Points East Coastal Drive Prince Edward Island

Points East Coastal Drive

If you like swimming or sunbathing, or strolling quiet pristine beaches, golfing top notch golf courses or browsing sweet craft and artisan shops, biking coastal view trails, kayaking serene bays, or coastline waters, fishing off a wharf or on the deep-sea, hiking or bird watching, driving on country roads taking in farmers fields, and stopping at roadside fruit, and vegetable stands, or exploring picturesque small fishing villages, and lighthouses… then have I got a trip for you. Points East Coastal Drive on Prince Edward Island - has it all, and then some.

St. Peters

Scenic and tucked away from all the hullabaloo of Central PEI, is the lovely village of St. Peters, with its stately churches, coastal views, a charming walking bridge, and cute seaside shops like Freckles & Porcelain. This boutique is my top pick, and was inspired by a vintage bathing suit. The owner and talented artist, Emily Carlaw, has created a dreamscape of nostalgic art, design and pretty things in what feels like an old-fashioned general store. Another must stop is Rick's Fish 'N' Chips & Seafood.

Greenwich National Park

Walking trails, hiking, biking and birding through wetlands, and forests, and beautiful white sand beaches with parabolic sand dunes, makes Greenwich National Park one of the world's top Coastal Destinations by National Geographic.

Parabolic Sand Dunes

Greenwich Park Beach has miles and miles of majestic parabolic sand dunes, and ocean views offering you a peaceful solitude. We only saw a handful of people on the beach, and it was a gloriously hot day. I guess most prefer fighting for towel space in central PEI, but if you are like my hubby and I, this is our kinda place. You may come across an occasional seabird though, wondering how you found his beach. Shhh… it’s our little secret now.

Confederation Trail

A cyclist’s dream awaits you on the Confederation Trail, on the 15 km between St. Peters to Morell. The original railway lines, now since abandoned, have been groomed, and extended across the whole island. However, the stretch between St. Peters to Morell, is the absolute prettiest with its farmland, fields of flowers, wooden bridges, quaint wooded trails with birds, and butterflies galore, and many sweeping ocean views. This section of the trail has more water views than anywhere else on the island. The trail is fairly flat, so it is perfect for any age, and ideal for families. There are also many spots to stop and rest, or picnic, or to just enjoy the view, and grab a photograph.

The Links at Crowbush Cove

Spectacular views overlooking the north shore dunes will surely wow the most discerning of golfers at The Links at Crowbush. It just happens to be rated in the top ten golf courses by Score Magazine too. Golf Digest, also rates it 4½ stars for its “undulating fairways, water holes, and ocean breezes providing … one of the Island’s toughest challenges.” The Links at Crowbush, Brudenell River Golf Course & Dundarave Golf Course are all within a twenty minute drive of where we stayed. My hubby was one happy guy!

North Lake

“Hey, that looks interesting! There’s so much going on and just look at those cute fishing shanties. Let’s go check it out,” I implored my husband, pointing to a fishing harbour off in the distance. Eric knew it was fruitless to argue, so he turned the vehicle towards North Lake and he eyed the ‘Pirates Boathouse Cafe’ as we drove in and went in search of lunch.

Landing Day

I headed for the wharf where all the excitement was. I learned it was ‘Landing Day’ - the last day of the season for Lobster Fishermen, so I had a blast meeting, talking to, and taking photos of the locals as they unloaded all their traps and gear for the season. While Eric was enjoying a couple fish tacos, I discovered North Lake Harbour is self-declared as the ‘Tuna Capital of the World’. It lays claim to several tuna giants brought in here, and the majority of tuna licensed fishermen from PEI fish from here. It looked more like the ‘Lobster Capital of the World’ today, but I was told Tuna is King here.

East Point Lighthouse

Built in 1866-1867, the East Point Lighthouse was the last lighthouse erected before the Island joined Confederation in 1873. It marks the eastern-most tip of PEI, and it is one of the busiest supports for navigation because of its location. Shipwrecks were plentiful here, as this coast was one of the most difficult to navigate, due to the meeting of the Atlantic Ocean, Northumberland Strait, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence tides.

Basin Head

Basin Head Beach is widely known for its ‘singing sands,’ and is a popular destination for locals, and tourists alike. Go ahead, try it… run through the sand on a hot day, and it will sing away. Apparently this is due to the high silica content in the sand. Basin Head is one of PEI’s provincial parks, so this area has some amenities you might not see elsewhere, including: bathrooms, a canteen, and a few shops. The Basin Head Fisheries Museum is also found here.

Souris

What a cutie this friendly seaside town of Souris is, and just check out these inexpensive Shanty & Stay digs. What a great alternative to camping for hikers, and bikers alike. I am definitely returning here for a closer look sometime.

Souris Lighthouse

We visited Souris lighthouse next, where I met a couple of painters that shared they were participating in the Points East Plein Air Festival. I learned that during this special event, artists set up daily to capture and celebrate the scenery that Eastern PEI has to offer in its picturesque historic town and villages. These artists had been moving daily to different locations so that they could enter several artworks. Participants compete for cash prizes in various categories. I just love coming across these unexpected moments.

Points East Coastal PEI

Points East Coastal PEI has it all with Provincial parks, breathtaking scenery, natural wonders, stunning beaches, biking trails with coastal views, golf courses, hiking, kayaking, deep-sea fishing, birdwatching, artisan treasures, pretty country roads, farmers fields, roadside stands, fishing villages, culinary delights, and lighthouses, too. Start planning your visit, and tell them the Maritimes Maven sent you.

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