A Week on Prince Edward Island, Canada

Cape Egmont lighthouse on Prince Edward Island with red cliffs and green grass — *Can you see me on the cliff? Feeling like Anne Shirley standing near Cape Egmont Lighthouse*

I grew up watching Anne of Green Gables annually with my mom and sister so my fascination for Prince Edward Island has long been a brewing. I honestly don’t have many “bucket list” destinations but without a doubt, taking a trip to the land of kindred spirits was at the top. My mom and I have road-tripped all across the United States but this stop in P.E.I. felt extra special with our love of Anne Shirley and beautiful countryside. This marked the first Canadian stop of our road trip, after an outdoorsy stint in Maine, and man was it lovely.

To be honest, it was much more rural than I was expecting across most of the island (I feel confident saying that as we drove A LOT of the island) but the billowing grass, all the lupins (honestly might be my new favorite flower), and the variety of coastal views had us keeping our eyes peeled for real estate listings. Though I’m not quite convinced I could handle a Canadian winter…

Since I fully planned to embody Anne, write a work of literature, and find my Gilbert Blythe, I booked us for a week on P.E.I. Sadly, we did have some decent rain but ultimately it made for an easy, laidback week amid road trip chaos.

Here’s how we spent our time…

Where we stayed:

I booked us at a Bed & Breakfast in Kensington, so we’d be positioned more centrally on the island. If I could do it again, I’d probably split the trip with a booking more towards the east and then one in the west (depending on time, potentially mixing in an additional central location). It is an island, but to try to see as much of it as you can it’s a lot of drive time during the days if you only stay in one spot.

Towns we visited:

Kensington - This acted as our home base during our week on the island. Our B&B was situated just a few steps off of the Confederation Trail, which you can take into the small town featuring a few restaurants, bakery, and galleries. You can also walk down the trail and learn more about the history surrounding it and the town.
Summerville - A great ice cream parlour with all the old-school vibes and a nice garden to sit and relax with your treat. Also, a few good cafes to grab a drink and sit down in one of the Adirondack chairs by the water.
Charlottetown - This is where the action is - quite a bustling city with a cute suburb around it. Stroll along the shops off Queen Street and Victoria Row, grab an ice cream from Cows, and walk down to the waterfront. We loved the farmers market on Saturday that spans a few blocks and features a lot of local crafters, artists, and more.
Victoria by the Sea - A charming seaside village featuring loads of local artisans operating shops out of their own homes. Swoon. You can also walk out onto the shore to collect sea glass (or simply slowly slink further into the mud). A few restaurants for a bite to eat as well.

Favorite places we ate:

Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour - A classic ice cream shop inside an old home with a beautiful garden. They even have notes on the wall and historical anecdotes to showcase some of the stories behind the shop.
The Willow Bakery & Cafe - Was co-owned with the B&B we stayed at. Most of the treats were ok but I loved the ginger cookie sandwiches (went back for seconds!).
Samuel’s Coffee House - My mom grabbed an iced tea here that she is forever trying to recreate. Great spot to grab a drink or a quick bite to eat by the water
Pilot House - Perfect lunch spot in Charlottetown, especially lovely for a sit outside (and to pick the brain of your waiter for recommendations on Nova Scotia lol). Highly recommend the fried chicken sandwich (heads up that the seafood chowder is priceyyy).
Receiver Cafe & Bistro - Another Charlottetown find. We grabbed breakfast here on a Saturday during the farmer’s market hours and it was delicious!
The Handpie Company - I love a pie, there are few I’ll turn down so when I found this place on the map, I knew we had to go! They offer both savory and sweet pies, just be sure to get there early as they run out of flavors by the end of the day.
Baba’s Kitchen - Great breakfast stop ahead of your day of excursions. Filled with book-clubbing ladies, all-day breakfast, and an overall charming vibe.

All the excursions, tips, and tricks:

If you’re not going to Prince Edward Island to step into the world of L.M. Montgomery and the beloved Anne of Green Gables… what are you even doing there? You’ll notice there is a lot of Anne signage and attractions all around the island. Like many tourist spots, I’m sure much of it is nonsense but the stops I loved were both L.M. Montgomery’s childhood home (the Anne of Green Gables Museum) in Kensington as well as the Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish. Understand the workings of a home in the 1800s, see the Lake of Shining Waters, walk along the “haunted” trails, and just pretend you’re a beloved orphan who found a home on a beautiful island.
Did you know there are 63 lighthouses on Prince Edward Island? To see as much of the island as possible, we drove the western loop down to Cape Egmont lighthouse, up and over to West Point lighthouse, and up to the North Cape before routing back to Kensington. I’ve never seen so many cute lighthouses and they're so stout too! It’s also really interesting to travel through some of the French-speaking towns on the island.
There are so many beaches to explore seeing as it’s… an island. I wanted to see the red sand beaches with the grassy cliffs, so one of my favorites was Thunder Cove. You’ll see an iconic “teacup” structure on the beach in many photographs but it’s sadly no longer there after a tropical storm knocked it down.
As someone who was a class away from a minor in French in college, I was so impressed by the level of immersion the language has across Canada, even on this little island. You’ll notice dual-language signs as you drive, greetings in different languages, and towns where English is not the first language! So, brush up on some of your French - it could help you.
If you plan to do a lot of driving, be sure to fill up on gas where you can as some parts can be more rural. Additionally, plan ahead for your lunch and dinner. For places like the west tip of the island, there aren’t a lot of food options so that day might be a great day for some aforementioned hand pies to picnic on the road.
This may be known to many but it was new to us, when it comes to paying for gas in Canada you have to approve a maximum spend amount on the machine for your card before you can pump. So don’t sweat it when you approve a minimum charge of CAD $100! It’s not the actual cost though you might see a hold on your card for that amount until the actual charge processes through. You can also just go inside and tell the cashier how much to put on your pump - and plenty of stations require you to pay inside anyway.