Prince Edward Island, the Canadian province smaller than the state of New Jersey, has been on my travel bucket list since I was about four years old. That was the age I first watched the CBC’s 1985 mini-series Anne of Green Gables, curled up in the 1980s pink comforter of my older sister’s 1980s pink bedroom on an old, bunny-eared, black-and white TV. I later (inexplicably) watched the sequel in a middle school music class, then fell deep for the AoGG vibe in high school during my phase of old movie obsession and early-onset nostalgia for my own youth. I’m not exaggerating in my claim that I’ve been trying to get to this island for years.
This past summer, with a Connecticut-based family reunion already on the docket, the stars finally aligned, and my family of four, along with my septuagenarian parents, spent a week in June exploring this pastoral island.
If you’re looking for a slow-paced, quiet beach vacation without the crowds, read on to discover why Prince Edward Island may be the destination for you!
- Getting to Prince Edward Island
- When to Visit PEI
- Where to Stay on PEI
- What to See and Do on PEI
- Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place
- Orwell Corner Historic Village
- Bottle Houses and Gardens
- Sailing Excursion with Saga Sailing Adventures
- PEI Lighthouse Passport
- PEI Dairy Bar Trail
- Seafood, Seafood, Everywhere!
- The Coast and the Beach
- Farm-to-Table Dining
- Indigenous Culture on Lennox Island
- Traditional Ceilidhs and Kitchen Parties
Getting to Prince Edward Island
The island has its own small airport in Charlottetown with flights connecting to some of Canada’s major cities: Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa year-round; Calgary and Edmonton seasonally. Fortunately for us in Nashville, we have direct flights to Montreal and Toronto, so our trip only had one brief layover.
If you’re spending more than a couple days on the island, and/or exploring beyond Charlottetown, it’s essential to rent a car. PEI is quite rural, and there are long stretches of quiet country roads in between towns and attractions. There are major rental agencies at the airport, but we booked a mini-van to fit the whole family through APEX Auto Rentals, a local and independent business. Their service was fantastic and even included a weekend airport pickup! We also rented booster seats through Ollie Roo Rentals, another small, independent business offering short-term rentals on child equipment, that coordinated with APEX so the seats were ready and waiting for us.
When to Visit PEI
As a small island, PEI’s biggest draw is its coastal setting; even its most inland locations are just 20 minutes from the water. The scenery is available year-round, and it would be beautiful to explore in any season. [The PEI Tourism site also thoroughly lists events and activities happening at all times of the year.]
But I think you would be missing out if you did not experience PEI in a time when your toes can touch sun-warmed sand, when you have to eat your ice cream quickly before it melts; when you can watch the wind blow through the lupines, causing their colors to dance. Plus, many restaurants and attractions are closed in the colder months. Our visit in mid-June (14th-20th) was just on the cusp of the summer season. We encountered a few restaurants still preparing for their opening, but on the plus side, crowds were few–according to locals, July and August are the busiest months.
Where to Stay on PEI
As a holiday destination, PEI has ample vacation rentals in all parts of the island, but the location of your accommodations should be based on what kind of trip you want. Do you want to be city-centric or close to the beach? Are you prioritizing accessibility or remoteness?
If you want walkability…
Book a hotel or apartment in Charlottetown. You can easily park it here and spend your entire vacation exploring the Victorian charm of the province’s capital city. Or, this could be your base from which to explore the rest of the island via day trips, knowing you’ll come home each night to streets filled with activities. There are many historic and boutique hotels, as well as a plethora of short-term apartment rentals.
If you’re looking for beach access and/or centrality…
Consider the central coast. The hub of PEI, this region contains Charlottetown and many of the island’s most frequented attractions. It’s also an excellent departure point from which to explore other regions of the island. The area surrounding the Central Coastal Drive highlights the variety of PEI’s coastline – red sand, dunes, and dramatic cliffs – in a relatively small stretch of land punctuated by picturesque lighthouses and harbors. Most accommodations through Airbnb or VRBO are on the northern or southern coast, but you’ll also find a couple historic inns and holiday cottage communities.
We stayed in this 4-bedroom cottage near Rustico, a short drive to the community of North Rustico where you’ll find groceries, fresh seafood restaurants, and gorgeous views.
If you want a more remote rusticity…
Head east to Kings County or west to Princes County. The areas outside of the island’s central region see fewer visitors but contain small, quaint villages and vast, unspoiled landscapes. In the east, Souris and Montague are tranquil communities with a handful of restaurants, shops and breweries. Heading west out of Summerside, the island’s second largest city, the North Cape has a unique blend of cultures and is sprinkled with hidden gems to discover. There are loads of beautiful, beachfront modern vacation homes available through Airbnb or VRBO.
What to See and Do on PEI
Prince Edward Island is the perfect destination for slow(er) travel, where you settle in one location and slowly explore your environment. The island is small enough to easily traverse in near-entirety by driving 1-2 hour distances or spending a looping through a region with short driving legs in between stops. You can fill your time with art, culture, and food; you can spend your days relaxing on the beach; or, when the kids are getting antsy, you can assuage their energies at an amusement park or with a round of mini-golf.
For us, the best family trips always involve a balance of the three, and our six-night stay allowed enough time to steadily make our way around the island enjoying a nice variety of its offerings.
Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place
PEI’s main claim to fame is thanks to the world of Anne of Green Gables from L. M. Montgomery’s 1908 classic and its ensuing series and spin-offs. This official Canadian National Historic Site, with its green-gabled farmhouse, was the home of the author’s cousins and was an indirect influence on the setting of her most infamous story. There are several Anne-related sites to visit on the island, but I think this is the quintessential one. It features a solid museum about the author, a house and farm restored with period decor, walking trails, and interpretive programs. My 8-year-old daughter’s review: “I want to live in this house forever, except with electricity!”
And if you’re into Anne of Green Gables, there are a few more locations you can explore:
- The Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace in New London
- Avonlea Village in Cavendish, a replica heritage tourist setting that apparently used to have folks dressed up in historical costume, but now it’s just modern shops and restaurants in historic-looking buildings
- The Anne of Green Gables Museum in Park Corner, a property owned by her cousins
- The Bedeque Area Historical Museum, a school-house at which Montgomery once taught
- The Bideford Parsonage Museum in the North Cape where Montgomery once lived
- The Anne of Green Gables Store in Charlottetown for all your merch
- And if you’re your as obsessed with those 1980s CBC miniseries as I am: the New London Lighthouse, where Anne and Diane frolic, Cavendish Cliffs, where they stand very demurely on the red cliffs and stare into the sea; and Dalvay by the Sea, the hotel known in the series as the White Sands
Orwell Corner Historic Village
Prince Edward Island’s history is in agriculture, and the Orwell Corner Historic Village immerses visitors in 19th-century life in a farm community. You can explore a working blacksmith shop and farm; a church, school house, and village hall – all authentic buildings. There is also a museum that displays many artifacts and first-hand experiences from the pioneers that once lived this early-PEI lifestyle. The on-site guides are dressed in historical clothing and share stories and information, as well as lead special activities and programs. During our visit, we encountered a middle school-aged group enjoying a sunny field trip, and we got to pet a newborn baby goat!
Bottle Houses and Gardens
In 1979, a man named Édouard T. Arsenault received a postcard from his daughter of a glass bottle castle on Vancouver Island, BC. Immediately, he began collecting and cleaning glass bottles, and in the summer of 1980, started construction on his own bottle house. It was a hobby that resulted in this six-gabled structure along with two other buildings set among lush, colorful flower gardens. The well-trafficked Bottle Houses and Gardens is on the west side of the island, but there’s another smaller bottle-based attraction (unrelated to Arsenault’s) called Hannah’s Bottle Village on the east side, as well.
Sailing Excursion with Saga Sailing Adventures
PEI is the prime location to take an excursion out on the water. There are several outfitters for boat rides and tours, but I wanted the kids to experience a ride on a sailboat – and see all the work it involves! On the north side of the island, Atlantic Sailing PEI offers three trips a day, including a sunset ride. We, however, took a ride with Saga Sailing Adventures out of Charlottetown which also has three sails each day, from June to October (and a discount for kids under 13). We took the morning ride – Captain Kurt’s first booking of the season – and then used the afternoon to explore Charlottetown a bit. The view of Charlottetown from the water was lovely, and the huge jellyfish were a surprise to us all – no swimming on this outing!
PEI Lighthouse Passport
As a photographer, I’ll always drive the extra mile to see a lighthouse, and here on PEI, it’s a lot of fun to seek them out as you’re driving around the island. Eight of the island’s lighthouses are open to visitors, and, if you plan your timing right, you can climb to their tops for astounding aerial views. We climbed Point Prim Lighthouse, the island’s oldest, and the view did not disappoint. Seven of these lighthouses [PDF] are also part of the official USLHS Lighthouse Passport Program. A Canadian photographer named John Morris created a PEI lighthouse passport book that you can order online or find in some of the island’s lighthouse visitor centers. Use this passport to collect stamps as you visit each of them.
Just to note, there are many other lighthouses to collect as you journey the island! As an island with looming cliffs and jagged shore, these beacons of light have played an essential role in the island’s maritime history. In fact, PEI is believed to have the highest concentration of lighthouses anywhere in North America. Many have been decommissioned and are in various states of disrepair or decay, but it is still a lot of fun to visit on a lighthouse quest. Check out Lighthousefriends.com for a thorough list with individual history, with a map can help you find all of them. And, if you’re an Anne of Green Gables (1985) movie fan, don’t miss the New London Lighthouse near Cavendish!
PEI Dairy Bar Trail
Another thing that PEI has a lot of? The dairy bar! These small, take-out style ice cream spots (sometimes serving food, as well) are open seasonally and have been a traditional part of a PEI summer for 70 years. Kiwanis Dairy Bar is the island’s longest standing, which opened in 1955 in Charlottetown. Today, there are over 60 dairy bars located all over the island. You can even sign up for a digital dairy bar passport and earn points towards prizes with each location you visit and purchase from. We enjoyed a takeaway dinner from Shirley’s Snack Bar near Brackley Beach and K & A’s Dairy Bar and Take-Out near Point Prim. It’s definitely okay to hit up a dairy bar more than once during your trip!
And though it’s not officially a dairy bar, per se, to get another taste of local, you can’t miss COWS Ice Cream always made from local PEI milk. There are six locations on PEI, but only two in Charlottetown are open year-round.
Seafood, Seafood, Everywhere!
I am a certified seafood addict, which, when anybody asked, was what I was most looking forward to as I anticipated this trip. With fresh ocean catch at every turn, Prince Edward Island is a seafood-lovers dream. The fun part is that there are all types of dining on the island – formal restaurants, family style, fish shacks, and take-out – to fit every vibe or need of the moment. And no matter the level of dining, you’re going to get a phenomenal meal. Here are the spots we covered, though there are MANY MANY more to discover! (Just to note, most restaurants are closed off-season.)
- Blue Mussel Cafe | $$$ | North Rustico: lofted interior and trendy coastal decor with excellent daily specials, no kids’ menu
- On the Dock Eatery | $$$ | North Rustico: family-friendly spot on the water with seafood staples
- Carr’s Oyster Bar | $$ | Stanley Bridge: great for lunch, outdoor seating with wonderfully peaceful water view
- The Lost Anchor | $$ | Cavendish: dined takeaway with surf and turf menu of large portions that appeased the whole fam
- Dalvay By the Sea | $$$ | Dalvay (within PEI National Park): our fanciest dining in a historic hotel with musical accompaniment in the bar area, also great for a pre- or post-dinner cocktail
- Ship to Shore | $$ | Kensington: local dining spot in a non-descript building with lovely staff
- Water Prince Corner Shop | $$ | Charlottetown: no-frills, long-standing seafood spot perfect for lunch, as recommended by our sailboat captain
- Jolly Rogers Seafood | $$ | Summerside: take-out spot with simple menu and small seating section at Summerside’s Spinnakers Landing
The one thing I think we missed was a lobster supper (Fisherman’s Wharf Lobster Suppers in North Rustico and New Glasgow Lobster Suppers in New Glasgow), but you don’t have to do much convincing for me to book another trip just for the seafood!
The Coast and the Beach
Yes, I’m distinguishing between the two, because they are not the same! Prince Edward Island has around 700 miles of coastline in such a condensed space that, no matter where you are on the island, you’re never more than 10 miles from the sea. Much of its coast is rocky or cliffs, which is perfect for a leisurely walk or photo tour but not for stretching out a blanket to relax next to the waves.
For coastal scenery:
- North Rustico Harbor (unique harbor view)
- Victoria by the Sea (scenic little village, art scene and lighthouse)
- Cape Egmont Cliffs (dramatic in a take-your-breath-away kind of way, great for a walk or picnic)
- Point Prim (public park and majestic coastal views from the lighthouse)
For relaxing beaches:
- PEI National Park, including Brackley Beach (wide stretches of white sand), Stanhope Cape Beach (a nice lighthouse and golden hour spot), and Cavendish Beach (great facilities and accessibility)
- Greenwich Beach (quieter, recommended by locals)
- Thunder Cove Beach (red sands and tide pools)
- Basin Head Provincial Park (a spot on the east side with a bridge for jumping in)
Farm-to-Table Dining
If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind dining experience, The Table offers a 7-course masterpiece in local cuisine. The menu changes each week, built based on the ingredients available rather than with a fixed menu in mind. It’s a 3-4 hour experience where even the scenery is nice to look at it; the restaurant is in an old rural church that has been beautifully renovated, just down the road from L. M. Montgomery’s birthplace in New London. I sadly did not partake in this meal (it’s not kid-friendly), but we booked this experience as an anniversary gift for my parents, and they loved it; my mom still has the night’s menu!
The Inn at Bay Fortune also has a farm-to-table dining option called The Fireworks Feast, a 4-hour+ experience that includes an open house on their impressive grounds, talks with farmers and chefs, Oyster Hour, and a multi-course sit-down meal. It looks transcendental… and for CA $295 per person, I hope it is!
Indigenous Culture on Lennox Island
On my next visit to PEI, a visit to Lennox Island is at the top of my list. This small island off PEI’s northwest coast is home to Lennox Island First Nation, the largest Mi’kmaq Band on Epekwitk (the Mi’kmaw name for the island meaning “lying in the water”). The tourism branch of the community welcomes visitors to share its culture through language, food, music, crafts, and ceremony. There are a handful of authentic experiences you can book, as well as a calendar of annual cultural days.
Traditional Ceilidhs and Kitchen Parties
The last experience I’m bummed to have missed is a traditional ceilidh. This is a social gathering centered around music, dance, and storytelling that often just took place in someone’s home (also called a “kitchen party”). The practice continues with ceilidhs happening on a regular (usually seasonal) basis all over the island. It’s fairly tricky to find a dependable calendar of scheduled cileidhs, but the Tourism PEI site has a list that could be used as a starting point. I’d also advise asking locals or keeping an eye our for flyers around town – I caught notice from a dairy bar of a couple upcoming ones that were happening the weekend we were leaving!
This brings me to my final reflection on visiting PEI…
In just a week, we covered a lot of ground and saw a lot of beautiful scenery. For our multi-generational party of six, Prince Edward Island was a great destination choice that offered a blend of relaxation and sightseeing. But something else that’s important to note about it: PEI is a quiet destination that requires you to slow down. You could shuffle through the island’s most popular sites and attractions, but its history and culture hiding a bit below the surface. For a true immersion, you’ve got to become a local and let curiosity and spontaneity guide your experience.
