The Island Walk
Published April 11, 2024 | Tourism PEI
Categories:
Outdoor Activities
Take Your First Step
The Island Walk is a 700 kilometre journey that circumnavigates Prince Edward Island.
Hikers can complete the entire Island Walk route in one go or tackle it in sections. The Walk incorporates existing trails, such as the Confederation Trail, as well as entirely new routes along the ocean and through quiet secondary roads.
The Island Walk is divided into 32 sections with points of interest, terrain, average completion time and amenities of the area outlined for each. A growing list of multi-day itineraries is also available. Routes offer the perfect landscape, both in terrain and scenery, for those who are looking for a long-distance walking adventure. By international standards, the Walk is not technically difficult with options for everyone.
Those who have taken pilgrimages in other parts of the world, be it the El Camino or the Appalachian Trail, know that such a trek is not just about the walking. It’s about what you encounter along the way – be it a most-delicious breakfast at a B&B, the vibe of a small-town coffee shop, a red dirt road canopied in trees or an expression of kindness. Guaranteed, you’ll return home differently because of the Island Walk.
Bryson Guptill, Creator of the Island Walk
“Part of the appeal of a walk like this is that it brings travellers back to a pace that we no longer operate at – which becomes very addictive. It’s about walking and thinking and the people you run into and chatting with them. And part of what’s so special about PEI is the people you meet here." - Special to the Globe and Mail by L.A. Brown
What Others Are Saying
AFAR magazine listed the Island Walk as one of the top 12 best places to travel in the world for 2023. "A 435-mile hiking and biking route around Canada’s small but mighty province invites visitors to travel slowly and joyfully."
New York Times columnist Elaine Glusac described her five-day pilgrimage as "equal parts solitude and camaraderie, as she treked from inn to inn" on part of the Island Walk.