What are the best locations to stay in cape breton? How is cape north , margaree,baddeck, ingonish etc.? Any ideas or opinions would be appreciated.Thanks

It depends on what you want. If you want a great base from which to travel to a number of places, choose Baddeck. It's the starting point to the Cabot Trail and is not too far from Louisbourg. If you're wanting to spend several days hiking areas along the Cabot Trail, you might want to stay in one or more towns on the trail itself. Ingonish and its Keltic Lodge are highly recommended.

Call me biased, but I love Baddeck. We spent three nights there this year during race week. The kids absolutely loved it as well. We stayed at the Telegraph House and while it is a great location, the rooms were not air conditioned so it was a bit uncomfortable for one night at least! The Dunlop House which is directly on the water and owned by Telegraph House is air-conditioned. From Baddeck you can day trip - doing the trail - Louisbourg - Sydney, etc. Pretty central. However, if you want to just explore, don't make reservations, drive and decide where you want to end up. If travelling during the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, you may need to make a reservation in advance. You can always rely on 1-800-565-0000 during the day to call and make your reservation as you get closer to the area you want to stay.

Stayed at the Keltic Lodge several years ago in one of their cabins. Huge rooms, great fireplace. There is a short hike that takes you to edge of some cliffs overlooking the Atlantic. Crystal clear water, pilot whales, eagles and mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds. You can watch your lobster dinner being caught in the morning. There is also a very nice golf course. Saw several moose and an eagle while playing a round.

I've stayed in Ingonish twice and Cheticamp once. Cheticamp is an Acadian fishing village with several inexpensive to moderate motels and a few family-oriented restaurants and local folk art shops. Quaint enough although not much to do there - but it is adjacent to the main Visitor's Centre for the National Park, and the scenic seaside bluffs featured in photos of the area, and I think the Cabot Trail is more spectacular when driven from that direction. Ingonish is a spread out community of small seaside villages with a variety of tourist accommodations and dining options of various types and prices. Pretty setting and good location for day trips around the Park and into Baddeck. Also has a popular beach. Cape North is more isolated, although near some spectacular scenery. But there's lots of that around the Cabot Trail! Baddeck is a more upscale attractive little town with a yacht harbour and a number of restaurants and arts/craft shops. Scenic setting, and nice for strolling, but a bit farther from the National Park. Margaree Harbour is a small, quaint, fishing/farming community. I don't remember a whole lot in the way of tourist facilities, although it's a pleasant stop on a driving tour.

Thanks for all your replies. I will consider all suggestions