Baddeck sits on the northwest shore of the Bras d'Or Lake — the inland sea that fills the centre of the island — and serves as the official start and end of the Cabot Trail. It's the kind of village where tourists arrive expecting a stop and stay an extra day.
Alexander Graham Bell built his summer home, Beinn Bhreagh, here in the 1880s and tested the first powered flight in Canada from the frozen lake in 1909. The Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site anchors the waterfront. The downtown is a single walkable strip of inns, cafés, and a wharf where you can sail on the Amoeba schooner.
Baddeck also sits on the Bras d'Or Lakes Scenic Drive and makes a natural overnight when planning a Cabot Trail loop.