Inverness Beach, known as one of the top beaches in Cape Breton, is a fantastic place to spend the day, and a beautifully scenic walk.
If you are like me, a walk along the beach is one of my favourite activities, but I also don’t want to walk out just to turn around and walk back.
Luckily there is beach access at the North end of town, allowing you to walk the beach, the boardwalk and then circle back through the town. The only trick is, the North end access isn’t marked.
In this article I uncover how to walk Inverness beach in a circuit and get the most out of the experience:
Start by walking North along Central Ave (the Main Street in town) past the golf course and Whit’s Public house. The sidewalk ends on the golf course side so stay on the other one to avoid traffic.
Just before you reach Route 99 Brewing, there’s an unmarked trail and small parking area on your left. Cross the street and head down the trail.
A few minutes in you will pick up a boardwalk.
The board walk will end and drop you at the 16th green of the Links course. Wait for anyone putting and then walk AROUND THE GREEN on the right and a set of stairs will come into view.
Head down the stairs to the beach and walk to the left.
Kick off your shoes get your feet wet and enjoy a beautiful stroll. There are a few spots to stop and take it all in along the way.
Just as you are likely getting tired of walking in the sand, a wodden ramp up to the boardwalk will appear in the distance.
If you are still happy on the beach, you can continue on, there is one more access point to the boardwalk before you reach the end.
Enjoy the boardwalk, with the golf course on one side and the ocean on the other.
Once the parking lot at Beach Road Number 1 comes into view, you can stop and check out the main beach access or stay left to keep going.
Walk through the parking lot and turn left onto another boardwalk heading back to town.
If you are in need of a bottle of water, stop in at the half way house on your right, a little further up.
Otherwise head back up the hill into town and turn left to complete the circuit back along Central Ave.
The entire loop takes about 1.5 hours to complete, with ample time to stop and take in the absolute beauty that Inverness has to offer in every direction. For more suggestions on things to do when you aren’t on the course, check out this article.