PEI Vacation?

Question

I'll be vacationing in Prince Edward Island for about a week this July (staying in Cavendish). Any recommendations for "must-do" activities while I'm there? Things that are unique to the area?

I'm mostly interested in outdoor activities/attractions, and preferably not overly tourist-y...

[The only Anne of Green Gables thing I want to do is to see the house/museum, and MAYBE take a carriage ride. Not interested in Anne the Musical, etc...]

Thanks for your advice!!

Answer 1

The first piece of advice I'd give is don't bother buying a map or guidebook for PEI, as there is really great info available for free (http://www.gov.pe.ca/visitorsguide/index... You can either have it mailed to you in advance, download it or you can stop in at any Visitor Information Centre and pick it up while you there - while getting some great advice on what is going on and how to get there.

In PEI a visit to the National Park is a must. Cavendish is the most popular beach, and a drive or bike along the shore between Cavendish and North Rustico, and between Brackley and Dalvay, is well worth the trip. As well, Greenwich is stunning although it is farther away on the East end of the Island - the dune formations there are something totally unique. You will find the Cavendish beach pretty full of tourists however since it is in the National Park, apart from the number of people it is not touristy at all. However, Greenwich is newer and you will find it very quiet usually, it is still off the beaten path.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/pe/pei-ipe/ind...

The provincial parks are a lot quieter than Cavendish. Cabot Park is a nice one on the North Shore, and Argyle Shore or Chelton Beach on the south side have red sand, shallow and warmer water - I always recommend trying to visit both a North Shore and a South shore beach on a visit to PEI, to see the contrast.

There are quite a few places that run kayaking excursions, and that can be a great day or half-day trip. There is one that runs from North Rustico which is very pretty. Another option is kayaking or canoeing to Lennox Island, very pretty and you can also check out the Mi’kmaq cultural centre.

You may want to hit the Confederation Trail, which runs across the Island, either on foot or on a bike. I've heard it is particularly pretty near St Peters, however you'll find gorgeous views of red soil and rolling green hills just about anywhere along it. http://www.gov.pe.ca/visitorsguide/index...

When visiting Anne sites in Cavendish, I'd recommend doing some of the walking trails, since they tend to be quieter and very pretty. Green Gables will be very crowded but usually the trails around are not bad at all.

For food, Cow's ice cream is a must,(http://www.cows.ca/ourlocations.php), and lobster suppers are very popular, the most famous probably being St Ann's, followed by New Glasgow and Fisherman's Wharf in North Rustico (with a 60 foot salad bar). Another great spot is the Frosty Treat in Kengsington (http://www.kata.pe.ca/restaurants/frosty... which has delicious ice cream treats and lots of deep fried items, including clams. Mmmmm!!! If you head up to the West end of the Island you can try the Seaweed Pie Cafe for a neat experience.

If you want to avoid things that are overly touristy, I would definitely skip Avonlea Village and Gateway Village. They are probably the worst examples of pure touristy gimmick.

There's always lots going on in PEI in the summer, so it's worth checking into what festivals and local concerts will be on. There are still a lot of community concerts that are very intimate and a lot of fun. Some good sites for general & festival info are:

http://www.gov.pe.ca/visitorsguide/index...

http://www.gov.pe.ca/infopei/index.php3?...