Prince Edward Island (or PEI) is one of the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. 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 the British North American colonies. Canada was formed three years later in 1867. The Welcome Center  is located just off the PEI bridge in Charlottetown

Getting There

By car
Being an island, PEI has limited access by car.
 • The monumental Confederation Bridge -- a visitor attraction in and of itself -- 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 toll is collected on the PEI side when returning to the mainland.

By ship
There are a number of car ferries into PEI.
 • The Northumberland Ferries 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.
 • The CTMA 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, 1-418-986-3278).
 • Throughout the summer months, cruise liners stop in Charlottetown for one day visits.

By air
Prince Edward Island is served by a single, airport located in Charlottetown (IATA Airport Code: YYG). The following airlines operate passenger flights into the airport:
 • Air Canada (Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto)
 • Westjet (Toronto, Vancouver)
 • Northwest Airlines (Detroit)
 • Conquest Vacations (Toronto)

Attractions

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.
 • 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.
 • 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 Greenwich Dunes on one side, and is full of row upon row of buoys used for mussel farming.

Dining

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.

High end
 • Widely recognized as the best dining on PEI is the Inn at Bay Fortune (in Bay Fortune). 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, surprisingly, no matching wine pairings). The restaurant has been awarded three stars (the maximum) by the Where to Eat in Canada dining guide. (902) 687-3745 or (860) 563-6090 (winter)
 • The Lucy Maud Montgomery Dining Room (4 Sydney Street, Charlottetown) is operated by the Culinary Institute of Canada , a well respected school for chefs. The students prepare and serve meals under the tutelage of their professors. The food is classically and competently prepared. The dining room has an excellent view over Charlottetown Harbour. (902) 894-6868

Mid End
 • The Café on the Clyde , located in the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company  store (in New Glasgow at the junction of routes 224 and 258) has a selection of breakfast items served until 11:00 a.m., 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 potatoes; 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. 1-800-565-5267

Budget
 • The Formosa Tea Room (at 186 Prince Street, Charlottetown) 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. (902) 566-4991
 • 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 in Malpeque Harbor. Oysters are a bargain at $18/dozen. They also serve chowder, mussels, beer and sodas. Open until 8:00 p.m. (902-836-3999)
 • The Water Prince Corner Store  (located at the corner of Water and Prince Streets in Charlottetown) 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. (902) 368-3212

Lobster suppers
A highly popular dining experience, available everywhere on the island focuses on the plentiful lobster. These meals are built around a main course of lobster and include several appetizers, soups, salads and desserts. The most widely acclaimed place for this experience is New Glasgow Lobster Dinners located in the village of New Glasgow. You can choose from 1, 1.5 and 2 lbs lobsters. Prices, though high for the island, are very reasonable compared to anywhere else.

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 . Their stores carry a reasonable selection of wine, beer and liquor.