Prince Edward Island: What to Do?

Last Updated: March 31, 2023By Tags: , ,

Charlottetown, PEI’s capital, is a good area to stay if you can just spend a few days on the island. See the historic neighborhood after a hearty breakfast at Receiver Coffee Company and a stroll down Victoria Row’s artisan boutiques. Enjoy ice cream and a self-guided factory tour at Cows Creamery, or check out microbreweries like Upstreet Craft Brewery and The Gahan House in the afternoon. Peake’s Wharf, located along the waterfront, is a wonderful place to enjoy live music, unique boutiques, and delicious seafood restaurants after dark. A visit to Water Prince Corner Shop is not complete without a lobster roll.

Go out of Charlottetown and check out the local villages

You shouldn’t limit your exploration of Prince Edward Island to only Charlottetown. Victoria-by-the-Sea, a former fishing hamlet that has been given new life by the creative community, can be reached in 30 minutes by car traveling west. Fish and chips from Richard’s Fresh Seafood, sweet delicacies from Island Chocolates, and a clam-digging tour with By-the-Sea-Kayaking are the perfect complements to a trip here.

North Rustico, or “the Crick,” is located 30 minutes north of Charlottetown. Have a lobster dinner at Fisherman’s Wharf or PEI mussels at the Blue Mussel Café after participating in a deep-sea fishing or kayaking expedition or seeing Prince Edward Island National Park.

You may locate the picturesque Murray Harbour and Murray River one hour east of Charlottetown, where several of business owners have opened up shop recently. Start your day off well with a visit to the Newman Estate Winery and a full breakfast at The Home Plate Restaurant & Bakery.

Drive along the shore

Many of the villages, sites, and beaches of Prince Edward Island may be reached along one of three coastal drives. These tours may be done in a day from Charlottetown, or you can extend them into a longer road trip and stop at inns along the route. Some of the beaches, soaring drift hunters sand dunes, and paths that served as inspiration for the novel may be found along the Central Coast Road.

The Points East Coastal Road is a great way to spend a day since it leads to more than 50 beaches, 18 holes of golf, the “singing sand” at Basin Head Provincial Park, delicious potato fudge, and historical monuments like the Point Prim Lighthouse, Prince Edward Island’s oldest lighthouse.

Prince Edward Island: Best Time to Go

The North Cape Coastal Drive along Canada’s Oyster Coast is a great alternative for anyone looking to get away from the crowds and experience a more local culture. The Canadian Potato Museum and The Bottle Houses, Édouard Arsenault’s creations made of 25,000 recycled bottles, are just two of the unusual stops along the journey.

Go out and hike!

The Confederation Trail is a footpath or bikepath that spans the whole province of Prince Edward Island. You may ride the full 170 miles in a week or tackle shorter segments at your own pace. The park also has other attractions such as the Homestead Trail, Cavendish Beach, and the Robinsons Island Trail System. This new 435-mile walking and bicycling path, known as The Island Walk, will begin service in 2021 and will include a large portion of the Confederation Trail. It can walked in its entirety in around 32 days, however exploring it in segments is also possible.

Experience a world of flavors by going on a food tour

When in Prince Edward Island, you must sample some of the regional specialties and discover their historical and cultural significance. Experience the traditional Mi’kmaq culture of Bannock and Clams on Lennox Island. You can get some great Malpeque Bay oysters and learn how to make the traditional bread on the sand here.

During the summer, the Village Musical Acadien hosts dinner events where visitors may listen to traditional music while enjoying Acadian specialties like chicken fricot, meat pie, and hominy corn. Do a Lobster Lovers tour with a musical fisherman in Souris, or tong and shuck oysters while listening to sea tales from a native.

The island of Prince Edward seldom experiences high humidity due to its moderate temperature and maritime location. Most establishments are open from May through October, although the warmest months, when temperatures average in the 70s and 80s, are certainly summer. Enjoy mild days (46 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit) and the beginning of lobster and theater seasons when lupines bloom in the spring. Fall, with its comparable temps and enchanted foliage, is a wonderful season to visit the island. Each year in September, the city of Charlottetown hosts the Autumn Flavours Festival, a celebration of cuisine and culture that include the PEI International Shellfish Festival.

Locations for Overnighting on PEI

The Great George Hotel in Charlottetown has 17 renovated historic buildings with standard rooms, deluxe rooms, and luxury suites all within walking distance of the waterfront. The original building on the property dates back to 1846, and it still maintains many of its original hospitality features, such as providing guests with freshly baked cookies upon check-in and hosting wine and beer receptions on weeknights.

Downtown Charlottetown is home to The Holman Grand Hotel, another boutique alternative that offers convenient access to the Confederation Centre of the Arts for those in town to see a show. The five-star Sydney Boutique Hotel & Suites is located in a former Notre Dame convent from 1857, adding to the hotel’s historic allure and proximity to the ocean. There are 18 suites total, and several of them are luxury apartments with complete kitchens, large walk-in closets, and in-room washers and dryers, making them ideal for prolonged visits.

Murray Harbour is a historic maritime community where visitors may stay in “floating wine drift hunters barrel” houseboats for a really one-of-a-kind experience. E-bikes may rented at Nellie’s Landing Marina, making it simple to visit the vineyards and cideries in the southeast corner of PEI before returning to your floating home for the evening. Visitors in search of an experience that is really one of a kind have the option of renting a houseboat in the form of a “floating wine barrel” in the ancient maritime hamlet of Murray Harbour. E-bike rentals are available at Nellie’s Landing Marina, enabling you to easily explore Prince Edward Island’s southern vineyards and cideries. Afterwards, you may unwind with a refreshing beverage on the deck of your floating house.