Port Hawkesbury, formerly known as Ship Harbour, is located on the south-western tip of Cape Breton Island, on the north shore of the Strait of Canso. Port Hawkesbury acts as a service centre, with a large majority of its residents working in the adjacent community of Point Tupper, mostly in a large industrial park located there. Port Hawkesbury is located 269 km (167.1 mi.) from Halifax, and has a population around four thousand people.

Port Hawkesbury is mostly a commercial and recreational town, and has all the amenities a town needs, such as shopping malls, various restaurants, banks, liquor stores and museums. Port Hawkesbury offers kayaking, sailing, hiking, golfing, tennis and swimming. The Festival of the Strait is a full week of celebration, held in early July, and consisting of a surplus of activities, such as sailing and canoe races, dances, craft shows and outdoor concerts. Also located just south of Port Hawkesbury is the Port Shoreham Beach, a sandy, rocky getaway.

Port Hawkesbury accommodations include motels, inns, bed and breakfasts and cottages.