What is the closest beach to the city centre? What are your must see sites on a four-day trip?

Greetings from PEI!

The weather has been hot-hot-hot these last couple of weeks, so the beach is top of mind for all of us.

Here are a few recommendations for beaches close to Charlottetown and Summerside:

The closest beach to Charlottetown is at Tea Hill Park in Stratford, a lovely south shore beach with the Island’s signature red sand.

If you’re looking for a north shore beach, the closest to Charlottetown is PEI National Park - Brackley Beach, which is inside the PEI National Park.

Just outside the boundaries of the PEI National Park, you’ll find Blackbush at Tracadie Harbour, a thoughtful resort development with a gentle footprint that welcomes both visitors and locals to enjoy the beach, as well as the public bathroom facilities at no charge. The restaurant, Fin Folk Food, serves delicious food, and there’s an ice cream bar nearby. This has actually become our favourite beach destination over the last couple of years!

In the Red Sands Shore and Summerside area, check out Linkletter Provincial Park, Chelton Beach Provincial Park and Cabot Beach Provincial Park. A little farther away, but well worth the drive, you’ll find Thunder Cove Beach.

Since you’ll be here for four days, I suggest you spend some time in historic downtown Charlottetown and explore some of our rural areas. That will give you a good sense of what PEI is all about.

Charlottetown

Be sure to check out Discover Charlottetown to learn all about what our capital city has to offer. Here are some of my must-do recommendations:

• Be sure to check out Peake’s Wharf on the Charlottetown Waterfront, where you’ll find amazing indoor and outdoor dining, live music and gift shops.
• Stroll along Victoria Row, a pedestrian street in historic downtown Charlottetown that has restaurants, gift shops and live music (the block of Richmond Street located between Queen Street and Great George Street).
• The Charlottetown Festival has an interesting summer line-up. I saw “Maggie” a couple of weeks ago, and I loved it.  It’s based on the life of Johnny Reid’s grandmother, a single mother in Scotland who perseveres through adversity and finds joy in her family and community.
• If you’ll be downtown on a Sunday, plan to visit the Downtown Charlottetown Farmers’ Market, which takes place on lower Queen Street from 10am to 3pm. You’ll find more than 70 local vendors selling crafts (pottery, woodwork, artwork, hooked rugs, knitted goods), homemade soap and body products, clothing and jewelry, as well as fresh produce and baked goods; there is also a Canadian and ethnic food service. There’s usually live music too!
• Just beyond downtown Charlottetown (next to the University of Prince Edward Island), you’ll find the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market. It’s open on Saturdays from 9am to 2pm; during the summer months, it’s also open on Wednesdays from 9am to 2pm. It’s a hub of activity and it’s a great place to meet people. Bring your appetite, as the food is amazing!

Rural PEI

PEI has three coastal drives that mostly follow the spectacular coastlines of western, central and eastern PEI, and take you inland as well, through some of the Island’s most charming rural communities, villages and towns.

Be sure to visit Victoria-by-the-Sea, a sweet village on the Island’s south shore that has a lot to offer, and North Rustico, one of the Island’s most picturesque fishing villages located on the north shore.

Food

Prince Edward Island is known as Canada’s Food Island. Here are some of my favourite places to eat:

• to enjoy a feed of lobster, I suggest you plan to spend an evening at New Glasgow Lobster Suppers. It’s not just a place to eat, it’s been a quintessentially Island experience since 1958.
• Visit Richard’s Fresh Seafood, which is located at Covehead Harbour in the PEI National Park (get there early, as it’s very popular with visitors and locals alike) and in Victoria.
• The PEI Preserve Company in New Glasgow is a wonderful place to eat (reservations strongly recommended). Plan to spend a couple of hours there, to stroll through the Gardens of Hope and visit the Butterfly House.

Festivals & Events

Be sure to check out Festivals & Events and the Buzz – this is how locals stay up-to-date community events and local art, music, theatre, film and much more. Definitely take in a ceilidh while you’re here – this is very much an Island experience. Ceilidhs take place almost every night at different venues around the Island.

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us again. Enjoy your PEI holiday!

Nicole