Cabot Trail
The Cabot Trail is a 298 km loop that climbs and descends through Cape Breton Highlands National Park at the northern end of the island. It is, by most rankings, one of the great scenic drives in the world.
Most travellers do the loop counter-clockwise from Baddeck — east through St. Ann's and Englishtown to Ingonish, north over Cape Smokey to Cape North and Pleasant Bay, then back south through Chéticamp and Margaree. Either direction takes a full day at minimum; two or three days lets you stop properly.
Highlights along the route: the Skyline Trail at French Mountain, Highlands Links golf course at Ingonish, the Cape Smokey gondola, whale-watching from Pleasant Bay, the Acadian harbour at Chéticamp, and the Alexander Graham Bell museum in Baddeck.
Open year-round but heavy snow can close mountain sections in winter. Plan for fuel: there are long stretches between gas stations.