We learned a theme from fellow Camino walkers in Spain, that following the prescribed route exactly is not required nor is it necessarily the best route. You should feel confident that you are completing the Island Walk whether you adhere to the exact route or not. In the end it is your “Camino”, your journey, and walking between two towns or two waypoints has many options and varying experiences.
The Island Walk is new and the infrastructure is a challenge. We tried to stay on route as much as possible but we also wanted to walk to all of our sleeping points rather than be shuttled to and from the trail. The shuttles are usually expensive. So, we planned our route such that it included the distances to-and-from our accommodations. If our campground was 4 km from the trail, we left the trail and walked to the campsite and then returned to the trail again the next day by foot. We didn’t exit and return to the exact same point on the trail, but we didn’t take shortcuts. This meant that we missed pieces of the exact route but, in the end, walked more kilometres than the prescribed route.
The Komoot app and Google Maps ensured that we always knew where we were and where we needed to be. PEI has many campsites including 8 at Provincial Parks and 2 at the PEI National Park.
The campsites were a highlight of our walk. Many times our tent was situated overlooking red sand beaches and the ocean – just what we hoped to experience in PEI.
– Doug & Heidi
IW TIDBIT: Thinking about your own adventure? Maybe this link to the rural bus transport online booking system is something that could be helpful.
We’re excited to celebrate Heidi and Doug as Island Walk Finishers #92 and #93!
Aurora Couple Embarks on 700 km Walk Around Prince Edward Island to Combat Food Insecurity