Chéticamp is the heart of Acadian Cape Breton, a long, spread-out fishing village on the west coast where French is still the language of the kitchen and the church. The village sits at the foot of the Highlands, with the Gulf of St Lawrence in front and the steep, wooded mountains behind, and its tall steepled church of Saint-Pierre dominates the skyline. Acadian flags, the French tricolour with a gold star, fly from porches and lamp posts, and the houses are painted in bold colours, as if to defy the grey weather.
The village is famous for hooked rugs, a craft that began as a way to use scraps of wool and became a fine art. The patterns are often landscapes, flowers or portraits, and the best ones are works of real skill. A cooperative shop and museum show them off. Music is also part of the culture, with fiddles, step dancing and an annual festival in early autumn, and an evening in a local pub can turn into a session of tunes and songs.
For food, this is the place for seafood chowder, fish cakes, lobster rolls and meat pie, followed by something sweet, such as a molasses cookie. Whale watching boats leave the harbour in summer, and pilot whales and minke whales are often seen close to shore. The beach at Plage Saint-Pierre has warm water by Nova Scotia standards, and a boardwalk and dunes make it a pleasant place for a stroll.
Chéticamp is the western gateway to Cape Breton Highlands National Park, and the Cabot Trail leaves town by climbing steeply onto the plateau. The village has fuel stations, a supermarket and several restaurants, and it is the last reliable place for supplies before the long stretch to Pleasant Bay, so fill the tank and your stomach here. The road in and out is good, but traffic can be heavy in July and August, when tour buses and caravans crowd the route.
Coming back to the village at the end of the day, with the evening sun lighting the church and the smell of the sea in the air, you will understand why people stay. Take time to walk along the harbour, listen to the French spoken around you and let the pace slow down.