Regions in Brief

Victoria

The town of Victoria -- located a short detour off Route 1 between the Confederation Bridge and Charlottetown -- is a tiny, scenic village that has attracted a clutch of artists, boutique owners, and craftspeople. What there is of the village is perfect for strolling -- parking is near the wharf and off the streets, keeping the narrow lanes free for foot traffic.

Wander these short, shady streets while admiring the architecture, much of which is in an elemental, farmhouse style in clapboard or shingles and constructed with sharply creased gables. (Some elaborate Victorian homes break with that pattern, however.) What makes the place so singular is that the village, which was first settled in 1767, has utterly escaped the creeping sprawl that has plagued so many otherwise attractive places on-island. The entire village consists of a grand total of four square blocks, surrounded by potato fields and the Northumberland Strait. I'm pretty sure the village looked almost exactly the same (except for the cars puttering through) a century or more ago.

Tyne Valley

The village of Tyne Valley, just off Malpeque Bay, is one of the most attractive and pastoral areas in all of western PEI. It's also exceptionally tiny, even for this island: population 220 on a good day.

You'll quickly discover that there's little to do here, yet much to admire: verdant barley and potato fields surrounding a village of gingerbread-like homes, plus azure inlets nosing in on the view from the long distance. (Those inlets are the arms of the bay, world-famous for its succulent oysters.) A former 19th-century shipbuilding center, Tyne Valley now attracts artisans and others in search of the slow lane; the gorgeous scenery is a bonus. A handful of good restaurants, inns, and shops here cater to summer travelers.