I have a free day at the end of my mandated time off, so I'm going to be flying up to Charlottetown for a day at the end of May. I had a couple questions for folks, if they could answer:

1) Where is the absolute best place to eat oysters in town (or PEI generally, although I would prefer to stay close to YYG)?
2) I have seen some really cool pictures of Darnley - is it worth making the ~1 hour drive up and catching sunset up there?

I can't help you on the oyster part but I highly recommend getting in the car and going for a drive! I've never been to Darnley but the north shore is pretty nice in general. (Ok I just googled it and it looks very cool so I say yes go for it!) I'd suggest doing a loop heading up towards Prince Edward Island National Park/Stanhope area first and making your way along the coast to Darnley for the sunset.

There are some popular spots for eating oyster in Charlottetown.

Claddagh Oyster House
131 Sydney St, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 1G5, Canada
+1 902-892-9661


Sims Corner Steakhouse & Oyster Bar
86 Queen St, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 4A7, Canada
+1 902-894-7467

Darnley is nice but if you drive up there for the sunset, just remember that you'll be driving back after dark on winding pothole filled roads. All of PEI is a beach, so you may want to stick closer to YYG. Brackley Beach, which is part of the national park, is 15 minutes from town. I'm not sure when they start charging admission to the park but it may still be free in May.

Also, May is still a bit early for any tourism operators to be open, so keep that in mind if you are looking for meals or activities outside of Charlottetown. Most just open for July and August, some extend from June-October.

I've never tried the oysters, but the Merchantman Fresh Seafood & Oyster Bar is a very good restaurant in downtown Charlottetown https://merchantman.ca/

Appreciate the tip re: driving at night. That was one consideration I was thinking about, since it shows up as about a 50-minute drive from Charlottetown. I don't mind driving at night, but I do mind if the roads are not kept in great shape.

Then you won't like the Maritimes. Too many freeze/thaw cycles through the winter and an insufficient tax base to keep things going.

Renting a car is a must i.e. Charlottetown is boring. Did you specify timing? If not, July/August are busy on PEI, otherwise its a ghost province.
My PF is Souris, where you can catch a ferry to Iles de la Madeleine, Quebec.

So to recap - really did enjoy my foray out here. Folks are generally quite friendly, and definitely a bit provincial (they were quite surprised to chat with someone from NYC).

-Stayed at the Holmer Grand: pretty meh as a hotel, but centrally located. Parked for free on the street after 8 PM.
-Dinner @ Claddagh's - excellent choice. Fantastic oysters and the entree (glazed pork belly and scallops) was excellent
-Hit up Darnley for sunset. Definitely a bit of the drive, but I got lucky - first clear day they had in weeks - and was beautiful. Because dusk is relatively long, it wasn't completely dark until I was most of the way back to Charlottetown
-Stopped at Upstreet Craft Brewery for some beers - average at best. Wasn't blown away by any of the beer I had in PEI, but there is a local scene, so at least you aren't stuck drinking Molson
-Brunch at Water Price Corner Shop - excellent oysters and chowder; the lobster roll was worse than I've had in New England

Transportation thoughts:
-Flying AC Rouge is a tight fit. Now I understand why so many folks despise them
-YYG is a very small yet pleasant airport. Extremely easy to get in and get out of
-I didn't come across many potholes that I felt would have absolutely wrecked my tires, but there was definitely some dodging driving happening. I got lucky when Hertz upgraded me to an SUV for free...definitely takes some of the mind off of watching out for gaps in the asphalt.