From Wikitravel

Prince Edward Island (or PEI) [1] is one of the Atlantic Provinces of Canada.

Contents 1 Cities 2 Other destinations 3 Understand 4 Get in 4.1 By car 4.2 By air 4.3 By ship 5 Get around 6 See 7 Do 8 Buy 9 Eat 9.1 Budget 9.2 Mid-range 9.3 Splurge 9.4 Groceries 10 Drink 11 Get out

Cities

• Charlottetown
• Summerside

Other destinations

• Prince Edward Island National Park covers much of the central north coast and includes "Green Gables" and other sites related to the Anne of Green Gables books and their author, Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Understand

Prince Edward Island is defined by colour; its green pastoral landscapes are rimmed with red sandstone cliffs that drop into the blue Atlantic. Located in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence between the island of Newfoundland and the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia mainland, PEI is Canada's smallest province and one of its most famous tourist destinations.

"The Island", as locals call it, is well known for its beautiful sandy beaches and dunes. It is also the home of the gregarious Anne Shirley from Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic Anne of Green Gables. It became the "Cradle of Confederation" after the Father's of Confederation met there in 1864 to discuss the possible union of five British North American colonies. Canada was formed three years later in 1867.

Gateway Village, located just off the Confederation Bridge, is a 30 acre development of food and retail shops aimed at tourists. The Visitor Information Centre provides free maps and tourist information.

Get in

By car

Being an island, PEI has limited access by car.

• The monumental Confederation Bridge [2], almost a visitor attraction in and of itself (viewing stations on the New Brunswick side offer good photo opportunities), crosses the Northumberland Strait between New Brunswick and PEI. It's reached from the mainland on TCH Route 16 near Aulac, and stretches 13 kilometers across open water to the island. The CND $40.50 toll (2 axle vehicle) is collected on the PEI side when returning to the mainland.
• PEI Express Shuttle, +1-877- 877-1771, [3] offers van service between PEI and Halifax. 3 days advance reservation is recommended.
• There are a number of car ferries into PEI.
  • The Northumberland Ferries, +1 888- 249-7245, [4] cross from Caribou, Nova Scotia to Woods Islands about once every hour and a half, from 6:30AM to 7:00PM ($12 per passenger or $20 per car). The ferries do not operate during the winter months.
  • CTMA, +1 418 986-3278, [5] runs ferries from Cap-aux-Meules on Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec to Souris about once a day ($40 per passenger or $75 per car).

By air

Prince Edward Island is served by a single airport located in Charlottetown (IATA Airport Code: YYG) [6]. The following airlines operate passenger flights into the airport:

• Air Canada/Air Canada Jazz (Halifax (Nova Scotia), Montreal, Toronto)
• Westjet (Toronto)
• Northwest Airlines (Detroit)
• Sunwing Vacations (Toronto)

By ship

Throughout the summer months, cruise liners stop in Charlottetown for one day visits.

Get around

Public transportation is almost non-existent on Prince Edward Island. Most visitors will want to use an automobile to explore the island.

In the summer cycling is popular. Although most roads do not have wide shoulders or designated bike lanes, drivers tend to be quite courtous to cyclists. The landscape consists mostly of rolling hills; there are few steep hills to climb. Additionally, the Confederation Trail stretches from one end of the island to the other. Built on a disused rail bed, the trail has low grades and is reserved for cyclists and pedestrians.

See

Tourism in PEI often focuses on beach, seafood, music and the Anne of Green Gables House which seems especially to appeal to visitors from Japan, for whom this is the third or fourth most popular destination in North America (after the Grand Canyon and Banff, Alberta and often ahead even of Niagara Falls).

PEI features many scenic fishing villages.

Malpeque Harbor is the source of not just the famous oysters but many postcards and posters of the picturesque fishing boats, colorful barn-shaped boat houses, and neatly stacked lobster traps. Arrive in late afternoon or early morning for the best light on the water.

St. Peter's Bay is bordered by the 900 acre Greenwich Dunes [7] on one side, and is full of row upon row of buoys used for mussel farming.

Do

• The Confederation Centre of the Arts [8] in Charlottetown hosts a variety of theatrical and musical acts throughout the year in addition to the long running Anne of Green Gables musical which plays every summer. The centre also houses a small art gallery and a public library.
• The Victoria Playhouse [9] in picturesque Victoria by the Sea presents up to 85 live theatre and performance events each season. The playbill includes a mix of established classics and new plays by young playwrights.

Buy

Most stores remain closed on Sundays although all essential services are available. Given the island's large tourism industry, there are many, varied souvenir shops all over. Some of the more impressive are Prince Edwards Island Preserves in New Glasgow, Vessy's Seeds in York and The Dunes in Brackley. These shops carry locally produced art work, food and clothing items.

Eat

In recent years, Prince Edward Island has seen a tremendous improvement in the quality of its restaurants. The traditional tourist restaurants serving boiled lobsters with all-you-can-eat coleslaw still exist, and can be a lot of fun, but those looking for a more refined or exotic meal now have several options.

Budget

• The Formosa Tea Room, 186 Prince St, Charlottetown, +1 902 566-4991, provides shockingly inexpensive vegetarian meals. Serving a selection of fine Asian teas, dim sum treats like dumplings, and large bowls of noodles, vegetables and vegetarian "ham", you won't go hungry. The menu is small but every item on it is delicious and very reasonably priced.
• Malpeque oysters are known around the world for their large size, soft flesh and sweet, mild flavour. Eat the freshest possible Malpeque oysters at the Malpeque Oyster Barn, Malpeque Harbor, +1 902 836-3999. Oysters are a bargain at $18/dozen. They also serve chowder, mussles, beer and sodas. Open until 8PM.
• The Water Prince Corner Shop and Lobster Pound, 141 Water St (corner of Water and Prince streets), Charlottetown, +1 902 368-3212, [10] offers simple but well prepared seafood meals at exceptional prices. Start with an order of fresh Malpeque oysters, and then have a lobster roll, some lightly battered fish and chips, or even a 2 lb. steamed lobster.

Mid-range

• The Café on the Clyde, +1 800 565-5267, located in the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company [11] store, in New Glasgow at the junction of routes 224 and 258, has a selection of breakfast items served until 11AM, and lunch and dinner items served after that. The potato and bacon pie is excellent, as is the lobster croissant. The fish cakes are made the traditional way with salt cod and potatos; an authentic Maritime experience, but most customers don't order them twice. A wide selection of black and herbal teas are available either hot or iced. The dining room has a beautiful view over the idyllic Clyde River. It's a great place to stop for breakfast, lunch, a light dinner, or just a cup of tea and a piece of home-made cake.
• Lobster suppers. A highly popular dining experience and ubiquitous on the island. These meals are built around a main course of locally-caught lobster and usually include appetizers, soups, salads and desserts. Look for a large, red lobster claw on the front lawn of a church or social club, or a handpainted sign at a crossroad.
  • One of the most widely advertised restaurants for this experience is New Glasgow Lobster Dinners, located in the village of New Glasgow near the heart of Anne of Green Gables country. You can choose from 1, 1.5 and 2 lb lobsters. Prices, though high for the island, are very reasonable compared to elseswhere. Route 258 (off Highway 13), +1 902 964-2870, [12].
  • St. Ann's Parish in New Hope offers a huge amount of food—all home cooked—for a reasonable price. The traditional lobster dinner includes soup, a heaping bowl of local mussels, salad, cole slaw, au gratin potatoes, vegetables, lobster, and homemade dessert. They also serve other entrees, as well as wine and beer. Children's menu available. Located off Route 224, +1 902 621-0635, [13]. Be sure to arrive hungry.

Splurge

• Widely recognized as the best dining on PEI is the Inn at Bay Fortune, Bay Fortune, +1 902 687-3745 (winter +1 860 563-6090), [14]. The menu was originally developed by chef Michael Smith, and his Food Network series The Inn Chef was filmed at the Inn. Smith has since left to focus on his television programme, but the quality of the food has not decreased. Chef Renee Lavalle offers a daily tasting menu (but, surpisingly, no matching wine pairings). The restaurant has been awarded three stars (the maximum) by the Where to Eat in Canada dining guide.
• The Lucy Maud Montgomery Dining Room at the Culinary Institute of Canada, a well respected school for chefs. 4 Sydney St, Charlottetown, +1 902 894-6868, [15]. The students prepare and serve meals under the tuttelage of their professors. The food is classically and competently prepared. The dining room has an excellent view over Charlottetown Harbour, though the institute's building itself is hopelessly municipal in appearance. Begins service at 6PM, reservations requested.

Groceries

If you choose to cook your own meals at a rental cottage or a camp site there are a number of large grocery stores located around the island. Atlantic Superstore [16] (locations in Charlottetown, Summerside, and Montague) and Sobeys [17] (locations in Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague, Stratford, and West Royalty) are the largest grocery stores in the province, and both carry a wide selection of staples as well as international imports. Be aware that most grocery stores are closed on Sundays.

Drink

The legal drinking age in Prince Edward Island is 19. Bars, clubs and liquor stores will typically ask for a government-issued ID from anyone who looks under 25. Retail alcohol sale on the island is restricted to the government controlled PEI Liquor Commission [18]. Their stores carry a reasonable selection of wine, beer and liquor.

Get out

• The ferries to the Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Nova Scotia are fairly infrequent. However, Confederation Bridge remains open year round and is the fastest, cheapest and most convenient way back to the mainland.
• There are daily flights between Charlottetown and Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax.

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