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Scenic Loop drive · Prince Edward Island
PEI Coastal Drive
Three signature loops around Canada's smallest province — beaches, lighthouses, and Anne of Green Gables.
Overview
Prince Edward Island's tourism authority marks three official signature scenic drives — Points East, Central Coastal, and North Cape — that together loop the entire island in about 700 km. The province is small enough to see in a long weekend but rewards a full week of beach time, seafood, and lighthouse-hopping.
The Central Coastal Drive is the classic — Charlottetown to Cavendish through Anne of Green Gables country, along the red cliffs of PEI National Park, and into the fishing villages of North Rustico and French River. The Points East loop runs the quieter eastern shore through Souris, East Point lighthouse, and the historic Basin Head 'singing sands' beach.
The North Cape loop covers the less-visited western third — the tip-of-the-island lighthouse, the Bottle Houses of Cap-Egmont, and the world's largest scallop-processing plant at Alberton. Every drive centres on Charlottetown, and every meal features lobster, oysters, or PEI-grown potatoes. Cross via the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick or the ferry from Nova Scotia; both cost the same and are collected only on departure.
Total (three loops)
700 km
Central + Points East + North Cape
Suggested days
5
3 for Central Coastal only
Beaches
PEI National Park
Red cliffs, 40+ km of shore
Access
Bridge or ferry
Both same cost, collected on exit
The route
From start to finish
An approximate path through 6 key waypoints along the drive.
Driving times
Leg by leg
665 km across 6 legs. Times exclude stops, ferries, and weather contingencies.
| # | From → To | Distance | Driving time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Charlottetown → Cavendish | 40 km | 0h 45m | Central Coastal, Green Gables country |
| 02 | Cavendish → Charlottetown | 40 km | 0h 45m | PEI NP shore road |
| 03 | Charlottetown → Souris | 85 km | 1h 15m | Points East start |
| 04 | Souris → Charlottetown | 105 km | 1h 30m | East Point loop return |
| 05 | Charlottetown → Summerside | 75 km | 0h 55m | Confederation Trail parallel |
| 06 | Summerside → North Cape → Charlottetown | 320 km | 4h 00m | West end loop |
| Total | 665 km | 9h+ | Drive time only |
Day by day
The itinerary
A suggested route designed to balance driving time with the stops that matter.
Charlottetown
Explore Founders' Hall, Province House NHS, and the waterfront. Dinner at Terre Rouge or the Lucky Bean.
Central Coastal Drive – Cavendish
Green Gables Heritage Place, PEI National Park beaches, and dinner at the Blue Mussel in North Rustico.
Points East Drive
Drive east through Souris, tour Basin Head Provincial Park (the singing sands), and photograph East Point lighthouse. Overnight at the Inn at Bay Fortune.
North Cape Drive
Cross the island to Summerside, drive the North Cape loop with stops at the Bottle Houses and North Cape lighthouse; overnight in Summerside.
Return to Charlottetown
Return via Malpeque Bay (oyster capital of the world), lunch on a wharf, and finish in Charlottetown.
When to drive
Month by month
Best window: May – October. Plan around shoulder months for fewer crowds at the cost of variable weather.
Budget
Three ways to drive it
Smart
$190–$290/ day
- Drive days
- 4–5
- Lodging
- Cottages, provincial park camping
- Food
- Community lobster suppers
- Experiences
- Free beaches + Green Gables
Mid
$340–$560/ day
- Drive days
- 5
- Lodging
- Rodd Charlottetown, Great George
- Food
- Terre Rouge, Blue Mussel
- Experiences
- Anne's Land + oyster shucking class
Premium
$800+/ day
- Drive days
- 5–6
- Lodging
- Inn at Bay Fortune, Fairholm Charlottetown
- Food
- FireWorks feast, Papa Joe's
- Experiences
- Private fishing charter + oyster tour
Editorial picks
Where to stop, sleep, and eat
Lodging
Inn at Bay Fortune
Points East
Chef Michael Smith's inn with the nightly FireWorks Feast — PEI's signature dining experience.
Stop
Basin Head Provincial Park
Points East
The 'singing sands' beach — squeaking sand and one of the warmest swim spots on the island.
Operator
Raspberry Point Oysters
New London
On-farm oyster tastings from one of the Malpeque Bay top growers.
Eat
Fisherman's Wharf Lobster Suppers
North Rustico
The classic PEI experience — fixed-price lobster + endless mussels and salad bar.
Signature stops
Don't miss
PEI National Park red cliffs
Green Gables Heritage Place
Basin Head singing sands
Inn at Bay Fortune
Before you go
The prep checklist.
Practical things to lock in before you leave the driveway.
- Bridge or ferry — both cost the same, collected only on departure.
- Book cottages 3–6 months ahead for July/August.
- Anne of Green Gables performances at the Confederation Centre sell out — reserve early.
- PEI National Park entry pass required for the coastal shore road.
- August is oyster and lobster peak but also peak crowds — shoulder season (June, September) is quieter.
Where this road leads
Related destinations
Good to know
Frequently
asked.
Practical answers from travellers who have driven this route.
- Bridge or ferry?
- The 13-km Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick and the ferry from Nova Scotia both cost about the same and are collected on departure only. The ferry is more scenic; the bridge is faster.
- Can I see all three drives in one trip?
- Yes — five days is comfortable for all three loops. Three days covers Central Coastal + Points East. A weekend covers just Central Coastal.
- When is lobster season?
- PEI has two seasons — spring (early May to end of June) and fall (mid-August to mid-October). Lobster suppers run all summer at fixed-price community halls in New Glasgow, St. Ann's, and Fisherman's Wharf.
Planning the bigger trip?
Read our full guide to Canadian road-trip itineraries.
Along this route
Parks, camps, and cities on the drive
Every place below is within a comfortable side-trip of the route waypoints — surfaced automatically from our national-park, provincial-park, campground, and city datasets.
Nearby national parks
Nearby provincial parks
Nearby campgrounds
Cities along the way
Travel styles
Related experiences
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Nearby events & festivals
Events along the PEI Coastal Drive route — worth timing your trip around.
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