They’re every bit as much a part of the culture and life of Prince Edward Island as Anne of Green Gables, lobster, ceilidhs, potatoes, stunningly sandy beaches, and the Cavendish Beach Music Festival. People touring the Island’s picturesque countryside often travel down these paths. Yet, the unending miles of red dirt roads that traverse the PEI landscape aren’t often featured in the tourist brochures. But these remnants of the past, which at one time were the only way to get around the province, are worth exploring.

Prince Edward Island has more roads per capita than any other province in Canada and – owing to the Island’s unique red soil – travelling these roads adds to the experience. The red dirt roads of PEI truly have their own mystique about them, bringing travellers to rarely – seen parts of the province, through backcountry areas and farmland and down long, winding roads towards the sea.

There is something truly calming about going for drives down these lesser – travelled roads, many of which in recent years have been given heritage status. Drivers often find themselves moving through tunnels of trees and over bubbling creeks, while spotting abandoned homes from days gone by. In fact, these roads tell so many interesting stories about the culture and history of Canada’s smallest province.

So, if you’ve had a PEI vacation on your itinerary – and you have the time – it’s worth taking a day or part of a day to explore areas of the Island that you can only access by travelling the red dirt roads.