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Prince
Edward Island is divided into
three counties. In the middle is Queens County,
which incorporates the province's most popular tourist
attractions and has some of its prettiest scenery. It
also boasts the island's finest beaches, stretching
along the northern shore and protected within the
Prince Edward Island National Park. To the east of
Queens lies Kings County comprising two broad
geographical areas, with the tree-dotted farmland and
estuary townships of the south giving way to wilder
scenery further north, and to the west is Prince
County, which makes up the flattest part of PEI, its
broad-brimmed, sparsely populated landscapes curving
round a handful of deep bays. The provincial government
has worked out three scenic drives covering each
of the counties: Lady Slipper Drive (287km) to the west,
Blue Heron Drive (191km) in the centre, and the Kings
Byway Drive (367km) to the east. However, although these
drives visit everything of interest, they are frequently
dreary, so unless you really love driving it's better to
be more selective.
PEI's public
transport system is rudimentary, but from early June
to September there is a shuttle (2–4 daily; $16
return; tel 566-3243) linking Charlottetown's visitors
centre with Cavendish visitors centre, at the junction
of Hwy 6 and Hwy 13. Alternatively, several
Charlottetown companies operate sightseeing tours,
with the busiest being Abegweit, 157 Nassau St (tel
894-9966), who offer tours of the southern and northern
shores ($60 each) as well as Charlottetown ($9). The
island is also good for all manner of outdoor sports,
with specialist companies offering everything from
diving and deep-sea fishing to canoeing and sailing, and
is strong on cycling. There are several
cycle-tour operators, though it's a good deal
cheaper (and entirely straightforward) to plan your own
route: in Charlottetown, both Smooth Cycle, 172 Prince
St at Kent (tel 566-5530), and MacQueen's, 430 Queen St
(tel 368-2453), rent out all the necessary gear and will
advise on routes. The most popular is the
Confederation Trail, a combined hiking and cycling
trail that weaves its way right across the island,
partly following the route of PEI's old railway, which
was closed in the 1980s.
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