By
Richard Humphreys |
This article was first published in the 2019 issue of Cruise & Ferry Itinerary Planning. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Prince Edward Island off the east coast of Canada provides cruise passengers on New England Canadian itineraries with a wide variety of unique onshore experiences, ranging from soft outdoor adventures and culinary tours to opportunities to sample the island’s culture.
Some of the available excursions on the island include visits to the National Park, which itself offers several options. One site in the park is Green Gables Heritage Place, which includes the 19th-century Green Gables farm that is recognised as a notable literary landmark because it inspired the setting of the 1908 novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables.
Also in the park is the Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site, which was once a summer home owned by a wealthy oil tycoon. Within the site is a Queen Anne Revival-style estate adorned with gables, dormers and bay windows. The estate also has views overlooking Dalvay Lake and the Gulf of St Lawrence.
Prince Edward Island also offers outdoor adventure with ‘Fun with Falcons’, where visitors have the chance to meet a falconer and get an up-close experience with a bird of prey. Under the supervision of the falconer, visitors can put on a handler’s glove and hold a hawk or falcon and feed them.
Meanwhile, the ‘Beachcomber’s Clam Boil’ gives people the opportunity to visit a private beach and learn the best ways to dig, comb and collect a meal of fresh clams. Local fisherman Jim Conohan will oversee the activity of combing his private beach for fresh oysters and quahogs. Following that, visitors can enjoy their shellfish meal in Conohan’s house, which has views of the Boughton river.
Prince Edward Island has been called ‘Canada’s Food Island’ by many and ‘The Shellfish Lovers Roving Lunch Tour’, is a great way for cruise visitors to sample what local food the island has to offer. It is a roving lunch with stops at three local hotspots for fresh shellfish dishes. Visitors can also venture to the Charlottetown waterfront with a local guide to learn about the island’s fishing industry, rich culture and the role Prince Edward Island played in the formation of Canada.
There are a couple more food tours for people to sample. The ‘Taste the Town: Food + Fact Tour’ goes through downtown Charlottetown with several stops along the way, while the ‘Charlottetown Tour’ calls at five locations in downtown Charlottetown with local guides sharing the city’s hidden gems and finishing off with a walk along the historic Great George Street.
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