The beautiful island of Price Edward Island is just a small speck in Canada, but offers much in the way for visitors. Made famous from Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables book, this island draws visitors from all over the world. The charming and relaxed atmosphere combined with dramatic red stone cliffs and stunning landscapes makes this a perfect vacation destination. From 25 incredible golf courses to sandy beaches to charming seaside towns, discover 10 things to see and do in P.E.I.
10. Get Your Golf On
It is Canada’s number one golf destination, whether you are a beginner or dreaming of becoming a professional. With a tremendous amount of courses, lower fees and friendly people, there is no better place to hit the green. There is a total of 25 island courses, although the island itself is pretty much a golf course with its rolling green hills, sand and water traps and woodlots. Located all within 45 minutes of each other, it’s easy to play these world-class greens all vacation long. Play on the same greens as masters just as Mike Weir, Jack Nicklaus and Lorie Kane. Beginners will want to head to Glen Afton, one of the island’s best classic 18-hole golfing values which feature beautiful coastal views and a challenging back nine. Experts on the other hand will love tackling Glasgow Hills where a varied terrain provides a challenging course.
9. Go Lobster Fishing
It is a must on any trip to the island, to put yourself in the day of a lobster fisherman, some of the hardest working people on the island. You have to visit during lobster season though and visitors should be aware that this is no walk in the park. Expect to get up the wee hours of the morning and spend anywhere from 3-10 hours on the water, hauling up traps and plucking out lobsters, all while the viscous little snappers are trying to bite your fingers off. Prepare to get wet, have plenty of laughs and get to dine on your delicious catch. Depending on what kind of experience you are looking for will depend on the tour operator you go with. Some cater towards visitors and offer shorter sailings throughout the day complete with fancy on-board dinners. Others run 10 hours long, start at 4am and are run by a real lobster fisherman. The choice is yours, just make sure you try this awesome Canadian Bucket List experience.
8. Hit the Beach
P.E.I. is certainly blessed with its fair share of beaches featuring warm sand, white capped waves, beautiful sandstone cliffs and miles of shallow water. This island boasts a whopping 90 beaches, some supervised and some unsupervised offering everything from white to red sand, clams, singing sand and more. The favorite amongst locals and visitors is the Singing Sands Beach in Basin Head Provincial Park, where white sands set the tone. In addition to the signing sand, this beach boasts a boardwalk, showers, lifeguards and the Fisheries Museum. Other popular beaches around the island include Cavendish Beach, Cedar Dunes and Belmont Provincial Park. Whether you want to build sandcastles, bathe in the sun or discover how far out the sandbars go; P.E.I. has the beaches for you.
7. Walk the Confederation Trail
When Prince Edward Island’s railway was abandoned in 1989 the islanders were quick to notice a unique opportunity that awaited. Instead of leaving the railway unused and thus useless they turned it into a shared use walking and cycling trail in the summertime and a snowmobile trail in the winter. Thus the Confederation Trail was born and is the Island’s portion of the Trans Canada Trail. Running 435 kilometers, the trail offers beautiful rolling hill scenery, quaint villages and breathtaking seascapes. One favorite part of the trail to do is the first long section between Tignish and Kensington that is 125-km. The trail takes visitors through a beautiful restored stone railway station in Kensington to the Harborfront Theatre in Summerside and onward to Wellington and the heart of the Acadian Community. Whether you can manage to walk or cycle the 125km or choose another route, make sure to experience this historic trail while you are on the island.
6. Experience Anne of Green Gables
You cannot visit P.E.I and not visit the site that inspired L.M. Montgomery’s famous Anne of Green Gables novel. Personalized tours of the site are the best way to learn everything about Green Gables House and interpretive programs keep visitors of all ages entertained. Visitors to the site are welcome to stroll through the Haunted Woods and Balsam Hollow trails, as found in the book. If that isn’t enough “Anne” for you, head to Avonlea Village, a rural community that has been recreated based on the village where Anne lived in the book. At Gateway Village people of all ages are invited to dress up as Anne and have their picture taken. Enjoy music shows, unique shops and an authentic PEI kitchen dance party. And if that’s not enough, visit the Anne of Green Gables Museum or the Anne of Green Gables Store, where you can find just about anything “Anne” you are looking for.
5. Drink the Moonshine
P.E.I had prohibition longer than anywhere else in Canada, and thus pretty much everyone on the island knows someone in their family that used to produce illegal spirits. Luckily for any visitors to the island now, moonshine is indeed legal and available to all who wish. Myriad View Distillery is who to thank for legalizing this drink as they realized both how to make it legal and have turned moonshine into a brilliant business model. If you aren’t too sure about this beverage, hearing stories of people going blind and what not from the illegal stuff, you can start off with their tamer stuff, Strait Shine, which is only 50% alcohol. If you want bigger, bolder and more numbing, make sure to pick up the 75% Strait Lightning. Either way, make sure to at least try a sip of this infamous stuff.
4. Points East Coastal Drive
Points East Coastal Drive explore the eastern edge of the Island, away from the crowds of tourists, away from the boardwalks and amusement parks. It explores a place on the island that takes you back to the rural charm of the area, where beautiful beaches, rare dune systems and lighthouses mark the coastline. Here visitors will experience the friendly locals, small communities and diverse natural beauty. During the drive make sure to stop at Orwell Corner Historic Village where a late 19th century setting has been recreated, featuring a historically furnished farm, shingle mill, church, store and community hall. Also worth stopping at is the Elmira Railway Museum, which was once the end of the line for the island railway and feature photographs and artifacts from the rail-era. At the end of the drive is East Point Lighthouse, which provides views of mixing tidal waters and serves as a lookout point for red foxes that are often seen in the area.
3. Attend the Cavendish Beach Music Festival
This annual music festival runs for one weekend in the summer, hosting over 30 country music acts that play for over 70,000 visitors in the coastal community of Cavendish. Along with big names such as Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Blake Shelton and many more, this festival also features many up and coming artists on smaller stages. Along with the hottest of musical acts, this festival features song-writers circle, sampling sessions and food demos; plus, an epic beer garden, VIP sunroof, food and merchandise vendors and country-themed programming throughout. Make sure to get your tickets early as in 2015 the festival did sell out. Plan on a lot of country music, a lot of laughs and one epic festival experience.
2. Have an Authentic Lobster Dinner
So you want the lobster dinner but you don’t want to have to go out on the boat and catch your own? No problem, as this island is loaded with places you can dine on this delicious seafood. Now the best way to get a taste of true island life is to take part in a traditional lobster supper where visitors and locals indulge in the best of food from the island. There are a few places on the island that offer this traditional sit down supper including the most popular one, the New Glasgow Lobster Supper, held in a 500-seat hall. It is here where you will be fed endless mussels, all you can eat seafood chowder, warm rolls, salad and the size of the lobster you want. Pies and ice-cream are provided at the end, that is if you have room. Done a plastic bib, dig in and enjoy the succulent lobster in front of you.
1. Discover Charlottetown
Head to the capitol of the island discover a city teeming with things to see and do, a city that is called the Birthplace of Confederation after the historic 1864 Charlottetown Conference which led to Confederation. Here you will find the amazing Confederation Centre of the Arts which is home to the award-winning musical Anne of Green Gables. It is in this city where you will find the biggest display of fireworks east of Ottawa and the International Shellfish Festival in the fall. Discover the city by the numerous walking trails and boardwalks as you wind your way by craft shops, restaurants and golf courses. Take a carriage ride, a boat cruise or even a guided walking tour and discover all that this city has to offer.
