Cape Breton Island Vacations, Accommodations and Attractions

Bras d’Or Lake Scenic Drive

Bras d’Or (pronounced Bra-door) derives it name from Cape Breton’s first European French explorers/settlers who called it “Arms of Gold”. The Mi’kmaq Nation named it Pitu’pok meaning “Salt Water”. Cape Breton was called Unama’kik, or “Land of Fog”. The saltiness of this inland sea is 60-70% the salinity of the Atlantic, being a mixture of the five main rivers that flow into it and the two connections with the ocean – the Great Bras d’Or and the Little Bras d’Or channels. There is an “artificial” connection in the form of a canal at St. Peters. The surface area is 1098 sq. kilometers (424 sq. mi.) while being 71 km. long (44 mi.) and 32 km. (20 mi.) wide. 

Teaming with wildlife, filled with panoramic views, and ideal for boating enthusiasts, the Bras d’Or Lakes are simply stunning. For those looking to venture forth onto the water there's an assortment of choices: sailing, seabird tours and high-end cruises. Back on land, the Bras d’Or Lakes Scenic Drive offers it own rewards: hiking along the shoreline, biking past farms and forests, or just meandering by car as you stop and stop again to take it all in.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared the Bras d’Or Lake Canada’s 16th Biosphere Reserve in June, 2011.The Bras d’Or Lake and its watershed comprise some 3,566 km2 in the centre of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The Biosphere Reserve designation bestows international recognition to this area as it joins a world network of Biosphere Reserves numbering 580 sites in 114 countries. It calls attention to a highly attractive place where people live in harmony with nature. It enables integrated research and monitoring to be shared among network members around the world.