On the road to the Îles-de-la-Madeleine... we discover PEI
No matter where you set off from to get to the Îles, you absolutely have to just deal with it and cut across Prince Edward Island. That’s why we decided to share with you a few really cool spots to stop at on your way to or from Souris, headed for the ferry.
If you’ve never stopped on PEI yet, prepare yourself mentally for the kindness of the people and, at the same time, get ready to get flagged down often on the side of the road by locals curious to know how you’re doing. Yep, pretty hard to miss the human warmth of PEI. Off to a good start, eh? On top of all that, PEI is packed with beaches, seafood and potatoes, what more could you ask for? We only visited the island for a few days so we’re far from having discovered all of it, but I still have a few musts to share with you that are worth the detour.
Morell
We kicked off our trip by heading to Morell, a tiny little village of fishers and farmers located very close to St. Peter’s Bay. We stayed in a yurt at the Nature Space Resort & Retreat Centre. It’s a really lovely place run by a truly adorable family who had long dreamed of having their own yoga retreat. Thank you, dear pandemic, for letting them put all of this in place and, at the same time, for letting us enjoy the place and the activities for a moment. Oh yes, it’s not just a place to sleep and rest, because they offer yoga classes as well as kayak expeditions. Personally, my top 1 was the Oyster Lovers, where you paddle out by kayak to a truly incredible spot, at sunset, to eat local oysters. The DREAM (well, mine anyway)! In short, for an outdoorsy and relaxed vibe, you absolutely have to go to this place.
Another bit of hype about that place is that it’s literally a 5-minute drive or a 15-minute walk from a beautiful, super quiet beach. At certain times of the day, you can have the beach all to yourself. On top of that, it faces West. And yes, it’s giving picnics and sunsets on repeat everyday… just saying, that’s all.
If you’re a fan of seafood and fish, you’ll really be well served on PEI. Stop at Julio’s Seafood Market to buy scallops, salmon and oysters like we did (or other treasures from the seabed), then go grab yourself some potatoes at the COOP near you to round out your dinner. As for us, we cooked it all in-house in our little dream kitchen. We played at being little chefs, basically, and I can tell you it was DELICIOUS. We kept it pretty simple in our preparation. The products are such good quality that they carried the whole dish.
Charlottetown
After spending a few relaxing days in Morell, we headed to Charlottetown, the capital of PEI. It’s a waterfront city that’s pretty WOW on the eyes, with a vibe that’s almost too much fun. Here are the places not to miss, #mescoupsdecoeur :
- Receiver Coffee ; Whether you’re the to-go cup type or the sit-down mug type, the place is perfect for grabbing a coffee. There’s even the option of full table service. We went for breakfast and it was really insane!!! We got the banana bread french toast (sorry, but I was drooling the moment it landed in front of me) and the breakfast sandwich (it looked kind of lame, but clearly my dish was better, sorry not sorry). But for real, there’s just as much sweet as savoury, or a mix of the two.
- The Gallery ; Coffee House & Bistro ; It’s a pretty café with several works of art inside (yep, busted, I’m a coffee addict). So drag along a book, grab yourself a snack and enjoy the moment. Actually, when I say snack I mean you can order yourself a cookie, a biscuit, a muffin or even a scone, and why not all of those options? We didn’t get anything to eat, but between you and me I still regret that chocolate chip and almond cookie.
- JC’s Tiki Bar ; It’s a little bar on a floating terrace right on the water. Perfect for happy hour, both for us and for Sunny, our dog, who got treated to a cookie by the bartender. See, when I say the people are just kind, I’m not messing with you!
- Water Prince Corner Shop ; What can I say about this place… You want authenticity, ingredients handled with care without it being over the top, well, it’s the place to go. What we got, and don’t judge us: mussels to start, 1.25 lb of lobster, a plate of shrimp, a lobster roll with real homemade bread, baked potatoes and potato salad. We ate a lot, but we ate well, that’s for sure. AND as a bonus, when you order lobster you get the famous plastic bib. I guarantee you it’s a detour you won’t regret, even at $1.65 a litre of gas. If my menu scared you, their specialty is: lobster and potato salad. You must be thinking, come on, her and her potato salad, well, I swear you’re not ready for this. I won’t spoil the secret of the recipe, I’ll let you discover it for yourself. That way you really have no choice but to go! Oops, you’ll thank me later.
If you’ve already travelled to PEI and you have hidden gems to share with us, write them in the comments! In the meantime, don’t hesitate to check out our different assignment regions.