East Point is the last bit of Prince Edward Island before the sea takes over, and a red lighthouse marks the spot. The tower, built in 1867, stands on a low cliff of crumbling sandstone at the place where the Gulf of St Lawrence meets the Northumberland Strait, and on a windy day you can watch two different seas fight each other, with a line of choppy water marking the meeting. It is a bare, exposed and slightly melancholy place, and I find it a great deal more attractive for that.
The lighthouse is open to visitors in summer, and you can climb the steps to the top for a view across the water and the flat red fields. The cliffs nearby are steadily eroding, and the sea has carried away parts of the shoreline since the lighthouse was built, so that the tower has been moved back at least once. Nearby there are wind turbines turning slowly in the sea breeze, a reminder that the wind here is a resource as well as a nuisance. The coast attracts seabirds, seals and in the right season, migrating whales that may be seen from the shore.
The area has a seafaring and farming tradition. Fishing boats still work out of the nearby wharves, catching lobster in spring and tuna in late summer. Irish moss, a red seaweed used in food and cosmetics, is raked from the shore by local families after storms, and you may see piles drying along the roads. A short distance along the coast, Basin Head has a beach known as the singing sands, where the dry, fine grains squeak under your feet, and a small fisheries museum. In summer, the water in the sheltered channel is warm enough for swimming, and children leap from the old wharf.
The ride along the Points East Coastal Drive is easy and scenic, following the shoreline with views of dunes, cliffs and farmland, and the surface is mostly good. Roads are quiet, but watch for tractors and sudden gusts of wind. The best time is a clear morning in June or September, when the air is cool and the colours are rich. In July and August, the temperatures are pleasant, but the traffic on the main roads is heavier, and fog can reduce visibility on cool mornings.
Souris, about twenty-four kilometres away, is the nearest town, and has stations, a grocery and several cafes. Bring a layer, because the wind at the point can be cold even in July, and plan to stay until the light turns golden.