We booked two nights at a boutique inn in Charlottetown for our first two days in Prince Edward Island (PEI), with the full intent of exploring the province’s capital and largest city before heading off to our home swap location in the coastal village of North Rustico. But forecasts of torrential rain and wind for the duration of our stay in North Rustico made us up-end our plans. During our initial two sunny days, we would drive from Charlottetown to go on hikes and visit red sand beaches and dunes before returning at night to sleep. Then once we reached North Rustico, we would go on activities that were at least partially indoors or otherwise less exposed to the elements. This impromptu plan gave us two sunny days to enjoy PEI’s natural beauty.
On the day that we landed, after picking up the rental car, grabbing a quick bite to eat while we explored the Charlottetown harbour, then dropping our bags off at our accommodations, we set out for our first outdoor adventure. We would drive an hour north-west to
Thunder Cove Beach to see red sand beaches and dunes, then another 15 minutes to
Malpeque Bay to eat (what else?) Malpeque oysters!
PEI is known for its red sandy beaches and sand dunes, a result of the iron-rich minerals in its underlying rock and sediments which have oxidized and rusted over millions of years to create the crimson red hematite mineral in the sandstone. The strong waves of the Atlantic ocean break down the red cliffs along the shoreline to create red sand. One of the most beautiful and dramatic locations in PEI to see red sandstone cliffs, sea stacks and sand dunes is Thunder Cove Beach in the coastal community of Darnley. Parking along the side of Thunder Beach Road with the rest of the vehicles, we arrived at the top of the sand dunes and looked down upon the vast (and uncrowded) beach area by the water. The sand of the beach actually looks more tan or grey in colour since the red sands are intermixed with sediments, shells, and other minerals washed in by the tides. But up top by the dunes, the sand is definitely red, as are the cliffs that we see in the distance. Because of the precariousness of the shifting sands on the dunes, there are warning signs of danger and threats of fines for climbing on these, but the rock cliffs seemed to be fair game.
Coming down the main trail to the beach and turning left, we followed the rock formations until we came across a series of sea caves, hollowed out by relentless thrashing waves. We had checked the daily and
hourly tide reports for this area to make sure we were there during low tide and would be long gone before the rising tides washed away our access. Scooting under a rock formation with a narrow layer of sand that was already quite close to the gently lapping waves, we got to the other side where we were blown away by the gorgeous red cliffs surrounding us.
Rather than retrace our steps along the beach, we tried to take the “high road” along the top of the sea caves and were rewarded by some spectacular views of the ocean and other cliffs. But then we had to find our way back down again and luckily reached a section that was just low enough that Rich could slide down from a seated position and then I could take a leap into his arms.
An iconic view that unfortunately no longer exists is the “
Teacup Stack” that once stood out in the water off Thunder Beach and was shaped like a giant teacup and saucer.
Post-tropical storm Fiona destroyed the stack in 2022, leaving only the saucer. However, many images and artistic representations of it can still be seen in the local art galleries and shops. We would see a similar stack later on in North Rustico, at Mackenzies Brook on the Gulf Shore Parkway but it was too bad this one would never be seen again.
After descending from the cliffs, we spent more time exploring the beach area in the other direction as the sun started to go, forming cool shadows in the sand. At one point, we came across a
tidal run-off stream that blocked further access unless we wanted to get our feet wet, which we didn’t. At low tide, the water, which originates from marshy wetlands and ponds behind the dunes, flows towards the ocean. This is a dynamic stream that shifts, widens and deepens or dries up depending on the storm patterns, wind and rainfall. As the sun continued to set and the tide continued to rise, we returned to the original jutting rock formation and saw that it was no longer easily accessible with deeper waters and stronger waves blocking the path. This was a fantastic experience and we were so lucky to have a sunny day to explore this area.
While planning our visit to Thunder Cove Beach, we realized that we would be very close to
Malpeque Bay, home to the
Malpeque oysters that we often order in Toronto. It delighted us to think that we could dine on Malpeque oysters fresh out of Malpeque Bay! Malpeque Bay is protected from the Gulf of St. Lawrence by a long sandspit and dune, providing sheltered salt marshes, tidal flats, and shallow estuaries that oysters and many other species need to grow and thrive. The spit protects oyster beds from strong waves while still allowing tidal exchanges that provide plankton as an ongoing food supply. As we approached Malpeque, we passed by the
Keir Memorial Museum, housed in a Presbyterian Church, displaying artifacts depicting culture life in Malpeque. Across the street is the beautiful Gothic Revival-styled
Princeton United Church, one of many gorgeous churches that we saw during our visit to PEI. At the picturesque bay, we chose the
Malpeque Oyster Barn to have our dinner.
Malpeque Oyster Barn is a seafood and oyster restaurant known for its oysters but also offers meals featuring lobster, mussels, scallops, chowder and other seafood as well as selling fresh seafood on site. Because it is located right on the harbour, the people lucky enough to score a window seat are probably looking out at the oyster beds that sourced their meals. We were lucky to get a seating at all since we had not decided to visit this area until the night before and it was too late to make a reservation because the restaurant only accepted them by phone. We snagged the last table in the last seating and helped close down the place. We ordered a dozen
small Malpeque oysters and a half dozen
small quahogs (marine clams) for appetizers, then doubled down on the Malpeques by selecting pan-fried breaded oysters served with crostini and salad. Rich ordered a blueberry ale, the first of many on this trip, and for dessert, we shared a rhubarb crisp topped with whipping cream. This marked a nice end to our first day in Prince Edward Island and we made the most of the (soon-to-be-gone) good weather.
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