Merry-Go-Round Short Loop (10 nts / 11 days)

Cycle through inland PEI to the southern coast. Enroute, divert a little from the route and make a stop at the Matos Winery & Distillery or just a couple of kilometers in the other direction, the Island Lavender Distillery Farm. Depending on the season, you might indulge in some fresh strawberries from Shore Breeze Farm in Argyle Shore. Your destination is the quaint picture-perfect village of Victoria-by-the-Sea.
Waypoints #32-1
Waypoints #1-2

Route link A moderately hilly A to B mixed terrain cycle route, mostly on roads, approximately 44.7 km long.

Routes available for confirmed participants only.

Founded in 1819, the picture-perfect seaside village of Victoria is about halfway between Charlottetown and Summerside. The village has a history in commerce, but today, with a year-round population of under two hundred, there are a number of family-run businesses employing local people, just as there were in the prosperous years up to the 1950’s. The community has attracted a number of creatives and artists.

Visit:
-Keeper’s of the Light at the Victoria Seaport Museum, located in Palmer’s Range Light
-Dine in a sea captain’s house
-Sample handmade chocolates in one of the former general stores
-Attend a play in the community hall (home of the Victoria Playhouse Festival)
-Watch the lobster fishers at the wharf

You'll catch glimpses of the Confederation Bridge as you approach Borden along this scenic coastal byway. There are some shopping & food options in Gateway Village, including Cow's Ice Cream. Your destination is PEI's second-largest urban center, Summerside.
Waypoints #2-3
Waypoints #3-4

Route link A relatively flat A to B mixed terrain cycle route, mostly on roads, approximately 41.6 km long.

Routes available for confirmed participants only.

Summerside is PEI's second largest urban center, a former shipbuilding and commerce port. It continues to hold the position as the leading center for trade & commerce in western PEI. In the first part of the 1900's the town's silver fox trade was prosperous. The city has some forward-thinking planners, with extensive conversion to wind and solar energy initiatives.

Explore Summerside
Things to See & Do in Summerside
Cultural Summerside
Baywalk Boardwalk
Samuel's Coffeehouse

Cycle west through the Evangeline Region. Barlow's Interpretive Center in Wellington will reveal part of the local history. Richmond's Dairy Bar is a favorite. Ellerslie features the Green Park Shipbuilding Musem and Yeo House. In Portage discover the Wildlife Management Area, dedicated to conservation. Stop off to check out Leard's grist mill in Coleman, the last remaining one on PEI. You'll complete your Island Walk route in O'Leary and then head south to the West Point Lighthouse.

Waypoint #4 to 5 to Wellington
Waypoint #5 to 6 to McNeil Mills

Waypoint #6 to 7 to O'Leary

Option 1: to O'Leary & West Point
Route link A relatively flat A to B mixed terrain cycle route, partly off-road, approximately 85.0 km long.

Option 2: Coleman & West Point
Route link A relatively flat A to B mixed terrain cycle route, partly off-road, approximately 80.8 km long.

Routes available for confirmed participants only.

Return to O'Leary, then head for the coast. You'll follow the coastal byway north past the Stompin Tom Center in Skinners Pond before cycling to your inn, a former convent in Tignish.
Waypoints #7-8
Waypoints #8-9

Route link A moderately hilly A to B mixed terrain cycle route on roads, approximately 64.1 km long.

Routes available for confirmed participants only.

Tignish is "up west" for Islanders. In the town of about 800 residents, you can check out the Cultural Center to learn of the area's Acadian and Irish heritage and traditions. The St. Simon and St. Jude Church is pretty amazing inside. Indulge in some local fare at M.J.'s Bakery & Caboose Cafe.

You'll cycle through Alberton, south past oyster country and into the Evangeline Region of PEI before arriving in the village of Miscouche.
Waypoints #10-11
Waypoints #11-12
Waypoints #12-13
Waypoints #13-14

Route link A relatively flat A to B mixed terrain cycle route, mostly on roads, approximately 86.9 km long.

Routes available for confirmed participants only.

Cascumpec Bay
Cascumpec Bay Oyster Co.
Cascumpec General Store Antiques & Collectibles

Ellerslie-Bideford
Bideford Parsonage Museum
PEI Shellfish Museum
Wellington
Acadian Musem of PEI
St. John the Baptist Historic Church

Today's cycling route takes you through Summerside, Kensington, New London & Stanley Bridge into the Prince Edward Island National Park before reaching North Rustico.

Waypoints #14-15

Waypoints #15-16
Waypoints #16-17 (almost)

Route link A moderately hilly A to B mixed terrain cycle route, partly off-road, approximately 61.1 km long.

Routes available for confirmed participants only.

Poppie's Porch
Village Pottery
Potter's Parlour (ice cream)
P.E.I National Park
MacKenzie's Brook

North Rustico has a number of good restaurants and a great little bakery. Some dining establishments here require advance reservations.

Continue heading east and make a stop at the Dunes Gallery & Cafe in Brackley - the extraordinary grounds alone are worth it. Beach before diverting over to check out Robinson's Island trail system. In Covehead it may be too early, but people love the fresh seafood at Richard's Fish & Chips. They're right at the wharf. You may choose to stop in for a refreshing beverage at Dalvay by the Sea, a national historic site. Cycle south and border the Hillsborough Canadian Heritage River. The Mount Stewart area has alot of u-pick berry patches, and is also home to the Abegweit First Nation in Scotchfort. The Scotchfort reserve welcomes Abegweit Tourism and features Epekwitk Gardens & Preserves and Atlantic Canada's first National Healing Forests.

A good portion of the latter part of your ride today will be on the Confederation Trail. The trail section between Morell and St. Peters is exceptionally scenic. The Morell river's popular for kayaking, paddling and fishing for trout and salmon. You'll see cultured mussell farming along the way, plus a lookout to the Greenwich Dunes section of PEI's National Park.
Waypoints #17-18
Waypoints #18-19
Waypoints #19-20

Route link A relatively flat A to B mixed terrain cycle route, partly off-road, approximately 90.6 km long.

Routes available for confirmed participants only.

St. Peters is an extraordinarily picturesque rural community in northeastern PEI. Its church, aquaculture operations in the bay, proximity to the Greenwich section of the PEI National Park, scenic sections of the Confederation Trail, shopping, summer theater, dining and dairy bars make it an especially attractive destination for cyclists.

St. Peters Bay Community
Artisans by the Bay
St. Peters Courthouse Theater

The Confederation Trail will take you straight through to the Elmira Railway Museum, one of just seven PEI Museum and Heritage sites, marking what was the end of PEI's rail line. The hexagonal wooden East Point Lighthouse marks the northern & easternmost tip of PEI. It's also where the Gulf of the St Lawrence tides meet the Northumberland Strait. Stop at the Basin Head Provincial Park, beach and Fisheries museum. The "Singing Sands" nickname comes from the sound the geologically-unique pure white sand makes when you step on it, due to a high silica content. Your route to the town of Souris includes a portion of the New Harmony scenic heritage road with its tree-shaded tunnel and colorful rumrunning history.
Waypoints #20-21
Waypoints #21-22
Waypoints #22-23
Waypoints #23-24

Option 1: Waypoints #20-24
Route link A moderately hilly A to B mixed terrain cycle route, mostly on roads, approximately 83.6 km long.

Option 2: Waypoint #20-21 only
Route link A moderately hilly A to B mixed terrain cycle route, partly off-road, approximately 36.0 km long.

Points East Coastal Drive

Routes available to confirmed participants only.

Situated amidst an absolutely stunning seascape vista, Souris serves as the economic hub of Eastern Kings County. Heavily dependent on both land and sea, preserving the rich farming and fishing traditions of the region, Souris residents maintain a very comfortable rural lifestyle that enhances the community’s charm. The Basin Head Fisheries Museum gives visitors a glimpse into the region's history while the neighbouring white "singing sands" beach is one of the province's finest. A number of retail stores, restaurants and public services are available in town while a ferry service connects the travelers the Quebec Magdalen Islands.

Artisans on Main
Wildlife
Souris Show Hall
Fiddling Fisherman Lookout

Cycle sections of the Points East Coastal Drive combined with Confederation Trail as you make your way to the town of Montague in the 3 Rivers municipality.
Waypoints #24-25
Waypoints #25-26
Waypoints #26-27

Route link A moderately hilly A to B mixed terrain cycle route, mostly on roads, approximately 55.6 km long.

Boughton River Trail
Cardigan River Trail
Cardigan, fun facts

Routes available for confirmed participants only.

Montague's a small town located within the Three Rivers municipality in Kings County. Also known as “Montague the Beautiful”, you'll find a tranquil river, tree-lined streets and and number of stately heritage homes. At the heart of Montague is its wharf and marina. Enjoy the boardwalk which runs along the waterfront and is part of the Confederation Trail. The town also features a couple of excellent local craft breweries.

Attractions
Artisans on Main
Garden of the Gulf Museum
Town of Montague
Montague Marina
River Run Dining Cruises
More Montague Activities

We may be partial since we grew up out this way, but this may be one of the loveliest rides of all. Your route hugs the coast today to the Panmure Island peninsula. A picturesque white sand beach connects via a causeway to an Island and PEI's oldest wooden lighthouse. The beach is supervised in the summer and has dining and washroom facilities. PEI's native Mi'kmaq population traditionally visited the sandbars at this beach for clamming in the summer. The area features Panmure Island Provincial Park and small rural community. Poverty Beach is a designated natural area and good for off-the-beaten-path lovers. Murray Harbour is the last small town you'll hit before arriving in your destination, Murray River. Pop in to some of the local bakeries, wharfs, handcraft outlets. From here, resume the Island Walk route through wooded areas, past the Gariloch Trail to Iona in the community of Belfast.

This accommodation venue doesn't offer transfer to evening meals, but they do allow you to heat up food in their kitchen and we're also keeping our ears open to see if a ride share service doesn't start up this summer in the community. The owner passed me a link to this just the other day as I'd mentioned it would be really appealing to many of our cyclists looking for an evening meal.

For dinner when guests stay at Kro in the Skye, we often recommend the Chowder House, reservations required. There's also Country Taste Kitchen & Bakery, right beside the Chuckwagon Farm Market & Corn Maze in Newtown. It's not too far from Cooper's Store in Eldon where you could pick up something simple and just make a picnic - they're a PEI Liquor outlet too.

Route link A moderately hilly A to B mixed terrain cycle route, mostly on roads, approximately 78.9 km long.

Routes available for confirmed participants only.

Follow the trail west through woodlands. You could take a short diversion in Kinross and skip over to check out Orwell Corner Historic Village and the MacPhail Woods Ecological Forestry Project (kms not included in this description, but no problem to add if you'd like). Your destination is the capital, Charlottetown, and you'll take the new active transportation path across the Hillsborough Bridge to complete your Island journey.
Waypoints #30-31
Waypoints #31-32

Route link A moderately hilly A to B mixed terrain cycle route, mostly off-road, approximately 45.2 km long.

Routes available for confirmed participants only.