The Points East Coastal Drive PEI: Top Things To See

Points East Coastal Drive is the most popular coastal drive on Prince Edward Island.

You can literally walk on water, see the oldest lighthouse, and drive to the Eastern most tip of the Island, all in one day.

I’m not really sure why they had to confuse everyone and call it Points East Coastal drive instead of East Point Prince Edward Island coastal drive…. but anyway that’s besides the point!

This is my recommended route, including the top places to stop and even some extras along this scenic PEI coastal drive.

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Prince Edward Island Coastal Drives

There are three Prince Edward Island scenic drives that take you all around the Island. The North Cape Coastal drive is the North part, Central Coast is the middle, and Points East is the East end.

There are lighthouses, incredible views, beaches, hikes and so much more on each of these drives. Not to mention the local stores, museums, and restaurants to discover!

North Cape Coastal Drive PEI: Top Things To See

Central Coastal Drive PEI: The Top Things To See

What To Know About The Points East Coastal Drive

Before setting out on your scenic coastal drive around Prince Edward Island, here are some things you should you!

How Long Is The Points East Coastal Drive?

The entire length of the Points East coastal Drive is 475 km long (almost 300 miles!)! That would take you about 4 hours to drive (not including any stops!).

You don’t even need Google Maps for this drive, there are easy to follow marked star fish road signs for the Points East Coastal Drive!

You might also be interested in…

9 Prince Edward Lighthouse Printable Postcards

Choosing The Direction Of Your PEI Coastal Drive

The direction of your drive should depend on what you really want to see during the day.

And you should also think about where you want to be for sunset, there are some clutch sunset spots in along the Points East Coastal drive.

For example, we were most interested the Greenwich Dunes trail, and wanted to end up at Point Prim Lighthouse for sunset. Those two points of interest affected our route for the day.

But feel free to change the direction if you’re more interested in things that we did towards the end of the day, switch you’re driving route to start with either Point Prim or Orwell House!

driving through prince edward island the view of the farmland on the side of the road. The green grass goes all the water to the blue water of the ocean.

Can You Drive The Points East Coastal Drive In One Day?

We did the entire Points East drive in one day, but we also visited in October when it wasn’t beach season and some attractions (like museums) were closed.

If you were interested in spending some more time on the beach, or at local museums, you might want to consider splitting up the drive into multiple days…

Need A Place To Stay En Route – Points East Coastal Drive Hotels

It’s important to not exhaust yourself too much when you’re driving. If you think this is too much for one day, book yourself a hotel to stay the night, and continue the Points East drive the following day.

We stayed at the Great George hotel in Charlottetown and would highly recommend it. It’s in a historical building that’s been completely renovated into a boutique hotel. I felt the luxury staying here, with heated bathroom floors, and friendly staff at all times! See room rates and availability on Booking.com.

Related

Hotels On Prince Edward Island: The Best Places To Stay In PEI

If you want to do the entire Points East coastal Drive, without having to go back and forth to Charlottetown, there are also a few places to stay along the route. I’d recommend the Small Town Bound Inn for a personal experience halfway on your drive in Montague. See room rates and availability on Booking.com.

Another option, if you’re looking for a larger hotel at a more reasonable price is the Rodd Brudenell River Resort. They’re fully equipped with an on site restaurant, indoor and outdoor pools, and rooms overlooking the river. See room rates and availability on Booking.com.

For more accommodation options along your Points East Coastal Drive on Booking.com.

the great george hotel charlottetown view from behind some blurred purple and yellow flowerls.
There are 3 island style buildings all attached. The only way to tell them apart is by the colour difference. On the left is a light blue building, with one dormer popping out of the roof. Next to it is a yellow building, about the same height, but instead of a single dormer, it has a whole third level. Finally, the largest part of the hotel is in red, it's the widest and tallest with a fourth floor of two dormers sticking out of the roof.

Points East Coastal Drive Itinerary Starting From Charlottetown

We started our Points East coastal Drive from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Islands largest city.

Charlottetown makes a great home base for Prince Edward Island to see both the Central Coastal Drive and Points East Drive. From Charlottetown, this is a full day trip, we left in the morning and only arrived back in Charlottetown after sunset.

We did the Points East coastal Drive in one day, but cut out a lot and didn’t spend any time relaxing on beaches.

So keep in mind, if you want to see EVERYTHING on route, you’ll most likely need two days to see it all.

evergreen cafe sourris pei. A victorian decorated white and blue ceramic mug sits on a table outside. There's a picnic table behind it next to a blue building. On top of the building is a large sign that reads: Evergreen Cafe, with a sandwich and coffee.

Charlottetown To St. Peters Lighthouse

St. Peters Lighthouse is a bit out of the way, but I would recommend a quick photo stop here.

It looks like it’s close to your next stop, but you can’t drive straight there, so you’ll be making a bit of a detour.

I like this spot because it sets the tone for the rest of the day. For starters, it takes you down this secluded red dirt road, which is so PEI! Next, it’s an almost hidden lighthouse, unlike the others that you’ll be seeing.

It offers a beautiful reflection on the water with the sand dunes in the background. To me, it’s such a beautiful Prince Edward Island landscape view.

st peters harbour lighthouse pei. There are wheat grass sticking out from the bottom of the photo, framing the entire edge. Then you reach the calm blue water of the river, you can see a blurred white reflection of a tall structure. When your eyes meet the land, it's of deep green hill, and a bright white and red lighthouse protruding from the landscape reaching the clear blue sky above.

Prince Edward Island National Park: Greenwich Dunes

Next up is a main site along the Points East Coastal Drive – Greenwich Dunes at the Prince Edward Island National Park (the third section of the National Park).

The hike you’re interested in is the Greenwich Dunes trail with the floating docks. Unfortunately, it’s a good 20 minute walk before you even make it to the floating docks (but trust me, it’s still worth it!).

Related

The Breathtaking Prince Edward Island National Park: Everything You Need To Know

pei national park greenwich dunes trail. A normal wooden dock leading you to a white floating dock over choppy water. The water is interrupted by grass all around it. In the distance is one hill, a sand dune.

North Lake Boathouse Harbour Eatery

After your walk at the Prince Edward Island National Park, you’ve probably worked up an appetite. So the next stop on the Points East coastal drive itinerary is the North Lake Boathouse Harbour Eatery.

On your way, you could also stop at the Shipwreck lighthouse, but it looked like it was in someones backyard and like it had seen better days. I would skip it if I went back! 2023 update: it has since been repainted a fresh white.

The North Lake Boathouse Harbour Eatery is the place you’ll want to stop for lunch. If you’re there before lunchtime, you can still stop here for a coffee and snack, or even breakfast if it’s that early! We opted for an odd but delicious mix of fish cakes and pancakes. But seriously, this was the best fish cake I’d ever tried!

It’s the local atmosphere and setting that sets this place a part from anywhere else! Everyone knew each other in the restaurant (we were definitely the odd ones out!). It’s also in such a unique location, hidden in the harbour!

points east coastal drive lunch spot: North Lake Boathouse Harbour Eatery. A couple sits outside on the front patio in Adirondack chairs, in their fall jackets, soaking up the sun enjoying some warm coffee.

Behind them is a blue shingled building. You can see fishnets over the windows inside. The door is BRIGHT red. Above the door is the sign of the restaurant: North Lake Boathouse Harbour Eatery

East Point Prince Edward Island (With A Lighthouse!)

This is the main attraction on the Points East Coastal Drive – the East Point Lighthouse!

I have to admit, it’s very cool to say that you made it to the Eastern most tip of the Island. If you skipped the last stop, or weren’t hungry yet for lunch, there are picnic tables that you can enjoy a packed lunch with a view here.

During high season, you’re able to go inside the East Point Lighthouse to enjoy the museum. If not, there’s always a gift ship to wander through that’s open year round.

Here, you’ll also see an example of a fog horn from the lighthouse!

Related

The 10 Best Prince Edward Island Lighthouses You Won’t Want To Miss

the east point lighthouse Prince Edward island. A tall white lighthouse, with a railing at the top and a small room with 360 degree window all around. There's one window halfway up the lighthouse. The lighthouse also has red paint for the accent colours. Next to the lighthouse is a small white and red house. There's green grass all around, but behind the house and light house you can see the blue water begin

Basin Head Fishery Museum

Next on the Points East Costal drive is the Basin Head Fishery Museum.

Having travelled during low season, the museum was closed of course, but I imagined this would be a great stop if you need a break from the sun, and if you wanted to learn more about the fishing industry of PEI.

There is also the Basin Head Provincial Park with beaches and a few restaurants if you skipped the last two lunch spots!

Souris

Souris is a small fishing town (as are most places in PEI!).

But Souris is home to the only lighthouse still open during low season. We were finally able to go inside a lighthouse, tour the little museum they had and go to the top of the lighthouse (which was only slightly terrifying!).

You can also head to the small town (which is really only one street) if you want to walk around. We stopped at the Evergreen cafe for a delicious coffee and break off our feet!

two pictures: a woman going up the sourris lighthouse in prince edward island canada. She's on a very vertical red painted ladder with a very worried look on her face. The second photo is a large circular object looking out through the window out onto the water below.

Myriad View Artisan Distillery Inc.

This is a quick pit stop at a local liquor store. The main thing to buy here is some moonshine!

We didn’t have a chance to check it out as they were closed because they were re-paving their driveway. Yep, that’s PEI for you!

But they do have an online shop if you are unlucky and aren’t able to visit either.

Skippable Stop: Cardigan River Lighthouse

We thought this would be a quick stop at another lighthouse… only problem… we couldn’t exactly find the lighthouse.

We walked along the beach and could not for the life of us find this lighthouse! I think it’s probably in someones backyard again… but if someone knows where it is, please let us know!

So this is your sign not to try and find this lighthouse!

a man looking for lighthouses on prince edward island. He's standing in the red sand beach, with a lot of kelp on the shore. — *Walking out during low tide in search of lighthouses!*

Points East Coastal Drive PEI: Explore Georgetown

Georgetown is the main small fishing village on the Points East Coastal Drive, which means it’s a bit bigger, so there are a few more things to see in the village!

The top attraction is the Kings Playhouse, which you should be able to go inside as well, and sometimes they have local art exhibits set up.

But, it’s really the history of the Playhouse that makes it stand out…

The original Playhouse was from 1887 but it completely burned down in 1983. It only took a year to fully rebuild and reopen it. That just shows you how the community here really comes together!

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Besides the Playhouse, the village is very nice to walk through. Enjoy the Japanese inspired A.A. MacDonald Memorial Gardens behind the playhouse.

Walk down to the harbour where there’s also a small boardwalk and beach to walk along as well. Or opt to walk through the town instead to see some local art shops and bakeries.

If you’re interested (and have the time), this is where you can also go on private deep sea fishing tours. Or just outside the town, you can also sign up for local horse back riding at Burdenell Stables.

georgetown pei gradens with old brick buildings in the distance hiding behind park trees.

Georgetown To Montague (Knox Dam)

The next stop is just outside the Montague Village (another very cute village with delicious looking restaurants to try!).

If I did this route again, I would skip Knox Dam though. It wasn’t really that interesting… basically just a dam, that also felt kind of dangerous to visit.

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knox dam prince edward island the sun is shimmering on the river in between trees leading you all the way down

Panmure Island & Lighthouse & More

I regret missing Panmure Island and Lighthouse as this is another main lighthouse on Prince Edward Island (that during high season, you’re also able to go inside).

Just passed the Island you’ll want to drive through or stop at Murray Harbour before reaching another lighthouse – Cape Bear lighthouse. Opening in July, this will be another lighthouse you can go inside and walk to the top (there’s even an outdoor lookout you can use!).

If you’re interested, you can also stop at the local Rossignol Estate Winery for some wine tasting.

We cut straight across after Knox Dam to the Wood Islands Lighthouse skipping an entire section of the drive.

montague prince edward island harbour. There are two boats docked on the water, with docks leading to them. Behind, on land are 5 identical wooden buildings. It's golden hour as the hue to the image as a somewhat golden hue

Wood Islands Lighthouse

From Knox Dam, we cut straight across (missing Panmure Island Lighthouse, Murray Harbour, and Cape Bear Lighthouse) straight down to Wood Island Lighthouse.

Wood Islands Lighthouse is actually three different lighthouses (you can also go inside the main one during high season!).

It’s also where the Northumberland ferry docks. If you have some time, it’s relaxing to watch the ferry come in (although you might want to make sure to leave before they let the cars off, otherwise you might get into a bit of traffic here!).

This would also be a good spot for a picnic dinner and watching the sunset, but for us, we had other plans…

wood islands lighthouse pei. Photographed from a bit below eye level to make the buildings seem taller and take up the photos. You can tell its golden hour because the white paint of the lighthouses has a yellowish tint.

The building in the foreground looks more like a house, with red roofs, and a lighthouse that sticks up out of it.

Smaller, in the background, is a more typical lighthouse structure.

En Route: Belfast

We skipped this next stop because at this point, we were chasing sunset, but there’s a few things to do in Belfast.

A popular souvenir stop is at the Belfast Mini Mills where they make their own wool and products. If it’s in season, you can also stop at the Belfast corn maze.

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Point Prim (& Hannah’s Bottle Village)

This is la pièce de resistance and our final stop on our Points East coastal Drive.

Hannah’s Bottle village is actually someones backyard, it was their hobby to make a village out of bottles, and it’s spectacular!

Make sure to visit when it’s sunny so you can truly appreciate the bottle structures with the light shining through.

It’s also right before Point Prim making it a no brainer stop en route.

hannahs bottle village in pei during golden hour. There are shadow streaks across the grass, lighting up the concrete and bottle structures.

There's an archway to walk through, with wood to hold up all different types of bottles on top. Behind the entryway are 4 concrete and glass bottle buildings.

Point Prim is must see lighthouse on the Island.

It’s the first lighthouse that was ever built on Prince Edward Island, and the only one using red sand stone for bricks (although that didn’t work out so well and needed to be reinforced later on – so you can’t even see it anymore!)

The plan was to set up a picnic dinner here and watch the sunset. And it would have been an unbeatable place to watch the sunset – if it weren’t for the mosquitos. They were so bad that we had to eat in the car to watch the sunset instead (don’t worry, we still managed to snap some out of this world photos for the memory book!).

During high season, you can also get a bite to eat at Point Prim Chowderhouse, with sunset and lighthouse views!

a couple sitting on the grass next to a tall point prim lighthouse. Yellow shines in from the right side of the photo, lighting up the front of the couple, but creating a long shadow behind them, leading your way straight to the base of the lighthouse. As you go up the lighthouse, the colour changes to pinkish and purplish hues, before turning back into the blue sky behind it.

Museum Visits: Orwell Corner Historic Village & Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead

En route back to Charlottetown there are two museums you can stop at on the Points East coastal drive.

If you’re travelling with the family, you might be interested in Orwell Corner historic Village.

At Orwell Corner Historic Village, you’re stepping back in time to 1890s Prince Edward Island. Actors are dressed up to depict the time period, you can visit the old school house, church, blacksmith shop and more! It’s a live interactive museum to learn about what life was like on Prince Edward Island.

If you aren’t interested in actors in costumes but are still interested in seeing a historical PEI house from 1850s, head to the Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead instead.