10 Things You Have to Do If You’re in Prince Edward County

Smack dab between Ottawa and Toronto, along Highway 33, lives a place called Prince Edward County. Here you’ll find shiny, modern wineries where massive farms once stood and 800 kilometres of shoreline with stretches of beautiful beach. Sandbanks Provincial Park has long drawn visitors to the island (yes, it’s an island) for the spectacular sunsets and see-it-to-believe-it sand dunes, but the towns here are as small as they come. The county feels like a secret that couldn’t last; it’s where city folks look to do their lives over, if only for a weekend.

Where to stay Jens Burgen and Inge Alberts can be thanked for building the fantastical yet authentic 55-acre Fronterra farm, camp and brewery. Just 10 large canvas tents have been mounted in an old-growth sugar maple forest with such added luxuries as a king-sized bed, hardwood floors, an ensuite bathroom, a reading lounge and even a private outdoor hot shower. Step outside your tent to find a ground cover of wild trilliums (Ontario’s official flower) or canoe from a floating dock to reflect on the province’s overlooked beauty. From $235 per night; two night minimum.

Where to shop Main Street in the village of Bloomfield is where you’ll find bike rentals, lattes, and a lineup for locally made ice cream. County T-Shirt specializes in satirizing the area’s heritage. One tee puts former PM John A. Macdonald (who practised law in nearby Picton) in a Che Guevara pose, while another gives “Straight Outta Consecon” the N.W.A treatment. Honey Pie Hives and Herbals’ handmade soaps, lip balms and teas are some of the goods to be found at this off-the-beaten-path shop. The husband and wife team behind it keep hives on-site (and around the county) to produce honey, mead (honey wine), candles and more.

Where to eat Food is sport in the county and local ingredients are a given. With several working farms and creameries, and over 30 wineries, the area’s culinary options abound. But any way you slice it, there is something special about the county’s embrace of wood-fired pizza during patio season. Norman Hardie Winery and Terracello Winery are known for their ’za, as is County Cider Company, where you can wash back an out-of-the-oven pie with a pint of peach cider while sitting atop an orchard that looks onto Lake Ontario.