Sandbanks, Dunes Beach, Base31, and more. So much more.
- Le Bon Vivant (LBV) PEC
- Jul 30
- 5 min read
Prince Edward County is evolving each year, with long-time staples and exciting new additions. Whether you're thinking about booking a trip to PEC or have already booked time in PEC, this post will help you plan your stay!
A bit of background
Before sharing our absolute favourites, lets give you a bit of background on who we are. My partner and I were born and raised in Toronto, Canada - although I spent a quarter of each year in Switzerland where my family is originally from. Europe (and in particular Switzerland and France) has had a lasting impact on me. Although my partner is a lover of city life, he has come to appreciate all things that one associates with a smaller scale, quaint town in Europe. You can find these elements in PEC!
Over the last 8 years, we've travelled all over -- some notable trips include: Azores Islands, Chile, Croatia, France, Greece, Hawaii, US (LA, Miami, NYC, Upstate New York, New Jersey, South Beach, Texas), Indonesia, Mexico City, Portgual, Spain, and of course: Switzerland and MANY trips to Prince Edward County). You could say that we truly "work to live". We appreciate the small things in life, value a change of pace, and savour moments together, with our loved ones, and with our close friends near and far.
Now the good stuff: Our PEC favourites...
Now that you know a bit about who we are, read below to find out our personal favourites in PEC! We'll try to cover an array of different interests here:
Things to Do
Live music - Base31 has concerts and other events throughout the year. It's around the corner from LBV so super accessible if you're staying at our luxury airbnb. Bonus: It's always welcoming new additions, restaurants, and vendors -- like The Hut Smoothie and Juice Bar, perfect for breaking up your trip with healthy eats. Parsons Brewing (mentioned later in this list) has also announced a heavy focus on live music / music festival vibes throughout summer 2025!
Beach - Sandbanks Provincial Park - Dunes Beach on West Lake is the most popular beach in the region. Guests of LBV are provided with 2 parking permits for a guaranteed parking spot (for two cars!) and complimentary parking so that you don't run into any issues when going on a busy day. North Beach (North Beach Provincial Park) is a lesser known beach that's also quite nice if you want to truly avoid the crowds / tourists.
Beach Club - Beach clubs in Prince Edward County are great in peak season when you want a more exclusive, less crowded vibes. Wander the Resort is gorgeous and trendy, and makes you feel like you're not even in Canada anymore. You can buy a daypass for full access.
Poolside Lounging - As of Summer 2024, The Lakeside Hotel Prince Edward County opens up their pool to anyone (regardless of whether you're staying at their hotel or elsewhere, such as LBV!). Each day, they open up a certain number of day passes to outside guests.
Hiking - Although there are no intense hikes in the region, there are some beautiful ones. Little Bluff Conservation Area (a quick 20 minute one) and The Lakeshore Trail (slightly harder at 13 km) are two beautiful trails along the water.
Bike Rides - The Millennium Trail. You can make it as easy or hard (short or long) as you want, with so many entry and exit points along the way.
Walks / Strolls - The Milford Pond. For the most part, only locals or tourists staying in the area know about it. It's beautiful throughout ALL seasons.
Culinary Scene
Batch Cocktails - Wild Lot Farm Distillery is constantly coming out with trendy, topical bevvies using local ingredients. They're so good that they're now available at the LCBO / liquor distributors, but there's something special about enjoying their drinks on their beautiful, immersed in nature 35-acre property!
Beer - Parsons Brewing has a few great beers, with my personal favourite being the Summer Saison. They also have an amazing outdoor space, including a skating rink in the winter.
Cider - We have two ties for first place here, but given that the theme of this post of lesser known gems - We'd have to go with The Old Third. They have a French style cider that almost makes you think you're drinking a very refreshing white wine. The owners are both from Europe, and have brought that style of wine making the County.
Wine - Trail Estate Winery is one of our current favourites, but we will say: this changes every season!
Coffee - Beacon Bike & Brew is the clear winner. And trust us, we're picky -- hence, why we were so thoughtful about our coffee set up for guests. However, a former
Pastries - PECish Bakery, hands down. However, Frankie's Snack Shop was started by a close friend of ours who is a super mom / woman / entrepreneur and gets fresh deliveries from a bakery in Belleville. PECish and Frankie's are in totally different areas of PEC and are both worth a stop. Little pro tip for anyone who loves a pastry with their coffee in the morning - Beacon and Frankie's are on the same block.
Food - There are SO many cuisines now in PEC, and more are opening up each year with many ex-Toronto restauranteurs who moved to the County for a change of pace. I'll name drop a few of our go-to's here:
Burgers - Harry's Charbroiled (note: gluten free buns here are amazing too)
Pasta - The Old Third Pasta Bar (hint: Can you tell we're obsessed with The Old Third yet?)
Pizza - Norman Hardie Winery - There is no shortage of pizza in PEC, but Norman's remains our favourite by far.
Sandwiches - Flossie's - and while you're here, grab a Lemonade Dave. It's out of this world.
Mexican - La Condesa - Their entire menu is gluten-free so if you also avoid gluten like me, you'll love it even more. However, don't dismiss it if you're not gluten-free: my husband loved it just as much as I did.
Nicer dinner out - Bocado - Full disclosure: We have not tried this yet (thanks to always having our toddler in tow ;) ), but our friends, neighbours, and truly everyone rave about it! Since reservations can be tricky, it's always good to have another restaurant in mind. One that we have tried and loved by an ex-Toronto (Ossington) restauranteur and his awesome wife is Theia, also in Picton
Thinking about a PEC getaway? Prince Edward County hotels are lovely, but they simply don't provide you with the freedom and privacy of having a whole property all to yourself. Click below to check our availability at LBV (Le Bon Vivant)!
Note: Guests of LBV get exclusive access to
an interactive map of all our curated favourites across PEC.
Want to hear more? DM us (@thatpecspot) or comment below!
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