay
Once we drove up to Pleasant Bay, it was confirmed that the tour company had made the right call. The wind was howling and the ocean was grooving. We walked around the harbour and the beach for a little and then decided to pivot to our plan B, which was to do the Skyline Trail hike. At the time, it was a first-come, first-served parking situation, so we were hoping that it wouldn’t be full when we got there. Upon researching this for this blog, we found out that as of 2026, there is now a reservation system and fee to park at Skyline, so just keep that in mind.
Activity: Skyline Trail Hike
We were so pleased to see that the parking lot was practically empty when we showed up. As we made our way to the trailhead, we came across a sign that got our hearts racing a little.
There was also a regular Parks Canada sign that read that alongside bears, we should also watch out for moose and coyotes. Our nice leisurely idea of a stroll was quickly turning into an all hands on deck spotting wildlife before they spot us mission. We (un) fortunately did not see or run into any wildlife on this hike.
What we did end up seeing were some of the prettiest views of Canada we have ever seen.
The hike is a loop that has a boardwalk with steps about halfway. It starts off in the boreal forest, before you get to the boardwalk and see the Gulf of St Lawrence, the highlands, and the Cabot Trail. It was truly breathtaking and made up for the disappointment of missing a whale watching tour.
Once we got back in the car, we stopped at a bunch of different lookout points on our way to lunch in Chéticamp. It may have been windy, but at least the cloud coverage had reduced and we got to see some stunning landscapes and grab some great photos.
Lunch: Seafood Stop Chéticamp
This place came highly recommended to us from friends who have been to Cape Breton Island many times, and it did not disappoint. We got the seafood chowder and lobster roll and they were fantastic and filling. We then drove back towards Inverness, stopping at more lookout points along the way.
Dinner: The Annex
Because our whale watching tour was cancelled, we used girl-math and treated ourselves to a nice dinner to celebrate our anniversary. This restaurant is part of the Cabot Links Resort and was absolutely worth the price. We got lobster gyoza and lobster fettuccine, and we still talk about the flavours of these dishes to this day! The restaurant has some beautiful views of the water and the golf course as well.
After dinner, we walked down to Inverness beach and watched one of the prettiest sunsets. We also saw a helicopter land at the golf course which was quite a cool sight… and then imagined how cool that would be to show up to the golf course in your own helicopter… we can dream!
Behind the Day
When we found out our whale watching excursion was canceled, we were so disappointed. We knew it was a possibility, so we had come up with a plan B, in case it came to that. To be honest, this should not have been a plan B though, as it is such an incredible day.
Turn your Day into a Stay
We stayed at the Inverness Beach Villages in a cottage and it was ok. The location was absolutely amazing, but we would look for an AirBNB if we were to return to this area. RV’ers and campers would likely consider this an amazing spot though.
