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Basin Head Beach

Pure white Basin Head Beach is action-packed fun

With its deep-rooted Celtic and Acadian musical heritage, even Prince Edward Island’s beaches sing. Walk on the pure white beach at Basin Head Beach, located an hour from Charlottetown on the far eastern tip of the Island, and listen to your feet squeak as you press them into the fine sand. Melodic grains aside, Basin Head’s big draw for the young (and the young at heart) is jumping off the old pier into the Basin Head River, letting the tide pull you 50 metres into the ocean. The lower the tide, the faster the ride, and although the water gets up to four metres deep at times, even the shortest beachcombers are able to stand up by the time they reach the beach.

Lifeguards are on duty in summer (technically, warning signs encourage folks to wade into the river instead of pier-jumping, but…) Outdoor showers, picnic tables and washroom facilities ensure relative comfort for even the most finicky of families. And just in case your kid gets salt water in the eyes, a gift shop, canteen and ice cream stand offer instant bribes, and a fascinating fisheries museum on-site provides shade and local info. Although crowds descend on the wharf on summer weekends, escape to secluded white sand is only a short walk in either direction.

Photo: Martin Cathrae