ZIGZAGGING AROUND THE TOWN OF INGONISH ON THE CABOT TRAIL

The small town of Ingonish is located on the northeastern tip of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. The famous cabot trail passes through it and it acts as one of the gateways into the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  You’ll need to purchase a Parks Canada Discovery Pass if you want to go beyond the city limits and explore the area.

Ingonish has a lot to offer from beautiful long sandy beaches to luscious hiking trails. It’s a great spot to vacation as a family.  In our case, it was with our two dogs during our road trip through Nova Scotia.

Our rental was located 30 minutes from Ingonish near Cape North.  There are plenty of accommodations to be found in Ingonsih from campsites to luxury rooms.

Here is a wrap up of where to go for a swim, where to eat and where to walk based on our experience.

Places to eat in Ingonish

There are a few restaurants located in Ingonish but not all of them are open for lunch.

• We stopped by Main Street Restaurant & Bakery.  It was very busy when we got there.  Since we also had our dogs with us, we got our food to go. While the service was very long, the staff was very friendly.  The food is expensive but it is to be expected since it’s a very touristic spot.

We got some fish and chips where there was more batter than fish and a BBQ burger. It was still good.

Across from the restaurant you’ll find a wine and spirit store.  Discover what beverage goes well with a day at the beach HERE.

The closest beach to the restaurant is Ingonish beach, three minutes away.

• Twenty minutes from Ingonish, in Neils Harbour you can taste one of the best clam chowder on the island.  The Chowder House restaurant is located next to a tiny lighthouse overlooking the ocean.  You can eat inside or at some picnic tables. It closes at 6 p.m.

Splashing around Ingonish

There are quite a few beaches around Ingonish that you will find inviting.  They are all dog-friendly.

• Ingonish Beach

This beach is a good spot for a picnic as there plenty of picnic tables to pick from and you can also charge your electric car there.

The beach is very long and has lifeguards on watch. I personally felt it was so so.  There are lots of pebbles and little sand.  It’s not a beach where you can just lay down.  It’s adjacent to a freshwater lake where you can swim but dogs aren’t allowed there.

The area is overlooked by the red and white Keltic Lodge complex.

You can follow the ocean by using the freshwater lake trailhead which is 1.7km long.

• North Bay Beach

This beach is less crowded than Ingonish beach but a lot more pleasant.  It’s a long sandy beach and the water is calm.  Go further to the right to have ample space to lay around and play with the kids or your dogs.

• Black Brooke Cove

I kept the best for last.  The Black Brooke Cove has two wonderful beaches.  They were one of our favourite beaches on Cape Breton Island.

The beach is separated in two by huge rocks.  If you have dogs or want more intimacy, walk down the trail to the second beach.  

The sand is soft, the water is warm.  You can’t walk too far in as there are rocks. If you want peace and quiet surrounded by natural hues, it’s the place to go.

To access this cove from Ingonish, make the first right after you pass the bridge.

You’ll also find some picnic tables by the parking lot and access to a hiking trail.

Hiking around Ingonish

The Franey trail and the Coastal trail are the two most popular hiking trails to do around Ingonish.  We did neither as the dogs seemed to enjoy playing on the beach to hiking.

However, we did venture on an off the beaten path trail that we learned about from our Airbnb host.

Halfway Brooke falls near Neils Harbour

To access the trail, you need to park at the coastal trail parking lot on the left-hand side from Ingonish.  It’s located a short distance from Neils Harbour. If you arrive in Neils Harbour, you missed it.

The trail is not very long and easy, about a 15-20 minutes walk.  Since it isn’t used often, you might want to bring a machete as the vegetation can be dense.  Just kidding. We persevered and found the falls. It’s a great spot within nature to go rock hopping and swim in fresh water. If you are looking for a secluded and intimate spot within nature, this is it.

The northeastern side of Cape Breton Island is what we preferred the most. It is has more accessible beaches, the water is calmer and has a mediterranean flair.