A cottage stay on PEI—with teens

I’ve always loved the ease of the PEI cottage vacation. Book the ferry, gas the car, pack the cooler and settle in for a week of fun and sun. But how would it play travelling with older teens, you ask?

Two words: a joy.

Yes, unique challenges exist with travelling with teens, who need more downtime (hello, lazy cottage mornings) and can sometimes skew moody, but they surprise you too by being witty, fun dinner companions, soulfully intelligent fellow traveller. They were up for the unexpected, such as stumbling onto events like the annual open house of local talent at the Under the Spire Festival (where sitting on a church pew, listening to eclectic performances from a capella to rap, piano virtuouos to a former Amazing Race competitor, was a huge hit).

Cottage vacations have long appealed as they balance relaxing downtown with a home base springboard for fun, and on PEI, that relaxation comes just by being immersed in the province’s natural beauty. It certainly felt that way during last year’s escape to Darnley Farmhouse Retreat. The North Shore rental is found down a red dirt lane where wild roses and daisies grow. The lane opens to a spacious private yard overlooking the mussel-filled waters of Darnley Basin where birdsong swells the air.

In settings like this, it’s easy to unwind, spending pleasant hours reading books and snoozing in Adirondack chairs on the wraparound verandah, playing cutthroat croquet games, spacing out for alone time (read wifi and connecting with friends fix), preparing sumptuous seafood and bbq feasts, even watching the sun rise over neighbouring potato fields (okay, okay, just me, but still, enjoyable!)

Here are some teen-approved highlights. 

Paddleboats with goats. Photo credit Devon Saila

Seaside and sunsets

Beaches ring the Island, and whether you’re seeking sea glass or an afternoon playing in the waves, the seashore always brings the bliss. For me, a favourite day started with running in the surf on a spotless morn at nearby Thunder Cove beach—Thunder as locals call it—chasing sun and seagulls. One teen, moody just moments before, is now cartwheeling along the shore, and I know magic exists. Come evening, the sunset over red cliffs is close to perfect.  

Later-ish mornings

Let’s face it. Teenagers typically aren’t morning people. Factor that into your trip with days for both early and late starts so that everyone gets time they can enjoy. A later-ish morning is always good for lazy beach vacations, but teens don’t mind early if plans are happening. Setting some specific expectations (and times) can help things run smoother. That way you’re not on your second cup of coffee, tapping your toes, waiting for family members to rise for “an early start” they think is still hours away.

Outdoor fun (and beach goats)

Be it hiking, biking, deep sea fishing, kayaking or golf, the Island is well blessed when it comes to natural beauty and outdoor adventure. For something sure to get the teens smiling, book a stand-up paddle board session with Beach Goats in Saint Chrysostome. Yep, that’s right. Paddle boarding. With goats.  

Good eats

If you drive to the small fishing village of North Rustico, flanking the spectacular PEI National Park (well worth a stop), plan to dine at Blue Mussel Café, a popular seafood eatery where diners watch herons at harbour’s edge and overlook waters from where the day’s catch is plucked.

Continue the adventure to Gallant’s Clover Market in Rustico, one of PEI’s old general stores (with the most helpful staff), to grab thick pork chops from their butcher shop and a just-baked apple pie (worth driving for) to end the day barbecuing back at your cottage.

Road trip stops

Who loves a trip back in time? My teens do, at Orwell Corner Historical Village! Located about halfway between Charlottetown and the Wood Island ferry, learning about life in the small 1895 crossroads community proved a sleeper hit. Here, you can hear roosters crow, gaze at baby goats, talk to a working blacksmith and visit the general store and one-room schoolhouse.

Exuberant, toe-tapping musical shows are sure to put a smile on most anyone’s face and they’re definitely a highlight at Village musical acadien in Abram-Village in western PEI. There’s also a restaurant, art gallery and gift shop on site at the Acadian cultural centre.

People who visit glass houses are happy people and the teens were jazzed to visit The Bottle Houses, also in western PEI in nearby Cap-Egmont, to see one man’s dream realized in three fantastical houses made from recycled bottles. Dare I say there was even talk of “an intense, all-encompassing love for this perfect attraction.” Says one: “It’s built out of a genuine love, something big made out of something as simple as bottles. Instead of throwing things away, they got transformed into something beautiful. A community came together to help one of their own achieve his dreams, and the family continues to keep his memory and dream alive because of their love for someone who is gone. It’s simple, but holds incredible meaning.” Plus, the onsite gardens are on point.

Lighthouse lore

Lighthouse chasing on PEI often leads to rewarding, off-the-beaten path coastal views. Sure, you may get lost, the kids may roll their eyes (hey, they were going to do that anyway), but they’ll agree in the end that it’s worth it to find the red dirt lane through the field to cliffside Cape Tyron Lighthouse.