From Coastal Trails to Acadian Cuisines: Experience The Beauty of Visiting Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown might be the most popular city in Prince Edward Island but don’t sleep on towns like Cavendish, Summerside, North Rustico, Souris, and Kensington. Whether you love biking, outdoor adventures, fishing, music, good food, festivals, lighthouses, beaches, coastal drives, golf, landscapes and scenery, crafts, or local culture, PEI offers satisfaction across the board.
With its 90+ beaches, PEI is undisputedly one of the best destinations for coastal drives and also features pristine shores and cycling trails. It might be the smallest province in Canada, but has been deemed one of the best places to visit in the country. Here are three reasons why you should visit Prince Edward Island:
Sightseeing on a Bike
One of the immediate attractions of Prince Edward Island is its unique landscapes. The scenery is nothing like Ontario’s dense forests or the Prairies' open spaces. PEI offers miles of rolling hills covered in greenery, deep red soils, and white-gabled farmhouses. The best thing is you can explore all this on a bike. In fact, biking is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the province. The local government converted a former railway track that runs from Tignish to Elmira into a 270-mile trail known today as the Confederation Trail.
The trail spans woodland areas, rolling hills, 60+ 19th century lighthouses, and scenic coastlines and is full of cyclists and walkers during the summer. In the winter, it turns into a snowmobile trail. The trail also connects to Charlottetown and beachside towns and allows you to cycle the entire length of the island in a single day. You can also take the 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) Gulf Shore Parkway trail through the PEI National Park. If you want to soak up PEI’s scenery, it doesn’t get better than hopping on a bike and cycling around the island.
Taking in the Culture
As a city surrounded by beaches, Prince Edward Island is known for its outdoor lifestyle, fishing, water activities, and musical festivals. The city also has some casino hotels, with the most popular being the Red Shores Racetrack and Casino, which has great seats if you fancy watching horse races. However, most PEI players explore their favorite slots, roulettes, poker, and live dealer games at the leading online casinos in Canada. These platforms offer more bonuses and instant access to real money products. Local spots like Charlottetown Inn, Fairholm Boutique Inns, The Holman Grand Hotel, and The Great George also supplement the gaming culture.
While gambling isn’t as prominent as in Ontario, PEI has no shortage of culture. The city is where the founding fathers met in 1864 to form the new nation. PEI also pays host to the Confederation Centre of the Arts, known for the biggest summer musical, the Anne of Green Gables. In terms of music, the city is big on jazz, classical performances, and bluegrass, with events like the Festival of Small Halls attended by thousands. PEI also provides an artistic atmosphere and is filled with painters, sculptors, and craftspeople, and even features an Arts and Heritage Trail littered with museums, galleries, and craft shops.
Enjoying Beach Town Delicacies
As a tourist hotspot, the people of PEI are known for their hospitality and culinary diversity. One of the things to do during your time on the island is to go on a culinary tour. Like most beach towns, the cuisine heavily relies on the city’s greatest resource: seafood. PEI’s hotels, restaurants, and eateries are stocked with some of the most delicious shellfish, oysters, clams, scallops, lobsters, cod, salmon, and mussels. You’ll also enjoy fresh farm produce, including the famous potatoes sold around the world. Eating them fresh in PEI just makes them better.
The island is also known for its award-winning ice cream, traditional bread baked under the sand, and freshly harvested oysters cooked over open fire. Other popular dishes to try in PEI include chicken fricot, hominy corn, meat pie, and more Acadian food experiences. The fishing and farming counties have many fresh delicacies, while the more suburban hotels and resorts feature more global courses. Food and music are a big part of the culture with buttery lobster rolls available in nearly all restaurants. The island also has some unusual options, including custom jams, chutneys, ice creams, craft beers, and wines.
Last Word
There’s no doubt Prince Edward Island is one of the best places to visit in Canada. If you fancy affordable outdoor experiences, beach life, local cuisines, friendly cultures, and a bit of history, this is the province to explore. The destinations might not be as glittery and bustling as in the more urban provinces. However, the coastal drives, rolling green hills, and charming landscapes will impress and soothe any visitor. You can also book guided tours or find a local to bike your way through the island.