Prince Edward Island

If there's a prettier provincial capital in Canada than Charlottetown, we're yet to find it (even its name sounds quaint). Eschewing the headlong rush for concrete and glass that characterizes many big Canadian cities, Charlottetown has stayed true to its small-town roots, with a low-rise downtown that retains many of the redbrick facades and Victorian buildings of its late-19th-century heyday. Covering just a few blocks inland from the harbor, the old part of town was designed to be walkable, and it pays to wander and soak up the sights – including its impressive mock-Gothic cathedral and a surfeit of heritage homes, browsable shops and colorful clapboard buildings. The town's fast-growing food and craft-beer scene is boosted by the presence of the Culinary Institute of Canada downtown.

If you're still searching for PEI's finest beaches, according to many islanders you'll find them here at Basin Head – including the squeaky tones of the famed Singing Sands Beach (aka Basin Head Beach). Outside July and August these stretches of sand are almost deserted, though it might be a little chilly for sunbathing.

Mi'kmaq culture remains strong on the little 535-hectare wooded islet known as Lennox Island, and this cultural center provides a decent primer on understanding the history, beliefs and traditions of this ancient First Nations people. It's also the starting point for the Path of Our Forefathers, a nature trail that winds through the island's forests and along the coastline.

Since taking over the Inn at Bay Fortune in 2015, Food Network star Michael Smith has created one of PEI's most unique dining experiences: the 'FireWorks feast,' based around a monstrous 7.5m brick-lined, wood-burning oven. It features a smorgasbord of oysters, hot-smoked fish, flame-grilled steaks, seafood chowder and fire-oven bread, served at long butcher-block tables: a truly epic barbecue banquet.

There are plenty of places to get a lobster supper these days, but this spot claims to be the original – in any event, it's been serving these shellfish feasts since 1958. Getting messy while you crack your crustacean is part of the fun – but leave room for chowder, mussels, salads, breads and a mile-high lemon pie.

Massive, dramatic and ever-shifting sand dunes epitomize the amazing area west of Greenwich. These rare parabolic giants are fronted by an awesome, often empty beach. Preserved by Parks Canada in 1998, this 6km section of shore is now part of Prince Edward Island National Park. Learn about it all in the Greenwich Interpretation Centre.

Built in 1867 (the same year as Confederation), the East Point Lighthouse still guards PEI's northeastern shore. As you climb the 67 steps to the top, you'll see a collection of old lenses, a gallery of former lighthouse keepers and the original lantern machinery, before topping out on the 5th floor for wraparound views of East Point.

Following the course of the railway that once cut right across PEI but was finally abandoned for good in 1989, the Confederation Trail (www.tourismpei.com/pei-confederation-trail) is one of the best cycling routes in Canada. Winding through a varied landscape of fields, forests, rivers, valleys and coastline, it's a pleasure to cycle – not least because it's almost entirely flat. Some sections of the trail are completely canopied; in late June and the early weeks of July the trail is lined with bright, flowering lupines, and in fall, the changing colors of the foliage are a wonder.

The tip-to-tip distance from Tignish in the northwest to Elmira in the northeast is 273km, but branch trails bring the total possible distance to 435km. You don't necessarily have to do the trail in one go: it's easily done in sections, since the main trail passes through major towns including Summerside, Kensington and Mt Stewart, with branches to other towns including Charlottetown, Souris and Montague.

Miles are measured from west to east (Tignish is at 0km, Elmira at 273km); since prevailing winds on PEI blow from the west and southwest, cycling in this direction is easier.

You can download a trail map and route guide from the Tourism PEI website, and information centers can help with route guidance, accommodations and bike rental.