3 adventurous ways to explore Canada's Prince Edward Island

With red cliffs that plunge to the sea, wide sandy beaches and summer wildflowers that paint the fields purple, yellow and pink, Prince Edward Island (PEI) is one of Canada’s most scenic coastal destinations. Even at the island’s centre, you’re never more than 10 miles from the sea, which means you’re always close to freshly shucked oysters, a bucket of garlicky mussels or a hot-from-the-pot lobster. 

Located north of Nova Scotia and east of New Brunswick, Canada’s smallest province is connected to the mainland by ferry and via the eight-mile-long Confederation Bridge. Whether you choose to explore this compact region by road, by bicycle, or on foot, PEI provides plenty of opportunities for adventure.

1. Adventure by foot

Looking for an epic walking holiday? The recently completed 435-mile Island Walk can take you around the entire province on foot. Starting and ending in the provincial capital, Charlottetown, the walk follows existing roads and pathways organised into 32 segments of 12.5 to 15.5 miles, each designed as a single day’s excursion for an average fit walker. You can plan daily walks on a shorter holiday or allow several weeks to complete the entire excursion.

More off the beaten track than some established walking routes, like the Camino de Santiago, the Island Walk gets walkers back to nature. It doesn't overwhelm hikers with lodging and restaurant choices at the end of every segment, so it does take a little bit of planning to work out where you'll eat and sleep. Some walkers camp, while others stay at inns or B&Bs, often using one location as a base for multiple days and relying on a mix of local buses, taxis and transport provided by innkeepers to get to and from the trail. 

The Island Walk website lists accommodation partners that welcome walkers. PEI-based tour operators, including Experience PEI and Outer Limit Sports, offer trip planning and luggage transfer services to organise your travel, assist with transportation and arrange accommodation.

2. Adventure by bicycle

Prefer to explore by bike? The Island Walk is accessible to cyclists as well.

With its relatively flat terrain, PEI is home to numerous cycling routes, including the 170-mile Confederation Trail, a multi-use pathway that follows a former rail line across the island from tip to tip. It extends between Tignish in the west and Elmira at the eastern end. The trail takes you through small communities, into the forests and past museums and other points of interest. Keep an eye out for informative panels along the way, sharing facts about local environment and history. 

While the main Confederation Trail traverses the island’s centre, several branch trails lead to the coasts, offering a total of nearly 280 miles to travel by bike. Open to cyclists and walkers between April and November, the Confederation Trail becomes a snowmobile route in winter.

MacQueen’s Bike Shop rents out bikes and helps visitors plan cycling trips. Experience PEI and Outer Limit Sports also offer trip-planning services for cyclists.

3. Adventure by car

In about three hours, you could easily drive the 174 miles from one end of Prince Edward Island to the other. But with so much to see, plan a more leisurely drive along easy-to-navigate road trip routes, from the North Cape to Points East, and everywhere in between.

The 157-mile Central Coastal Drive circles the island’s core, where highlights draw from tales of a spirited, red-haired girl. Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables novels, first published in 1908, tell the story of young Anne Shirley, sent from an orphanage to live on a PEI farm. Many attractions along this drive share details about the author’s life and the legacy of these still-popular books. In Cavendish, Parks Canada runs Green Gables Heritage Place, encompassing a museum, heritage home and wooded walking trails, while in New London, you can visit the Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace, the clapboard house where the author was born.

Beyond this literary legend, the Central Coastal Drive takes you from historic Charlottetown, through small fishing villages and along the sandy shores and red cliffs of Prince Edward Island National Park. You can meander through museums in Summerside, the province’s second city, and stop in seafaring communities like North Rustico or New Glasgow for traditional lobster suppers.