Things To Do
North Cape Experience
North Cape Coastal Drive
Where Tides Collide
Insider’s Tip
If you time your visit just right, you can witness the natural phenomenon that occurs when the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait collide! This is where the PEI Brewing Company‘s popular line of vodka coolers, “Colliding Tides,” gets its name.
Your adventure along the North Cape Coastal Drive isn’t complete without a trip to North Cape, the northwesternmost point of Prince Edward Island! Drive north along the rugged coast, past fishing ports and stunning ocean vistas, until you catch a glimpse of the first windmill towering before you. As you follow the line of windmills, you’ll eventually come to the end of Route 12. This is where your North Cape Experience begins.
North Cape is home to the longest natural rock reef in North America. If you time your visit just right, you can take a walk out on to the reef that stretches 2km from the coast. Take in the majestic red cliffs, the North Point lighthouse, the breathtaking views, and maybe even catch a glimpse of a seal or two!
A stroll along the Black Marsh Nature Trail, is an easy 5.5km that brings you along the ridge of the cliffs as the giant whirring windmills look on 80 meters above you. The trail wraps around the northern tip of PEI, and is punctuated with 25 interpretive panels detailing points of interest and the unique plants and wildlife that you can find along the way. At the other end of the trail, you’ll find the remnants of Elephant Rock, a once famous rock formation that was carved by the awesome force of wind and water. Visitors and locals often take their paddle boards and kayaks down to the rocky beach for a scenic paddle.
Do tales of shipwrecks and ghost ships pique your interest? The history of North Cape is a fascinating one. Through state-of-the-art visual and interactive exhibits, the Wind Energy Interpretive Centre takes visitors through the colourful history of the area, educating them on the importance of renewable energy, and how wind power is harnessed. The Wind Energy Interpretive Centre is also home to the Visitor’s Centre as well as the North Cape Gift Shop, which features a treasure trove of locally handcrafted goods such as the SeaSplash line of bath and body products that use traditional Irish Moss as an ingredient.
With so much to see and explore, it’s totally worth a drive to North Cape!
