Ian Nelmes started visiting the beaches of Prince Edward County (PEC), Ontario — not to be confused with “Anne of Green Gables” Prince Edward Island, which lies over 1,000 miles to the east — in the 1970s. There wasn’t much to it.
“The county was a destination for the beach and for fishing, but not much else,” said Nelmes. “After the beach, we would just get in the car and go home.”
By the 1980s, things had improved. A vanguard of creative winemakers — drawn by the county’s limestone-rich soil reminiscent of Burgundy — started planting vineyards. Restaurants, artists and bed-and-breakfasts followed.
Today, this 30-mile-wide island in the northeast corner of Lake Ontario has grown into a deluxe agrarian playground for wealthy Torontonians and Montrealers in search of fresh air and open space. Some call it “the Hamptons of Canada.”
Nelmes now runs Mirazule on the lakefront, a luxe and modern take on the B&B, just 20 minutes from the rural beach he visited at a child. Since 2018, he’s been welcoming guests with goose-down duvets and bathrooms with heated floors — a big change from the “Schitt’s Creek”-esque accoms once found in this area.
Antiques shops, art galleries, boutique hotels as well as award-winning wineries and restaurants are now plentiful in the county. And while more on par with Hamptons prices of 50 years ago, real estate here has certainly popped off. Since 2016, the county’s median home price of $302,250 has more than doubled to over $680,000 as of 2024.
Looking for a wallet-friendly alternative to the East End of Long Island this summer — why not try the South End of Ontario?
Where to stay
Much of the activity centers around the (small) downtown of Picton, where family-owned the Royal Hotel has welcomed guests since 1879. This full-service grande dame offers a spa, a gym, a heated saltwater pool and an award-winning, farm-to-table restaurant that works closely to source ingredients from the owner’s Edwin County Farms.
For a hipper vibe, check out the June Motel, a mid-century, modern-inflected, heavy-on-the-pink former fishermen’s motel.
After its opening in 2017, co-founders April Brown and Sarah Sklash went on to star in the 2021 Netflix series “Motel Makeover.”
For groups, check out the Scandinavian-inspired Wander the Resort. Set on a pristine stretch of lakefront, each of its 10 freestanding cabins sleeps up to six people.
And for the highest degree of personalized service, Mirazule sits on a secluded piece of land with lake views.
Where to eat
“One of the amazing things here is the food scene, because you have all these old-school farming families but also this strong entrepreneurial spirit of people moving here,” said Kyle Nares, a business partner of Montréal celebrity chef Chuck Hughes.
He recommends: the farm-to-table fare at Theia, a seven-table wine bar and restaurant in Picton; the oatmeal pancakes and eggs pomodoro for Sunday brunch at Stella’s Eatery; authentic New Haven-style pizza, charred to perfection, at Darlings; and anything from the makers at Fifth Town Artisan Cheese as a souvenir to bring home.
What to do
Wine tastings in PEC are a must, and with over 35 wineries, there are enough for at least several trips.
To sample the greatest hits, check out Closson Chase Vineyards, whose grapes have helped put the County’s wines on the map since 2004; the historic barn and tasting room at the Grange of Prince Edward, the largest estate vineyard in the County; and Hinterland Vineyards, which exclusively produces sparkling wines.
In addition to its fresh produce and artisan goods, the Picton Town Hall Farmers Market on Sundays functions as the town’s unofficial weekly meeting.
To experience the beauty of this landscape from outside a car, order some bike rentals from County Bike Rentals (free delivery anywhere in the county) and hit the Millennium Trail, which runs 29 miles from the village of Carrying Place on PEC’s western edge, to the middle of downtown Picton.
And of course, there is always the county’s attraction that brought people here long before anything else did: the beaches at Sandbanks Provincial Park.
