Over the many years we’ve been coming to PEI in the summer, we’ve managed to visit every corner and many stops along the way.
There have been many favourite locations we have discovered and returned to over the years, but one that we always make a point of going to is Victoria By the Sea.
Why we love Victoria By The Sea
Located only 20 minutes east of the Confederation Bridge (which is close to where we stay), it’s an easy drive to a coastal town that is perfectly picturesque.
There is a lighthouse to climb and snap photos of (every PEI trip should include lighthouse visits) and it’s situated with a backdrop that is worth seeing.
Give yourself enough time to walk around and shop the Village. I love these two shops where you can purchase local gifts, decor and more!
Of course, we don’t go anywhere without knowing we’ll be eating some amazing local food.
Richard’s is THE place to get a lobster roll. You can also order something else on the menu (my eldest opted for the steamed mussels during our last visit and they looked amazing) but I can’t get past their lobster roll and fries. And they have beer on tap for those who enjoy that!
There’s the newly re-done Landmark Oyster House that we weren’t able to get to yes, but the food sounds delicious.
We often end up at the Lobster Barn for a patio meal overlooking the water.
Other places to visit
There are many other places to check out in this small town, but here are a few more to consider:
Island Chocolates will have treats for the family or gifts to bring home (if they make it that long!) and also serves locally roasted coffee. You can see them making the chocolate too!
The Victoria Playhouse offers a season of live theatre and you can check in advance of your trip to see what’s playing.
And finally, if you are feeling adventurous, you can rent kayaks or bicycles to tour around (or even learn how to kayak!)
A few notes:
As with almost every destination on the Island, it’s worth checking to confirm that shops and restaurants are open and for what times. In high season, they are open more frequently but sometimes closed early or not at all, especially during the quiet seasons.
There are a few small parking lots but you may end up needing to street park.
Bring a camera – this is a spot where you’ll be able to capture plenty of picturesque photos!
Our experience was gifted to us by Tourism PEI. All opinions are my own
I have two words for you: Beach. Goats.
Having visiting Prince Edward Island for many years with the kids (we began when our youngest was only 2 and now both are teens), I can safely say that we have been able to experience so many activities, food bites and generosity the Island has to offer. And of course, it’s no secret that we love to visit year after year.
Family Activities in PEI to do with Kids and Teens
We’ve gone to lighthouses, Bottle Houses, many beaches, and foodie destinations (some, admittedly, were more for mom and dad than the kids) and as the years have gone by, we’ve reduced how ‘busy’ we keep ourselves.
Because our cottage is a destination and attraction on its own, we don’t leave for day trips like we did when the kids were smaller and were waking up earlier in the day. We’ve been treating our vacation as a ‘home away from home’ for a while now.
However, when Tourism PEI offered us the chance to try something new, we welcomed the opportunity to become adventuring tourists again. All the offerings that we could have done looked like a blast, but it was the Beach Goats activity on the list that BOTH my kids insisted we do.
What is the Beach Goat experience?
Beach Goats are located on the southern part of PEI in St. Chrysostome. This family run business has been operating for five years, welcoming visitors to their beach-front property to play and walk with the goats.
On the day of our visit, we had about 17 goats taking us for a walk (and yes, I say they took us because we just followed along as they strolled the beach, snacking on vegetatian and playing around).
While we booked a private experience (which meant it was just us, the owner (Devon), and the goats), there are a variety of ways to come hang with the goats.
You can visit during a public drop in ‘sampler’ on Tuesdays and Saturdays in August from 1 pm to 4 pm (no reservations required), sign up for goat yoga or paddleboarding, book your own private experience or check out one of their special events like Paint Night.
If your little one is 5 and under, you may want to attend the playgroup, a visit designed for younger kids.
Rates, schedules and registration information are listed on their website.
Our hour-long visit seemed to fly by while Devon kindly told us stories about the goats (they all have their own unique personalities, and names of course), and as we walked the beach at low tide, followed by Jimmy, the extremely friendly dog, it was easy to see why so many people love visiting the goats.
We just watched them eat, play, frolic and fed them dry pasta snacks Devon had brought and it was just what all of us needed. My youngest held them from time to time and both kids had big smiles on their faces while they petted and walked along.
It’s an experience that landed high on the ‘top things we did’ list this year, and there are already plans to book again next year to visit our new friends. How could we not when we had such a great time?
If you are visiting PEI, with kids or without, you’ll want to book your own visit to the Beach Goats.
If you are travelling with kids, of any age (remember, my kids are teens!!) this is a must-do and will become a highlight for your trip I’m sure. BUT for special events and activities like paddleboarding, bookings do fill up quickly (and are dependent on the tide schedules) so you’ll want to book in advance.
For years, we have been going to PEI in the summer, and this year is no exception.
If you’ve been following this blog, or any of m y online accounts, you know that PEI holds a dear place in my heart. It’s become the most fantastic travel spot for our family each summer.
We’ve been visiting since my youngest was 2 years old, so from a family travel perspective we’ve learned quite a few things along the way.
It’s become one of our most loved trips to plan, primarily because we feel like locals when we go now.
Every year, I’m asked about our trips to PEI and I highly encourage other families to make vacation plans to visit PEI as well. The memories will last a lifetime.
What to do in PEI with kids
Most people ask me what we ‘do’ on PEI while there with the kids. The answer is a bit confusing because we do nothing and everything all at once.
We spend a lot of time on the beach, we eat fantastically, we explore, we find new places, we try new things, we watch the sunrise and sunset over the ocean water, the play, we laugh and ultimately we spend time together, just the four of us, that our responsibility-filled lives don’t usually allow for, at least not in the same way.
Every year, we seem to find a new local spot to hang out. But more and more, we just sit back and enjoy our time in the gorgeous space we have.
One thing I recommend is to lean into what the kids love themselves. My son loves history so we usually find spots that have historic stories to share (Charlottetown is the perfect place for this).
My daughter, meanwhile, becomes a little mermaid when we head East so we look for new beaches or build into swimming time for her throughout the weeks.
These activities may change as they grow, but there’s always something to do.
Mostly, we spend a lot of time at our cottage making memories, playing games, reading, swimming and challenging each other to epic soccer tournaments and pop-fly 500 games.
I do recommend a few places when people ask about visiting the Island. Keep reading for some suggestions.
There are so many beaches to choose from, and those visits usually depend on where we will be and the weather, but a few to look into are Thunder Cove, Brackley Beach, Basin Head, the Argyle Shore, and North Rustico.
I also always recommend you find some lighthouses to explore. There’s a map that you can get on the Island that shows you where they all are. These make for amazing photos, history lessons, and a great way to see a lot of the province.
PEI Vacation Planning: Want more information about PEI?
Here are some posts I’ve written to help you make your own plans.
There’s so much to see and do on the Island. It’s historical significance is being celebrated against the backdrop of green lands and glorious beaches. We are pretty excited about heading back each year.
Where to stay when visiting PEI
Want to spend the afternoon looking at cottages? Check out the Tourism PEI website to start. We’ve also used Home Away and Rentalo in our searches.
There are many parts of the Island to stay on. We stay on the southern shore because we love the tide coming in and out, the red sand, the shallow (warmer) waters, and the bird life.
But that area may not be for everyone.
Another spot we love is East (Panmure Island, Souris if you go further North East).
Location based on Beach
I always recommend you think about the following before deciding where to go
a) the beach you want to be on
b) how close to the nearest larger City you want to be (Charlottetown or Summerside for example)
You need to decide if you what type of beach you want to be on first (regular, sandy style beach, or the red sand and extreme tides?) and that should help. The closer you are to open water, the better the breeze typically which has helped us greatly with bugs and not having air conditioning.
We typically would recommend you look for properties near or on the Straight or Coasts with open water because the Bays can sometimes not get enough breeze which means it can be really hot and really bug invested. The same for inland rentals.
What’s the weather like in PEI?
The weather on the Island can vary in the summer months, but typically we deal with warm, summer weather and the nights tend to cool.
Some years have been much warmer than others but the cooler mornings and evenings only add to the attraction. We love sitting on the deck with our coffee and a sweater to start the day.
It can rain, which will affect your beach time, but there are plenty of indoor activities and plans to make on rain days. But of course, we always hope for sunny weather! Also, just because the weather calls for rain doesn’t mean it will last all day. Sometimes the showers are short!
If you rent a cottage, like we do, you’ll find warm days are cooled slightly if you are near the open water and there’s a breeze.
We live in Ottawa and it’s about a 14 hour drive from Ottawa to PEI. We drive and stay over for one night on the way before taking possession of the cottage rental.
In previous years, we have stayed in Saint John and Fredericton and other places along the way.
The plan is typically to drive the furthers on the first day, and then have a leisurely morning the second day.
We usually drive to Fredericton and stop for a picnic lunch in La Pocatiere, QC. This is about a six and a half hour drive. We pack our own lunch (although there is fast food nearby) and we can stretch our legs.
When the tides are right, you could consider a stop at Hopewell Rocks (this is such an amazing area). We’ve done this on the way to PEI and on the way home from PEI before.
On the drive home, we drive it all in one day.
PEI also has an airport, so you could fly into Charlottetown and rent a car to get around the Island as well.
Summer vacation planning to PEI is so much fun! Enjoy!
Have you been to PEI? Going to summer? Let me know below!
Editor’s Note: My son has written some articles about topics he’s chosen that he thinks readers, or maybe their kids will be interested in. Here’s another one and it’s all about PEI! I am often asked what we do with the kids when we go out East. His answers give you a little taste of what the kids love to do when we go.
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My family and I have been to Prince Edward Island for many years as a vacation. Every year, we have a great time. The island is home to many historic places on the island. However, history is not the only thing available on the island. Many other forms of fun can be enjoyed while on Prince Edward Island. Let’s see the top five best things to do on Prince Edward Island.
5. Visit the beaches
Some of the islands most popular areas are the beaches! There are currently 23 beaches located on the island, and all of them are different in their own way. Some of our favourites are Greenwich, North Rustico & Cavendish. However, those are just three. There are still twenty more waiting to be explored. Also, be ready to swim!
4. Explore the light houses
Another one of PEI’s most popular destinations are the lighthouses. 63 lighthouses are found in PEI. You may think that lighthouses are boring but they are pretty cool once you reach the top. Yes, you read that right, you can climb the lighthouses. Each of them are fairly similar in shape, color and size. However, some of them are pretty unique in their own way. Here are some to check out. Souris East Lighthouse, North Cape, Point Prim and Panmure. These lighthouses are all cool and besides, there are 63 of them.
Victoria-by-the-Sea
3. Visit Charlottetown
PEI’s capital and the birthplace of confederation, Charlottetown is where the magic happens. Perhaps you want a drink? They have it here. Oh, you would like some French Fries? They have it here. Perhaps you want a great place to explore? They have it here. Yes, Charlottetown has it all. One thing you need to check out is the province house. They are currently renovating it so you most likely won’t be able to go in until 2020. Nonetheless, Charlottetown is a great way to spend a day at, as it has restaurants, tourist attractions and food. Who doesn’t like food, right?
2. Visit a Cows Ice Cream shop
Cows is one of the best ice cream cones I’ve tasted in the last 10 years. I don’t think I’m alone. There are 12 locations on the island and even some in other places in Canada. Some of places are Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta and British Columbia. You’ll recognize Cows because it literally has a giant cow outside each of the shops. On top of that, make sure you visit the creamery too. It is where the ice cream is made. Also, Cows makes merchandise too. However, they are all parodies of popular movies and TV shows. An example is “Farmite Cattle Royale” Obviously after Fortnite Battle Royale. Try the ice cream it is some of the best you’ll ever have.
1. Try all the food
PEI has all these great things, but the food is what really counts. I mean seafood, of course. Lobster, Oysters, Mussels you name it they have it. You may think it’s just seafood you can find anywhere. We’re on an island of course it’s going to be better than any other seafood! You can have it for dinner, and lunch. As I said, Charlottetown will have all of this seafood. However, some stores will carry it as well. I suggest that if you’re on vacation, you’ll want to eat as much as you can, because once you leave, you won’t be able to have it again.
*editor’s note: He LOVES mussels now, and is a picky eater. Thanks PEI!
So that’s what you should do if you go to PEI. Try the food, visit the lighthouses, swim at the beach and have a good time. I hope you enjoy your time in PEI and have fun.
I think this is a bit of a hidden gem that not everyone who goes to PEI visits, but we loved the Bottle Houses on the west side of the Island.
While we made a point of visiting as many lighthouses and beaches as we could over the years (even though after climbing some houses my son and I thought we would never climb down!), there are still so many places in PEI to visit that are enchanting, exciting, and that feel special.
The Bottle Houses are exactly like this. They have that whimsical, magical feeling to them.
They are located on the North Cape Coastal Drive in Cap-Egmont, PEI. (According to their website, about 40 minutes from the bridge). The ‘village’ is a series of tiny buildings and houses that have been made from bottles. There is an admission fee but on a nice day, it’s a lovely way to spend part of a morning or afternoon.
We had a lovely visit exploring the houses. The day we went it was sunny so the light was really able to shine in. The kids were younger when we went and this was a great spot, because there was plenty of space for them to explore and walk around in the gardens and houses.
If you are looking for a unique stop when you head to PEI, add this to your list!
There are so many gorgeous spots across PEI that it’s hard to just narrow down the locations to highlight on the blog. If you follow my Instagram, you’ll have noticed that in August I was sharing some of my favourite pictures from our trip to PEI, including some great bites of food.
During the two week were were on the Island, we had gorgeous weather, short of a couple cooler, gray days, and we’ve had a perfect balance of touring the Island, taking in the sites, and staying at our cottage.
One of our most favourite places to visit is Greenwich National Park. This is a place that offers infinite beauty, as well as a nearby beach that is great for swimming, plus the feeling that we are at a truly stunning natural setting.
The walk to get to the water when entering the Greenwich National Park can be long for tiny feet, so I recommend bringing a lot of water like we did. It was a hot day that only got hotter as we came back. But the walk is worth it. My husband described it to the kids as having four levels: A gravel, field walk way, a forest, a boardwalk, and a beach. Each unique in it’s own beauty. Everywhere you turn is a photo opportunity.
After our walk and dipping our toes into the wavy water, we needed to swim, so we drove to the nearby life guarded swimming beach of Greenwich, changed in the change rooms and jumped in. It was the cooling down we all needed. We splashed, we swam, we laugh. Definitely a highlight of the day.
Planning to go?
Bring water for your walk! Each way along the board walk is about 30-45 minutes.
There is an outhouse at the beginning of the walk, but that’s hit. Plan accordingly.
Strollers can go on the path, but once you get to the beach there’s an incline. I saw some people park their strollers to walk up and over the dunes into the beach area.
Looking to eat? We brought a picnic with us. There are a few picnic tables, but we just ate while in the parking lot. Want a restaurant? The nearby Rick’s Fish and Chips is worth the stop. On our way back, we grabbed some clam strips to munch on.
Once again, we’ve returned to PEI for two weeks of fun, relaxation, food, beaches and family time.
On Sunday, our first full day at our cottage, was spent playing many sports (these two weeks are fantastic for my health!) including catch, soccer, and football, but also it was spent relaxing, walking on the beach and reading. I read an entire book yesterday. You read it correctly. It was a trope filled romance novel that I devoured. That’s the kind of day we had.
We’ll be continuing with days like this, plus some island exploration. We hit a new beach yesterday that was worth the visit, but deserves its own post. We’ll also be returning to some old favourites along the way. I’m posting pictures on Instagram so you can follow along there. The sun has been shining and the kids have been sleeping in, so there’s little to complain about.
Um. Can someone tell me where two weeks have gone? Frankly, I know where they’ve gone. They’ve gone to laughter and good food and swimming and reading and playing on the beach.
Once again our summer vacation to PEI (with stops in New Brunswick) has been a blast. I have a series of posts coming up with a few of the new places we went this year, and a bit of a recap of what we did (because some things were repeats from last year). We ate well, we laughed often and we really relaxed.
With sadness we say goodbye to the island tomorrow but it will be nice to get home to see family and friends.
If you are thinking about heading East next year with the family, I can’t endorse it enough. You’ll love it, trust me.
I’d love to know where the week went. Well, I *know* where it went – we were beaching it in PEI, and eating well, and relaxing, and checking out lighthouses and having a lot of fun as a family. But still, it went by so quickly.
We are currently packing to hit the road for Ottawa tomorrow. This will be our last night watching the sun set from the deck over the ocean with the Confederation Bridge in the background. It was our last day to splash on the beach. To play at the cottage. To go to COWS Ice Cream and indulge. To eat lobster (which, for the record, I was successful with Operation Eat-Lobster-Everyday! Tonight, simple steamed whole lobster and butter).
I will miss the temperatures, the salty air, the refreshing breeze and the friendliness every where we went. I will certainly miss the food and the time I got to spend with my family.
Of course I will be happy to get home, but I will long for these days with the four of us enjoying nature, and each other’s company. We ate well. We played hard. And we laughed often.
Thank you Prince Edward Island for your hospitality once again. We can’t wait for our return.
This is Bill. My kids named him that. He’s actually the COWS Ice Cream mascot cow. Not sure if he has a name. But he will always be Bill to us 🙂
Where does the time go? I’m not sure how this is already Wednesday…
Today we spent time visiting lighthouses. There are many (if you travel here, pick up the handy lighthouse guide to determine which ones are open for visiting) and last year we saw 4. It was one of the highlights of the entire trip for the kids. They talked about it for months. When asked what they wanted to do on this trip in the weeks leading up to our departure, they would answer “COWS ice cream and lighthouses”.
Today we headed towards the North-East of the island, as far East as we could go. We went to the lighthouse at Souris (a town and area I would love to explore more).
lighthouse at Souris
We climbed to the top and I did the same thing that I do every year I climb to the top of these lighthouses. Panic. I couldn’t climb all of them last year because they seemed steep and scary to me (Andy and my son did them all) but this year with my daughter aware that she didn’t want to miss out, I went ahead. Getting up is easy. Getting down is harder.
getting down is tricky (and note with kids: mine had to be carried down)
So despite the fact that I thought I would have a new home at the top of the lighthouse, I eventually did come down. They are really worth going up just for the view.
Next, we went as far East as possible to East Point. What a beautiful area. The breeze was high, the salt air rushing into my lungs, the stunning views. It was wonderful.
East Point Lighthouse
If we had more time, or in future years, we are planning to take a boat out and do some seal watching but for today, we at least were able to see some seals in the water near the East Point Lighthouse. It was amazing.
seals!
We ended up at St. Peter’s Bay for lunch and enjoyed another Food Network “You’ve Got to Eat Here” recommendation – Rick’s Fish and Chips. Possibly the best fish and chips I’ve ever had.
Another wonderful day – including more time at the cottage to play our new favourite game: Family touch football.
Oh, and today’s Operation Eat-Lobster-Everyday selection: Lobster caesar salad (paired with a clam chowder) from The Lobster Barn.
Lobster caesar salad and clam chowder from The Lobster Barn in Victoria
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