Prince Edward Island (PEI) is a small island province in the Atlantic Canadian maritime region bursting with scenic coastlines and natural beauty. It’s a great place to visit. Besides the vistas, there’s plenty to explore on foot, bike, or car. PEI is easy to reach by plane and by driving (from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) and is worth at least a short visit. As part of our vacation to Nova Scotia, my husband and I added a two-day visit to PEI, but we could have easily spent longer in this beautiful, bucolic Canadian province. On our trip, we flew into Halifax and rented a car that made it possible to easily explore Nova Scotia and PEI. This article profiles the best places to visit and sights to see on Prince Edward Island and includes a comprehensive two-day itinerary.
Our 2-Day Prince Edward Island Itinerary
Day 1
- We took the morning ferry from Nova Scotia to Wood Islands, located on the eastern edge of the island. (We had been staying in Halifax, and the ferry was the most direct way to get to Prince Edward Island.)
- We drove to and toured two lighthouses, and a winery, and stopped for lunch – each place was a short distance from the ferry landing.
- Then we drove to Charlottetown, the capital of Prince Edward Island, to enjoy the rest of the day and evening. We took in some sights in town, strolled the scenic waterside boardwalk in Victoria Park, and walked through the gardens at the Government House. We ate dinner at Water Prince Corner Shop and Lobster Pound, a very casual place. After dinner, we strolled the downtown harbor area, stopped in a few shops, enjoyed some wine while listening to live music on Victoria Row, and treated ourselves to some delicious ice cream from Cow’s before heading back to our hotel.
Day 2
- This morning we drove north to Cavendish to explore the places associated with Anne of Green Gables and visited several beaches along the northern coast (part of Prince Edward Island National Park). We especially enjoyed our lunch at the Blue Mussel Café in North Rustico Harbor. (It’s almost a must-do if you love seafood and are in the general area!) Then we headed east and visited the towering sand dunes at Greenwich Dunes. In the late afternoon, we returned to Charlottetown, strolled the town, and enjoyed a relaxing dinner at The Pilot House as well as more live music on Victoria Row.
Day 3
- Right after breakfast, we drove from Charlottetown back to Nova Scotia (by way of New Brunswick) using the 8-mile/13-kilometer-long Confederation Bridge that is located on the south-central PEI coastline. (If you wanted to return to eastern Nova Scotia, you’d want to take the same ferry mentioned above instead of the Confederation Bridge.)
Best Times to Visit PEI
July and August are the best months to visit PEI because the temperatures are very comfortable and most places, including restaurants and shops, are open. Mid-to-late June and September are fine times to visit, as well, but some places may not be open or have limited hours – especially in smaller towns.
Listed below are the places we visited on our two-day visit to this charming part of Canada. They are divided into three sections: Eastern PEI, Central PEI – Charlottetown, and Northern PEI.
1. Eastern Prince Edward Island
Wood Island Lighthouse
Once you get off the ferry, it’s a quick drive to the Wood Island Lighthouse. You’ll see the lighthouse on the right as the ferry nears the dock. Take in the sea view at the lighthouse’s base, and then walk through the museum and up the stairs to claim a view from the top. A playground is on site if anyone in your group would enjoy that.
Visitor Information Centre & Restaurant
We turned right on the main road when leaving the lighthouse. You’ll soon see a visitor information center and the Woods Island Whistle Stop restaurant on the left. Place your order at the restaurant, and you’ll hear a whistle and your name when your order is ready. (We placed our lunch order, then stopped in at the visitor information center to get some brochures and a local map. After that, we enjoyed the curried chicken wraps while pursuing the tourist information we picked up.)
Rossignol Estate Winery
11147 Shore Road, PEI (5.6miles/9 km from ferry landing)
A short drive past the welcome center is the Rossignol Estate Winery which grows its own grapes. Enjoy a tasting of their white, red, and fruit wines as you sit outside on Adirondack chairs taking in the water views. We stopped for a flight of several wines which were very good. (We learned that the hybrid grapes grown here account for the delicious wine they produce.)
Point Prim Lighthouse
2147 Point Prim Road, Belfast | 902-659-2768
The oldest lighthouse on PEI, Point Prim Lighthouse was built in 1845 and is a round brick structure. Increasing sea trade between Canada and Europe in the early 19th century necessitated a lighthouse to help guide ships safely into Charlottetown Harbour. You can climb to the top of this one, too, and take in the views.
Point Prim Chowder House is at the end of Route 209, at the point where you turn left to go to the lighthouse. The waterfront Point Prim Chowder House is typically open from mid-June through September. (We didn’t stop here, but had we known it was here ahead of time, we may have opted for this scenic spot.)
2. Central Prince Edward Island – Charlottetown
Charlottetown is the province’s largest city and the capital of PEI. It makes a perfect home base for exploring the island. It’s also an inviting place with a lively vibe, thanks in part, to the university students who call this place home. The town has a wide range of accommodations, restaurants, shops, and interesting sights.
Charlottetown is named for British Queen Charlotte (who was crowned in 1761). The city is widely known for hosting the 1864 Charlottetown Confederation which ultimately led to the Canadian Confederation, a joining of Canadian provinces into a single country.
In the summer, Charlottetown hosts outdoor music concerts on Victoria Row (technically Richmond Street), a street with a number of restaurants – and many with outdoor seating. This street is pedestrian-only just during the summer and is open to traffic at other times of the year. It’s a perfect place to unwind and enjoy live music. Eating dinner outside while listening to music is such a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend an evening! Oh, and another stop on your walk back to your hotel should be Cow’s for amazingly delicious, rich ice cream. (Cow’s has several locations in PEI, including downtown Charlottetown and Cavendish.)
The major Charlottetown sights to visit are listed below in alphabetical order.
Beaconsfield Historic House
2 Kent Street | 902-368-6603
Adjacent to Victoria Park is Beaconsfield Historic House, built in 1877, and is sometimes open for tours. This bright yellow, 25-room mansion was a family home, a women’s shelter, a YWCA, and a residence for nurses. Today, visitors can explore the home and its bookstore. While there, catch a view of the harbor from the front porch.
Confederation Centre of the Arts
145 Richmond Street | 902-628-1864
In the heart of Charlottetown’s downtown is the massive Confederation Centre of the Arts. The complex houses an art gallery, the provincial library, a café, and several theaters. Check out their calendar of events online to learn about what’s happening when you plan to be in town.
Province House
Corner of Grafton Street and Great George Street | 902-566-7626
A national historic site, Province House was built in 1847 for the colonial legislature. It is still used by the provincial legislature today, and it is sometimes open for guided tours.
Victoria Park
One of Charlottetown’s scenic spots is Victoria Park – all 40 acres of it. The park offers a boardwalk offering scenic, expansive harbor views along with benches for relaxation while soaking in the views. In addition, there are woodland walking paths, athletic fields, tennis courts, a playground, a swimming pool, and a splash pad. To get here, you can walk the scenic waterfront trail starting at the southwestern end of town or drive.
Government House
As the personal representative of the British Crown, the lieutenant governor lives in the white, Georgian mansion at Victoria Park. Guided tours are offered at Government House during the summer, but visitors can almost always take a self-guided walk through the gardens.
3. North Central Prince Edward Island
From Charlottetown, drive north about 15 miles/25 kilometers to the northern coast to explore Cavendish. Cavendish is near the western edge of Prince Edward Island National Park that’s a sliver of a park that runs for about 40 miles/65 kilometers (from west to east). The national park works to protect the beaches, sand dunes, wetlands, and marshes while still serving as a prime recreation site. It’s also Anne of Green Gables country with the large Green Gables Heritage Place along with related sites.
Green Gables Heritage Place
Intersection of Route 6 and Route 13 | 902-963-7874
Near the western edge of Prince Edward Island National Park sits Green Gables Heritage Place with a restored 19th-century farmhouse. This house belonged to Lucy Maud Montgomery’s cousins and served as the setting of her book, Anne of Green Gables. It’s open from May through October.
Less than a mile/kilometer away is the Lucy Maud Montgomery Homestead. All that is left of her childhood home is a stone cellar and a small museum and a bookstore. Nearby is the Cavendish Cemetery where Lucy Maud Montgomery is buried.
Prince Edward Island National Park
The sliver of coastline that makes up the national park is expansive. Prince Edward Island National Park consists of sandy beaches, sandstone cliffs, and some woodland. Two bays, New London Bay to the west and Tracadie Bay to the east, serve as endpoints of the park. There are three main sections (that are separated by bays) and not one continuous piece of land: Cavendish-North Rustico, Brackley-Dalvay, and Greenwich.
The following park sites are along the northern coast of PEI and are listed in order from west to east, beginning in Cavendish.
Cavendish Beach
In the western section of PEI National Park, Cavendish Beach is a popular beach destination with swimming, walking trails, a lighthouse, and food service. The town has accommodations, golf courses, restaurants, amusement parks, and shops.
North Rustico Harbour
Head east from Cavendish to the tiny, quaint North Rustico Harbour. Here there’s a small boardwalk along the water and a delightful restaurant on the wharf that my husband and I highly recommend: Blue Mussel Café. It’s a casual, place that dishes up plenty of seafood treats. They don’t accept reservations, but they do have a waitlist. It’s open from mid-June through mid-September for lunch and dinner.
Stanhope Beach
The further east you travel in Prince Edward Island National Park, the less populated its beaches become. For example, Stanhope Beach has much fewer visitors; but it’s still scenic, has a playground, picnic area, and nice washrooms.
Greenwich Dunes
Want to see amazingly high sand dunes – the largest on the island? Head further east to Greenwich Dunes. It’s got a wide, sandy beach that’s much less crowded than beaches to the west.
To get to Greenwich Dunes, head east from Stanhope (the eastern section of Prince Edward Island National Park) for about 37 miles/59 kilometers. There you’ll find Greenwich Dunes Trail. This trail is about 3 miles/4.7 kilometers round trip and consists of packed earth, a wooden boardwalk, a floating boardwalk, and steps to cross the dune. You’ve probably seen plenty of sand dunes before, but the ones at Greenwich Dunes surely dwarf most other beaches anywhere in the world.
How to Get to Prince Edward Island
If flying, you’ll want to head to Charlottetown Airport (YYG). If driving you’ll get to PEI by way of the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick or take the ferry to Woods Island (on PEI’s southeastern coast) from Nova Scotia.
For reference, Charlottetown is about 35 miles/56 km from the Confederation Bridge (west of Charlottetown). The town is about 32 miles/52 km from the Woods Island ferry station.
Where to Stay and Eat
We stayed at The Hotel on Pownal (ask for a renovated, second-floor room) which was conveniently located to restaurants, shops, and the main sights in town. A related hotel, The Great George, is a wonderful choice too, but it was full when we made our travel plans.
There are plenty of good restaurants in Charlottetown. We opted for casual places. Our picks were Water Prince Corner Shop and Lobster Pound on our first evening and The Pilot House on our second evening. Both were good choices.
And as already mentioned, on the northern shore, is Blue Mussel Cafe in North Rustico Harbor. Blue Mussel Café. You can’t get seafood much fresher than here. When we walked in, we were told they had just caught a huge halibut (over 100 pounds) and were preparing it in the kitchen for diners. We had very friendly service and delicious lobster rolls and fish tacos. Location: 312 Harbourview Drive, North Rustico Harbour | 902-963-2152).
Confederation Trail
If you have the time when visiting PEI, you may also want to check out the Confederation Trail. Many vacationers are attracted to this province because of its bike-friendly trails. And there’s a lot to see while pedaling around! Along a decommissioned railway, Confederation Trail is about a 170 mile/273 km trail running from Tignish in the west to Elmira in the east. With a variety of trail offshoots, the trail totals 279 miles/449 km. Expect a variety of scenery along the trail as it travels through small towns and open land. There are more than 200 informational panels in English and French that provide background to each area along the way. You can explore it on a bike (search for rentals online) or on foot.
Nearby Attractions
As mentioned, my husband and I visited Prince Edward Island while on our vacation which included Nova Scotia. There’s so much to see and do there, too! We really enjoyed our time in Halifax, exploring the phenomenal Bay of Fundy as well as the charming towns that dot the South Shore (Halifax to Lunenburg).
Final Thoughts
Prince Edward Island holds a lot of charm. It’s got incredible beauty that includes endless coastal views and pastoral rolling hills of farmland inland. Having visited for a couple of days, we now know that we should have added one or two more days to our visit, but we feel so fortunate to have experienced what we did. Expect friendly folks, gorgeous views, great food and entertainment options, and interesting places to explore.
Comments?
Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences from a visit to Prince Edward Island. Your comments could help other travelers. 🙂
