Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Prince Edward County, known locally as the County, is a peninsula on Lake Ontario in eastern Ontario, about 160 kilometers east of Toronto. It is famous for white sand beaches, limestone cliffs, farms, wineries and small villages.
Sandbanks Provincial Park
Outlet Beach and the dunes
Picton
Lake on the Mountain
+3 more places
The County is almost an island, and that gives it a distinct, slow rhythm.
It works for a beach weekend, a cycling trip or a wine-focused escape, and the main attractions are close enough to combine in a few days.
Sandbanks is one of the most popular parks in Ontario, with three beaches and the largest bay-mouth barrier dune system in the world.
Outlet Beach is one of three beaches in Sandbanks Provincial Park. Photo: Óðinn, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 ca
Outlet Beach and Dunes Beach are the best-known stretches, with shallow water suited to families. Paddlers can rent canoes or kayaks on the Outlet river and explore East Lake, where swans sometimes gather.
Wellington sits on both Lake Ontario and West Lake in southwest Prince Edward County. Photo: Donovan Govan., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The northernmost beach of the Sandbanks area lies in the village of Wellington and is known locally as Wellington Rotary Beach. A canal cuts through the sand to Wellington Harbour, so it also suits a harbor stroll.
Past South Bay, a rural road leads to limestone cliffs over Lake Ontario, with a rock beach for swimming, picnic spots and firepits. It is usually quiet and private-feeling.
Picton is the County’s largest community, set at the head of Picton Bay.
The Regent Theatre in Picton was built in 1922 and remains a local landmark. Photo: JFVoll, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Housed in a former Quaker meeting house from 1885, the museum highlights the Quakers who helped develop the area. A key exhibit explains the canning industry, with more than seventy canning factories operating in the County between 1882 and 1996.
Bloomfield is a small village with a visitor centre in the town hall and a main street of shops, galleries and cafés. It is a handy place to collect maps and to rent bicycles.
The free ferry crosses the Bay of Quinte between Glenora and Adolphustown, linking the two parts of Highway 33. Lines can be long in summer, so allow extra time.
The Glenora Ferry carries vehicles and pedestrians across the Bay of Quinte for free. Photo: Robert Taylor from Stirling, ON, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
On the edge of Picton, this conservation area has hiking and mountain biking trails and a cluster of birdhouses built to look like century homes. It is a good picnic spot.
Waupoos is in the newly fashionable wine country, and the Rose House Museum, a traditional farmhouse, is a stop for history lovers. Wineries are spread across the County, so choose a few and book a driver or tour.
The County is a farm region with a growing food scene. Pinot noir is among the wines for which the County is known, and many wineries welcome visitors for tastings.
In spring, sugar shacks serve maple syrup in meals during the Maple in the County weekend, held in late March. Apple orchards and cideries make apple cider, and farms sell strawberries and apples for picking in season.
Popular dishes to try in Prince Edward County
Picton is the best base for first-time visitors, with the widest choice of shops and restaurants and quick access to the ferry, Lake on the Mountain and Macaulay Mountain.
Wellington is the place for beach-lovers, close to Sandbanks and the harbor. It has a small-town feel and works well for families and cyclists.
Bloomfield offers a quiet village base in the middle of the County, with a visitor centre and a main street to walk.
Where to stay in Prince Edward County
Summer is the peak season for beaches and festivals, from the lavender bloom to music and arts events. Sandbanks is crowded on warm weekends, so aim for weekdays or early mornings.
Spring brings the Maple in the County weekend and a birding festival in May, as the County is a migration point. Early June has the cheese festival, and the County Fair and Music on the Mountain take place in early September.
Most visitors drive. From Toronto, exit Highway 401 at Wooler Road in Trenton and follow the Loyalist Parkway to Picton, or use the Highway 62 route through Belleville and over the Bay Bridge.
Seasonal FlixBus service runs from Toronto, and County Transit links Belleville with Picton and Bloomfield, with weekend service in season. Rental cars are available in Belleville.
Distances between sights are long, so a car or bicycle is essential.
Arrive in Picton, walk Main Street and visit Macaulay Heritage Park.
Spend the day at Sandbanks, with a morning paddle on the Outlet and an afternoon on the beach. Finish with a harbor walk in Wellington.
Visit Little Bluff, then drive through Bloomfield and Waupoos. Stop for a tasting at a winery or farm, and visit the lavender farm if it is in season.
Bloomfield is a small village in Prince Edward County with a visitor centre on Main Street. Photo: P199, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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