Places

Seven things you might not know about Prince Edward Island

Upgrade your Canadian trivia skills with some lesser-known facts about Canada’s seventh province

  • Published Jul 16, 2024
  • Updated Jul 29
  • 852 words
  • 4 minutes
[ Disponible en français ]
P.E.I.'s famous red cliffs with the province's iconic East Point Lighthouse in the background. (Photo: Brett Zimmerman/Can Geo Photo Club)
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Red sandstone cliffs, rolling hills, pristine forests and, of course, Anne of Green Gables. What’s not to love about Prince Edward Island, Canada’s seventh and smallest province?

As the birthplace of the country’s confederation, P.E.I. is located on Canada’s east coast and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A hotspot for beach-goers, lighthouse lovers and seafood enthusiasts, this small but mighty province is a breathtaking destination and a hallmark of island scenery. But there’s so much more to this island than bountiful shellfish, numerous coves and a little red-headed girl with braids. With this in mind, here are seven lesser-known facts about Canada’s arguably most overlooked province:

Even though P.E.I. is Canada's smallest province, it has a relatively long coastline with more than 3,000 km of beaches, sand dunes, sandstone cliffs, salt marshes, large bays, and many estuaries. (Photo: Maxime Rousseaux-Bridle/Can Geo Photo Club)
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No matter where you are, the nearest beach is a maximum of 15 minutes by car

Whether you’re looking for a quick dip, a relaxing day in the sand or some beautiful ocean views, P.E.I. has you covered. With more than 1,000 kilometres of coastline and 90 beaches, P.E.I. is an ideal summer spot. In addition to the warm sand and beautiful water, these various beaches offer a variety of other amenities, including playgrounds, fishing, concessions, watersport rentals and even horseback riding.

The Singing Sands, located in Basin Head Provincial Park, is a favourite, known for having some of the warmest waters north of Florida. It’s a 15-kilometre white sand beach lapped with waves often warmer than 21 C. Another popular spot is Cavendish Beach, located in Prince Edward Island National Park. This nine-kilometre beach boasts white sand, gorgeous dunes and red sandstone cliffs. The beach also has easy access to hiking, cycling and golfing.

P.E.I. has a whopping 61 lighthouses

With the highest concentration of lighthouses in North America, the province has about one lighthouse every 55 kilometres. Of these lighthouses, 38 are still operational, while nine are open to the public. Eight of these lighthouses operate as community museums, with access to panoramic views of the island. Some have been around for well over 150 years!

One of the province’s most popular lighthouses was built in 1875, but since 1984, the 14 room bed and breakfast has been operating as an inn, restaurant and craft shop. Known to visitors as Westpoint, the unique inn is the first of its kind within an active lighthouse and is rated one of the top 11 lighthouse inns of the world.

The 12.9-kilometre-long Confederation Bridge linking P.E.I with New Brunswick. (Photo: Mary Hindle/Can Geo Photo Club)
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P.E.I. is Canada’s number-one golf destination

With nearly 400 fairways and 30 courses, locals and visitors can enjoy a round of golf without going far. The island offers a variety of beautiful properties with coastal views. One of P.E.I.’s highest-rated courses is Crowbush Cove, a 6,903-yard course deemed Canada’s best new course by Golf Digest when it launched in the mid-1990s.

P.E.I. accounts for 80 per cent of Canadian mussel production

There’s no shortage of seafood in P.E.I., but the island is truly renowned for its rope-grown blue mussels (mytilus edulis). The mussels are harvested daily from P.E.I. waters, where they are grown naturally with no feed or additives. Nearly 1,500 people work in this industry, harvesting more than 20 million kilos of mussels. The island’s aquaculture industry contributes roughly $60 million to P.E.I.’s economy.

P.E.I.’s main soil appears red due to the high iron-oxide (rust) content

Also known as the Charlottetown soil, the island’s red soil takes up approximately 470,000 acres of land. It has a sandy texture and is great for farming (now you know where those famous P.E.I. potatoes are grown). The red soil also colours some of P.E.I.’s beaches, with some sands appearing more red than others based on the iron levels in the soil.

One of P.E.I.'s 61 lighthouses. (Photo: Shelby Underwood/Can Geo Photo Club)
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P.E.I. is home to Canada’s Rotating House

Also known as the Around the Sea Rotating House, this popular structure is the world’s first rotating house for guest stays, offering luxury ocean-view condo rentals. The property consists of two levels, with the residence on the upper level and four vacation rentals on the lower level. The property also offers a viewing bubble overlooking the ocean. The 625-square-foot house takes one hour to make a full rotation, allowing guests to enjoy the changing views while also allowing the operators to position the house to take advantage of weather conditions.

Abegweit is the Mi’kmaq word for Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. They are the First People of Prince Edward Island, having occupied the Island for more than 12,000 years. The Mi’kmaq Nation calls the island Abegweit, often translated as “land cradled on the waves” due to the island’s position off of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Abeweit is the Anglicized version of the traditional name, Epekwitk.

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