A Morning at Argyle Shore

It seems that after a full three months on the island, fate has seen fit to give me one additional “bonus” day here on PEI. (While it’s true that there are wonderful travel benefits that come from being the spouse of an airline pilot, those benefits come with a cost: Confirmed uncertainty!)

After trying twice on standby, I still couldn’t get on a flight back to Toronto. The next possibility being another 12 hours away, I decided to make the best of it, and explore one of my favourite beaches on the south shore, at Argyle provincial park.

Since I was turned away (again!) at YYG around 6:30 AM, and the park does not open until 9 AM, I made a brief stop at Victoria by the Sea, and then went to the parking lot at nearby Bonshaw provincial park for a nap in the car.


When I awoke, it was 9:30, and after a brief chat with my family to update them about the situation and lament the fact that I would essentially have no time between my arrival in Toronto and my return back to work, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and headed over to Argyle Shores, where I arrived approximately two hours before low tide.

I always forget what a splendid beach this is when the tide is out; my only other visit this summer was at nearly high tide, when only a narrow ribbon of rocky shore remains walkable.

But now, now endless red sandy beaches were my Oyster!


Very few people had arrived by the time I got there, but the beach was nevertheless busy: Assorted seagulls stomped around determinedly through narrow pools, picking at various tasty bits that the tide had washed in, transparent little shrimp or crayfish scampered around and large schools of tiny fish flitted every which way. Shellfish scuttled about looking for a safe spot to ride out the next few hours; I chanced upon a giant crab racing across one such shallow pool.

Argyle Shores provide an ideal opportunity to experience PEI’s signature red soil; at low tide, rocky shore meets a seemingly endless expense of red sandy beach, and once you’ve made your way down the rickety old wooden staircase, you can walk out quite far, wading between the emerging sandbars.

One of the most beautiful things to behold when flying over the island is its undulating shoreline with the most mesmerizing textures of subtly blending land and water. Here at Argyle shore, you can immerse yourself in it on the ground! While the gradients are incredibly difficult to truly capture effectively with a phone camera (even a good one!) it’s nevertheless a quintessential spot for a few Instagram-worthy shots.

I first discovered this beach some years ago on my own, with our previous dog, a beagle with short stubby speckled legs who danced along happily behind me along the red shoreline, pausing frequently to sniff here and there. At that time I was amazed by the rich diversity of rock formations, various molluscs and barnacles and other sea creatures, and of course endless red sand.

The next year I wanted to show my boys; alas, I had not looked up the tides, and when we arrived, there was little evidence of the diversity I had described to them. We had to wait another year to (re)discover Argyle Shores.

This time, having both tide and time on my side, I walked further than I ever had before, and came to a little estuary.

I followed it all the way to the end and saw two beautiful great blue herons.

They wouldn’t let me get close enough to take a photo, but I stuck my toes in the rapidly moving water to assure myself that it was considerably colder than the gently lapping waters of the wide ocean behind it!

After plopping myself down on a sandbar for a while to feel the warm sun on my back and listen to the sound of the water and the birds mixed with the excited cries of children in the background (with the approach of low tide, more people were slowly starting to make their way to this still semi-secluded spot), I began my slow meander back to the staircase up to the parking lot.

If you’ve never been to Argyle shore and are planning a visit to the island, I highly recommend visiting this incredible spot. It’s not so much a swimming beach as a walking beach, but it’s a beautiful tribute to this red Island, and well worth the half hour drive out of town. The park itself includes picnic tables (including some covered ones in case of rain), washrooms and showers, and is the perfect spot to spend a morning or an afternoon, after you’ve walked the red sands, rocky shore and tide pools.

While I am still sad about the delay in being reunited with my family today, I am grateful for the unexpected opportunity for one more visit to this beautiful beach!