Pleasant Bay sits in a steep valley where the highlands tumble to the sea, and it has a name that is not an exaggeration. The village is small, with a few houses, a fishing harbour and a view across the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and it is surrounded by high, forested slopes. It is a Scottish and Acadian community, and its fortunes have long been tied to fishing and, more recently, whale-watching. Pilot whales come close to shore in summer, and boat trips set out from the wharf.
Just outside the village, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Gampo Abbey, sits on the hill, a surprising touch in a landscape of Gaelic place names and fishing shacks. The abbey was founded in the 1980s and is associated with the teacher Pema Chödrön, and it is a place of silence and retreat. Visitors can see the exterior but should respect the quiet, and it is a very different face of the island from the fiddle music and lobster suppers.
For riders, Pleasant Bay marks the start of the most dramatic climb on the trail. North of the village, the road scales MacKenzie Mountain in a series of steep switchbacks and long, curving bends, with views over the cliffs and the open sea. The grade is steep, the corners are tight in places, and the road is exposed, with a drop on the seaward side. Take it steadily, use your engine braking on the descent and be patient with caravans and campers crawling uphill.
The village has a few places to eat, but fuel is limited, so fill the tank at Chéticamp before the climb and keep a reserve. Do not rely on late opening, and in the shoulder seasons many services close. Weather can change fast on the highlands, with fog and rain moving in off the sea.
Moose live in the national park, and you may see one on the road, especially at dawn and dusk, so ride with care. Black bears are also present, and bald eagles circle above the cliffs. The best months for riding are June and September, when the air is clear and the crowds are thin. If you have a free hour, walk along the shore or the harbour and watch the fishing boats come in.