A couple of times a year I get an email from faraway friends or family that’s some variation of “my buddy Gregor is coming to PEI in a few weeks: what should he be sure to see and do?”
I’ve just had another one, and rather than responding privately, I’ll respond here so that others in the same pickle have a place to look (or a place to point).
The things listed below are limited selection that reflect my own particular tastes rather than being any attempt at being broad and universal (of particular note: I’ve left out a couple of places that I don’t want tourists gumming up).
These are the places I take people when they visit, the ones that are not “generic anywhere.”
Where to Eat
Charlottetown
- Thai Pad Food Truck– excellent Thai food beside a brew pub
- Himalayan Curry– tasty Indian food
- Dave’s Lobster– modern lobster rolls
- Phở Hưng– Vietnamese food served by the nicest people on the Island
- Mr. Sushi– our go-to sushi place
- Water-Prince Corner Shop– the best fish & chips
- Sirenella– house-made pasta; the aglio e olio is excellent
Outside of Charlottetown
- The Pearl– quite possibly the best place to eat on the Island; dear, but worth it
- Landmark Café– another contender for “the best place”
- PEI Preserve Company– unsweetened iced tea; raspberry pie
- Richard’s Fresh Seafood– fresh fish, stone’s throw from the beach in Stanhope; tell the National Park attendant “we’re going to Richard’s” and you won’t have to pay park fee
- The Fifth Ingredient– a French bakery in the (relative) wilderness; excellent bread, but also pizza and sandwiches and smoothies of note
- Sheltered Harbour Café– never had a bad meal here; my go-to place in Souris
- Blue Mussel Café– fresh fish; no fries; stellar location; friendly staff
Where to Drink Coffee
Charlottetown
- Casa Mia Café– my go-to breakfast place
- Receiver Coffee– house-roasted coffee brewed with love and wit
Outside of Charlottetown
- Samuels Coffee House– unexpected gem in Summerside; even after the “good coffee… in Summerside?” surprise wears off, the coffee is still good, the space is nice and the folks are friendly
- Shore Market– ice coffee & capers; near the beach; amazing; beside Richard’s in Stanhope (see above)
- Island Chocolates– Factory Coffee = coffee + chocolate; in Victoria-by-the-Sea near the Landmark (see above)
Where to Beach
- Blooming Point– a spectacular semi-officially-recognized beach with no facilities other than parking
- Stanhope– inside PEI National Park; most remarkable for easy access to good food and coffee (see above)
- Argyle Shore Provincial Park– a nice place to picnic; water is shallow and calm and warm
- Canoe Cove Beach– another warm, shallow south-shore beach
- Sally’s Beach– not north shore, not south shore; not near anything; one of my favourites
- Tea Hill Park– an unremarkable beach with lots of mosquitos; but it’s very close to Charlottetown
What to See and Do
Charlottetown
- City Cinema– an “art house” cinema in downtown Charlottetown. Tiny, friendly and air conditioned with an eclectic program.
- Confederation Centre Art Gallery– austere, air conditioned, quiet space right downtown; a good place to get away from the crazy tourism-drenched streets on busy days
Outside of Charlottetown
- Yankee Hill Pioneer Cemetery– the most beautiful cemetery you will ever visit
- MacAusland’s Woollen Mills– worth the drive up west: the most interesting factory you’ll ever visit; you will leave having purchased a blank, I promise
- McKenna Road– one of the Island’s “heritage roads”; best avoided after a rain; drive along a clay road under a canopy of trees; spectacular
- Brackley Drive-in Theatre– the Island’s only drive-in; in the woods (so bring repellent) near the shore; we go at least once a summer
- Gardens of Hope– walking trails through forest and gardens along the river; beside the PEI Preseve Company (see above); excellent if you need a calm oasis
- Dunes Studio Gallery– most interesting for the architecture and the views; be sure to visit the gardens behind
- Trailside Café and Inn– it’s a café and an inn, yes, but most notably it’s a tiny perfect music venue; you will not be disappointed if you see a show here (and do go early and have supper before; you’ll get a good seat and a good meal)
- Kingfisher Outdoors– kayaking for non-kayakers: they have the kayaks, paddles and life-jackets, they drive you up the Morell River and put you in, you lazily drift/paddle down-river for two hours
- PEI National Park at Greenwich– hiking for non-hikers: the walk from the parking lot, through the woods, over the boardwalk through the marsh and out on to beach will take you breath away; it’s my favourite walk on the Island
- Belfast Mini Mills– most interesting to the fibre-loving tourist, but I love the simple pluck of the enterprise