The top photo spots in Prince Edward Island

With its soft red-sand beaches, grassy bike trails, rolling green hills, and charming villages, Prince Edward Island could just as easily be called Pretty Edward Island. Canada’s most photogenic island is filled with lonely seascapes, Queen Anne and Georgian-style homes, and seafood dishes that simply must be captured on camera before devouring.

You can’t visit Prince Edward Island (or PEI, as the locals call it) without paying homage to its biggest attraction, Anne of Green Gables. Green Gables Heritage House inspired the setting for LM Montgomery’s best-selling novels about the feisty red-headed girl. Walk through the rooms of this beautifully restored Victorian house, explore the groves of the Haunted Wood. and stroll Lover’s Lane, the quiet trail lined with forget-me-nots where Anne liked to “think out loud.” 

PEI is dotted with historic lighthouses that hark back to a time when the early settlers used the sea as their main mode of transport. Cape Bear Lighthouse, nearly 140 years old, is perched high along the coastline on a jutting, rich-red cliff. It was here that the first distress signals from the ill-fated Titanic were heard as it sank off Newfoundland.

Crunch the sand between your toes on a stunning beach that stretches for miles at Cedar Dunes Provincial Park in the West Point area. Check into the West Point Lighthouse, Canada’s only inn that dwells inside a functioning lighthouse.

PEI is a tiny island that’s teeming with culinary genius. The rich bounty grown on the island, coupled with the freshest seafood on the planet can only mean one thing: you’re about to become one of those people who photographs what’s on their plate. At The Pearl Eatery on the north shore, you’ll taste the best of local farms, fishers and foragers in an ambience of true Islander hospitality.

It was in Charlottetown, on Prince Edward Island, that the decision was made to form the nation of Canada. Explore this charming city and strike a pose outside the old-school book stores, antique shops, cute cafes, and colorful Georgian style buildings.

The 37-mile Prince Edward Island National Park is perfect for a day of cycling or hiking. The sweeping dunes and green, grassy hills stretch to the horizon, a stunning contrast to the sparkling blue sky.

We recommend a dip in the ocean after a long ride through the park! Take a break on the picturesque white and red sand beaches and watch the white-capped waves crash to shore. With 680 miles of shoreline framed by red sandstone cliffs, the photo ops are endless.

Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you the best mussels in the world are served right here on PEI. Make a beeline for the Blue Mussel Café at picturesque North Rustico Harbour, where the seafood on your plate is only hours old, rather than days, the mussels are to-die-for, and there’s not a deep fryer in sight.

Practice your swing at Crowbush Cove. That is, if you can take your eyes off the awesome panoramic ocean views. Undoubtedly one of the most scenic golf courses in Canada, Crowbush takes in undulating fairways and challenging greens perched high above the north shore dunes of the island.

The Confederation Trail, PEI’s abandoned railway line, is a four-season outdoor playground. Walk or cycle the trail in spring, summer, and autumnal splendor, or snowshoe and snowmobile in winter. Whatever the season, you’ll be rewarded with sweeping seascapes, quintessential villages, and lush scenic hills.

Once you’ve toured PEI, take a road trip through Canada’s other Maritime provinces: Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Prince Edward Island is linked to New Brunswick by the Confederation Bridge. This curved 8-mile bridge is the longest in the world, crossing ice-covered water, and providing wonderful photo-fodder.