How to Reach Us
Directions to Cabot Shores
Directions from Halifax Airport and West to Cabot Shores:
- Take Highway 102 North towards Truro (if coming from Halifax or the airport).
- Before Truro, take the TransCanada East towards Cape Breton / Canso Causeway (also applies if heading east from New Brunswick or western points of Nova Scotia).
- Once on Cape Breton, follow signs toward Baddeck, always staying on the TransCanada East.
- Continue past Baddeck on the TransCanada East 105 to Exit 12. Take the left-hand exit saying Englishtown Ferry / Ingonish*.
- Take the Englishtown Ferry at the bottom of hill, turning left onto ferry (runs 24/7; free).
- Cabot Shores (30, Buchanan Drive, Cabot trail) is 10km on the right (ocean side) once you exit the Englishtown Ferry. On the left side of the road you'll notice a blue jewellery shop. Our driveway is opposite that with large Cabot Shores road signs.
- Go down the driveway to the Lodge (big green roof) and come inside from the door at the top of the ramp on the left-hand end of the building.
If the Englishtown Ferry is not running you'll see a flashing sign on the TransCanada:
- Alternately you can take Exit 11 for Cabot Trail Road / HWY 30 and go all the way to Highway 312 North toward Ingonish, approximately 27km.
- Past Tarbotvale you will arrive at a stop sign, a T-intersection with St. Ann's Bay United Church in front to your left. Turn left here.
- Drive 3km to Cabot Shores. (If it is dark, please follow the 3km rule carefully) Turn right after our large Cabot Shores sign into our driveway and proceed to the Lodge.
Please note that the closest gas station to Cabot Shores is Wreck Cove General Store (about 19 km) with high test only. Otherwise, no gas station in either direction for 40 km. As well, there is no cell coverage in the small community of Indian Brook where Cabot Shores is located, nor along other stretches of the Cabot Trail when taking Exit.
Directions to Cabot Shores from Sydney Airport
- Turn left from Sydney Airport towards Sydney.
- Turn left as you pass the mall onto HWY 125 Canso Causeway / Baddeck / North Sydney.
- Take Exit 1W onto the TransCanada HWY 105 West toward Baddeck.
- Stay on this highway over the Seal Island Bridge and over Kelly's Mountain.
- Take the Englishtown Ferry* exit at the bottom of the hill, turning right onto NS-312 N.
- Follow signage, eventually turning left to access the ferry. The ferry runs 24/7 and its free.
- Cabot Shores(30, Buchanan Drive, Cabot trail) is 10km after exiting the ferry, located on the right-hand / ocean side of the road.
- Proceed down driveway to the Lodge (big green roof) and come inside from the door at the top of the ramp on the left-hand end of the building.
If the Englishtown Ferry is not running you'll see a flashing sign on the TransCanada:
- Alternately you can take Exit 11 for Cabot Trail Road / HWY 30 and go all the way to Highway 312 North toward Ingonish, approximately 27km.
- Past Tarbotvale you will arrive at a stop sign, a T-intersection with St. Ann's Bay United Church in front to your left. Turn left here.
- Drive 3km to Cabot Shores. (If it is dark, please follow the 3km rule carefully.) Turn right after our large Cabot Shores sign into our driveway and proceed to the Lodge.
Please note that the closest gas station to Cabot Shores is Wreck Cove General Store (about 19 km) with high test only. Otherwise, no gas station in either direction for 40 km. As well, there is no cell coverage in the small community of Indian Brook where Cabot Shores is located, nor along other stretches of the Cabot Trail when taking Exit 11. Please note directions prior to travel.
Directions to Cabot Shores from the North and Clockwise Around the Cabot Trail
- Coming from the north, head south on the Cabot Trail on the Atlantic east side. You will pass the town of Ingonish.
- Continue past Wreck Cove General Store on your right hand side. You are about 20 minutes north of Cabot Shores.
- After Wreck Cove, you will pass artisan shops such as Wildfire Pottery and the Leather Works.
- Directly across from the Cabot Shores entrance is the Piper Pewter Jewelry Store.
- We are on the left hand side. Our sign reads “Cabot Shores Wilderness Resort: An Adventure a Day from Mild to Wild!” (30, Buchanan Drive, Cabot trail).
- Proceed down driveway to the Lodge (big green roof) and come inside from the door at the top of the ramp on the left-hand end of the building. If you pass the St. Ann's Bay United Church or the flashing light at the Exit 11 intersection, you have gone too far!
Coming from the North, the last area you will be able to have cell service is at The Clucking Hen Cafe. There is no cell coverage in the small community of Indian Brook where Cabot Shores is located, nor along other parts of the Cabot Trail. Please note directions prior to travel.
From Newfoundland and PEI
From Newfoundland:
- Port-aux-Basques (NL) to North Sydney (NS): Daily service year-round; additional service mid-June to September.
- Argentia (NL) to North Sydney (NS): Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, mid-June to mid-October.
Marine Atlantic Reservations, 1-800-341-7981, www.marine-atlantic.ca
From Prince Edward Island:
- Wood Islands (PEI) to Pictou (NS): Daily service year-round; additional service mid-June to September.
Northumberland Ferries Limited, 1-877-762-7245, www.ferries.ca
Listed as 1 of 5 Quirky Stays On The East Coast of Canada
"A tree top village with Smurf-like domes rising out of the forest and Mongolian yurts in Nova Scotia? Indeed! Cabot Shores on Cape Breton Island entices you to embrace your nomadic roots and connect to nature. You can stay in one of the colourful yurts or opt for a geodesic dome raised up off the ground. Take in the lake views and the Atlantic waters on both sides, while the smell of cedar fills the air. Be sure to have your camera ready to snap a moose photo (they love it there)."
~ North American Traveler
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Sandy Soule
February 21, 2023.
Stayed in the Blue Cabin -- cozy but adequate for our family. Dinner was surprisingly delicious, including tasty fresh salad with beets and whipped feta, perfect mussels, and delicious salmon and steak. Friendly staff and excellent guitar music (live). Tasty buffet breakfast included frittata, homemade yogurt and jam, home-baked bread and more. In short, the food and live music were outstanding, the accommodations just adequate.
Gabrielle Ventura
February 19, 2023.
If only I could rate them more than 5 starts, I really would.. This is our 2nd time in Cabot Trail and we will definitely be staying here again when we visit Cape Breton this fall! The Yurts we’ve stayed in were always so clean and beautiful. The owner, Paul, accommodated us so kindly with all our needs and more. It felt like we were just visiting a relatives home lol. The staff, most especially Katie, were so patient and helpful to us. Everyone here just goes above and beyond for their customers! I would recommend this to anyone who plans to visit Cape Breton.
BONUS: THEY’RE OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND!
ANOTHER BONUS: THEY HAVE THE BEST CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE (Made by Paul’s wife)!!!!
Lisa-Steven Sisson-Gledhill (HillSun)
December 31, 2022.
Wish we could give more stars 🌟 Service was top notch! Everyone was friendly, accommodating and informed about local interests. Food was mouth watering- recommend the seafood and homemade yogurt. Waves each morning were breath taking...highly recommend asking to do local hikes. Kids enjoyed games, sauna, hot tub and rooms felt very spacious. Will definitely return!
Clare Waque
December 16, 2022.
I attended a wilderness healing retreat and that experience completely changed my life. The low reviews are not a far representation of the authentic and high value experience being offered.
Annshani Fernando
December 15, 2022.
We had a wonderful stay at this beautiful resort and would recommend it to nature lovers. Big shoutout to Paul and his family for going the extra mile to make us feel comfortable.
Varuna Indraratne
December 12, 2022.
We spent three nights attending a relative’s wedding in early September at this wonderful resort conveniently located right on the world-famous Cabot Trail. We stayed in one of the main lodge rooms which had spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean from the window.
The resort has a vast property overlooking beach that also includes an apple orchard and organic vegetable garden leading to the shores of the Atlantic. The amazing staff led by the owners Paul and Barbara are very hospitable, friendly and helpful.
The food at the wedding reception prepared by the in-house team was so delicious. There are also plenty of options for breakfast and lunch nearby serving a variety of cuisines with Cape Breton flair and friendliness.
We highly recommend the Cabot Shores Wilderness Resort for anyone planning a visit to Cape Breton Island!!!
Uthpala M
December 11, 2022.
We had our wedding at this beautiful venue in September, 2022. Our experience was amazing. Paul, Barbara, and the crew was super helpful from the planning stage all the way until we checked out after the event. The location of this property is unbeatable. We had our wedding ceremony in between two chalets - Red and Blue - overseeing the Atlantic Ocean. We booked three chalets and rooms at the main lodge for our guests and some of the guests rented yurts. The crew at Cabot Shores organized a bon-fire on the night before the wedding and organized a cookout with brick-oven pizzas that was out of this world! The food for the wedding was prepared by the chef of Cabot Shores - Ron - and it was superb. Paul and Barbara also organized local musicians for the event and Flo and her group was fantastic! We have nothing bad to say and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality of the staff and the natural beauty of the location. We highly recommend this lovely place to anyone planning their wedding or vacation.
Ruwanthika Premalal
December 11, 2022.
We stayed for 3 days at this amazing resort during the end of summer 2022. A great resort with many activities and you can easily access the Cabot shore trail. There are many close by boutique restaurants too for breakfast, brunch or lunch. But you definitely need to try resort's food too which might come from there organic garden to your plate. Their wood fired pizza is so good.
During the last day at our stay, we had a wedding of one of our close friends, at the resort. The food was so delicious. The staff was really helpful. I love their compost bin, vegetable beds and mushroom garden too.
They have so many isolated yurts which is really great for star gazing and to see the milky way.
The little ferry at the river is such a great way to reach the private beach of the Atlantic ocean.
We are visiting again, hopefully next year!
Jangchub Zangmo
November 29, 2022.
a wonderful place to get out into nature and meet like minded people
Lukas
September 21, 2022.
Very nice people and a place full of joy !
Stayed 2 nights in the „Eagle dome“ which was really comfy and clean!
Had really delicous dinner at the main lodge where paul played some music just for us and had nice conversations whith him and the other staffmembers.
Also booked the hot tub at our dome for our last night from where we had a great view on the campfire.
Lovely place where you see how much effort they put in every detail.
Nicole
August 22, 2022.
Amazing adventure! Lots of fun sleeping underneath the stars!
Ryan
August 14, 2022.
Relaxing
Nigel
July 25, 2022.
Beautiful place and very friendly staff. Perfect location if you’re travelling along the Cabot Trail, I highly recommend checking this place out! Would definitely stay here again. Thanks for a fantastic experience.
Anooj
October 25, 2021.
This was our first time staying in the Eagle Dome and we absolutely fell in love with this beautiful place. Super clean place to stay!
Redwan
October 17, 2021.
Very nice place to spend a couple of nights in the nature! My wife and I enjoyed our stay.
It might be a good idea to install a heater in the dome as it can get chilly at night.
Brooke
October 1, 2021.
Beautiful, quaint place to stay! So unique and off grid. We loved staying at the dome!
Madison
September 9, 2021.
We had a great stay in the Eagle Dome! We loved watching the sunset and sunrise, and being able to hear the waves from the ocean. Next time we would stay a few more days and prepare a bit better - we weren’t packed for off grid but we made it work. Outhouse was a few steps away, shower and toilet a short walk. We didn’t get the hot tub or use the sauna/other amenities but would certainly consider it next time.
Micayla
August 16, 2021.
This place is absolutely beautiful! We loved our stay here. I highly recommend it. All the staff are very friendly. The dome was such a unique experience looking at the stars and watching the sun rise. The beach is beautiful and there’s a little swimming spot 2 minutes down the road that we really enjoyed 🙂
