UPDATE! 2025 The Sand Dunes of PEI and Cabot Trail Tour

Tour

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  • Leader: Danielle Amerongen (damerongen@me.com)
  • Leader Phone: 780-399-8623
  • Co-leader:   Audrey Sonnenberg  (780) 974-0880
  • Tour Contractor: Pedal and Sea (Halifax-based)
  • Trip Dates: Sat, 19 Jul 2025 -- Sat, 2 Aug 2025
  • Trip Classification: Intermediate/Advanced
  • Trip Fee: $100 CAD
  • Trip Numbers: minimum 12 , maximum 20
  • Trip Registration Opens: Fri, 23 Aug 2024 9:00 AM (pacific time)
  • Registration Lottery Ends: Fri, 30 Aug 2024 5:00 PM (pacific time)
  • Trip Registration Closes: Sun, 15 Jun 2025 5:00 PM (pacific time)
Ride Description:

 

Come and explore PEI and Cape Breton N.S. as it should be experienced — by bicycle! The tour begins in PEI on routes that will have us cycling through a riot of colour: verdant pastures that stretch out to scarlet cliffs, which drop into azure waters, red sandstone cliffs, scenic fishing villages and towering sand dunes as we cycle the island from one side to the other.

We then transfer to Baddeck N.S. to cycle the Cabot Trail! One of the world’s most beautiful bicycle routes. The Cabot Trail winds through glorious valleys and hills, along an expansive coast as it traverses the Highlands. Pods of whales can be seen just off the coast, while bald eagles soar on the breezes.


Tour Cost:  

Early Bird Registration until December 15, 2024

  • If we have a group of 17 or more, tour cost will be $5,141CAD
  • If we are 14-16, tour cost will be $5,394CAD
  • If we are 10-13, tour cost will be $5,598CAD
  • Federal and provincial taxes (15%) will be added onto tour fee and bike rental
  • Single Supplement Cost $850.00 CAD based on limited availability

Registration AFTER December 15, 2024

  • If we have a group of 17 or more, tour cost will be $5,740CAD
  • If we are 14-16, tour cost will be $6,021CAD
  • If we are 10-13, tour cost will be $6,248CAD
  • Federal and provincial taxes (15%) will be added onto tour fee and bike rental
  • Single Supplement Cost $850.00 CAD based on limited availability

About the Tour Company: 

Pedal and Sea conducts over 110 tour per year, in 9 countries and have been operating for over 22 years. They are based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This is a customized tour created by Pedal and Sea just for us! There will be a crew to welcome us in Halifax and Charlottetown, set up bikes for those who require a rental or take our bike bags into storage while we enjoy our trip. The crew will get us to Mill River PEI, where the tour begins. As we tour PEI on our own, they will transfer our luggage and be a phone call away should we need them. The Pedal and Sea crew then transfers us to Baddeck where we again cycle on our own while they remain available should we require them. It is a bit more than a self guided tour but not quite a guided tour.

 

Accommodation Reservations:

The tour includes 14 nights accommodation based on two sharing a Double/Twin room in 3, 4 and 5 star hotels, Inns or guest houses. All breakfasts are included and costs are based on two people sharing. If you are traveling solo and would like a roommate, we will attempt to find one for you after the lottery closes. Please inform the Tour Coordinator when you register whether you want a single room or are looking for a roommate since it affects the number and type of rooms needed.  If you are sharing with another person, make sure to sign up as a couple with that person.

Sampling of Accommodations the tour could be using:

PEI:

Cape Breton:
Riding Conditions:

Daily ride distances range between 45km to 80km on rolling paved roads in PEI. The Cabot Trail is more challenging as we will be climbing between 270m and 500m daily with day 4 taking us all the way up to 1350m. Bring your climbing legs! We will have plenty of time to stop for coffee and visits. You will have the option of riding with the Tour Coordinator (around 20kph pace) or riding at your own pace as you will have access to the maps on RWGPS. There is no support vehicle so all cyclists are expected to self-navigate and come ready with the routes. Having said that, should there be an issue requiring extra support, the Tour Coordinator will have access to the luggage transfer vehicle driver who can provide us with support bike issues (about an hour away from the group). Average temperatures at the end of July are 22°C  and you should be prepared for the potential of wet weather.

Fee Includes:

  • GPS routes and route notes & Itineraries
  • 14 nights accommodation 
  • Breakfasts
  • Pizza supper on July 19 in Halifax 
  • PEI welcome dinner on Sunday July 20
  • Dinner on our first night in Badeck
  • Happy hour on most riding days
  • One or two more dinners along the way
  • Transfer of luggage
  • All National Park Fees in PEI and Cape Breton
  • Entrance fee tickets to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck
  • Celtic Music Entertainment ticket at The Normaway Inn in Margaree 
  • Transfers of bikes and riders to various start locations
  • Storage for bike bags
  • Available support in the event of a guest emergency, personal or bike related about an hour or two away
  • Tour Coordinator fee (waived, as coordinator will pay for some dinners for the group in lieu of tour fee coverage)

Fee Does Not Include:
  • Flights
  • Meals other than those noted above. 
  • Celebration dinner on last night
  • Personal expenses
  • Bike rentals

Bike rentals can be done through Pedal and Sea ($249-369CAD), E-bikes ($475CAD) plus taxes

Itinerary:

Saturday July 19, 2025 5:00 pm: Meet and greet at Halifax location. Pizza will be provided.

Sunday July 20, 2025 9:00 am - Start with pick-up in Halifax, drive to PEI to Mill River/Alberton; Once in Mill River, bikes will be adjusted and then off on a peaceful afternoon jaunt of 30km. This lovely ride will be a harbinger of delight, and the start of a glorious week touring a gentle countryside that will touch your heart often. We’ll arrive at our inn early and have ample opportunity to settle in before the welcome dinner. 
Monday July 21, 2025 80km Today’s bicycle ride flows along the rolling farmlands and picturesque fishing villages of Prince Edward Island’s North Cape Coastal drive, home to some of the island’s largest potato farms. Keep an eye out for oyster fishermen and women working their nets in the island rivers. Prince Edward Island may be the smallest province in the world’s second largest country, but its bounty from land and sea is both famous and prized throughout the culinary world, from New York to Tokyo.  
Tuesday July 22, 2025 60km After a wonderful breakfast, we will head north out of Summerside towards Malpeque Bay and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The blue slate of water will be punctuated with colourful fishing boats being manned by those busy catching your dinner for the evening. Our destination is Cavendish — a humble hamlet of less than 100 souls — that inspires pilgrimages throughout the world, because it's the home of Lucy Maud Montgomery and her famous red-haired heroine, Anne of Green Gables.
Wednesday July 23, 2025 46km Today’s gentle spin takes you into P.E.I. National Park, and riding along the fabulous red sand cliffs of Orby Head and Cape Turner — a lovely ride! We will continue on toward North Rustico and then Dalvay Beach, our home for the night. Today’s ride is purposefully short, so we can spend the afternoon at Dalvay, just a hop, skip and jump from our inn. Locals will tell you this is one of Eastern Canada’s best beaches.  
Thursday July 24, 2025 58km Our ride today will take us to St. Peters Bay. Part of the journey can be along the secluded Confederation Trail, where the only traffic we might encounter might be a long-legged heron or an inquisitive squirrel or otter. The ride’s tranquility will be extended into the evening hours thanks to the award-winning inn where we will be resting tonight — a place of peacefulness and beauty.
Friday July 25, 2025 56km We’ll make an early start today en route to St. Peter's and the completion of our PEI cycling journey. We will be picked up and transferred to Charlottetown for an opportunity to explore the town. 
Saturday July 26, 2025 After breakfast we will be driven to Baddeck, NS, for 2 nights (Sat & Sun) on the beautiful Bras D’or Lakes.
Sunday July 27, 2025 A rest day that can include optional Activities such as: a visit to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, the Ceilidh Festival, etc.
Monday July 28, 2025 58km with optional 25k and 400m of elevation. We will cycle through the Margaree Valley and picnic and swim at Lake O’Law. Afterwards, participants can decide to cycle the optional ride included in your package (a loop that starts and ends at crossing rivers and swimming holes) or explore the property via hike.
Tuesday July 29, 2025 50km and 270m of elevation. The Margaree Valley is an angler’s paradise with abundant salmon in the Margaree River. We can visit the Margaree Salmon Museum in the morning as we leave the valley, joining the coast road to Chéticamp. In Chéticamp, we can go whale watching and get a glimpse of the Highlands where we will be bicycling over the next two days.
Wednesday July 30, 2025 81km and **1350m of elevation. Today’s ride will soon have us in the famous Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The national park encompasses almost 1,000 square kilometres of breathtaking highlands that descend to dramatic rocky shorelines. The Highlands are teeming with wildlife: moose, eagles, fox, deer, coyotes, lynx and bobcats are plentiful. The day’s final destination is Dingwall, our home for the night. 
Thursday July 31, 2025 58-70km and 480m of elevation. We will continue along the Cabot Trail taking the scenic route through White Point and Neil’s Harbour on the way to Ingonish.
Friday August 1 2025 46-56km and 450m of elevation. Follow the Cabot Trail over Cape Smokey, with a descent that will have us gasping with delight. We will bike through Wreck Cove, Skir Dhu and Breton Cove as we make our way to Englishtown, our final destination. Our Pedal to Sea crew will be waiting for us there to transfer us back to the Halifax Airport or downtown Halifax. We will arrange a farewell supper before we take off the next day back home with great memories and new friendships.

Registration and Participant Selection:

Registration will be on the CCCTS website on the date shown. A computerized lottery system and waitlist will be utilized in the event that the ride is over subscribed. A $100 CAD payment is required at time of registration.

The lottery sign up will run for 7 days, after which the Tour Coordinator will review the results. The selection process will consider the following criteria in evaluating candidates:

  • fitness and riding ability and experience required for the tour,
  • a history of demonstrating safe riding practices,
  • acceptable social behaviour.

The Tour Coordinator may interview riders or others who know them to verify their suitability for the tour. The Tour Coordinator will notify registrants of their selection status. If the ride is not filled, registration will continue until the closing dates shown.

Participant selection is done primarily by lottery results, but the Tour Coordinator will have the final decision on who is accepted or not for the tour. The Tour Coordinator has the option to prioritize up to 30% of the participants, or maximum of 6 persons. The Tour Coordinator will have the ultimate decision on whether someone is accepted for a tour and may reject applicants after discussion with the Tour Director.

Registration Fee payments are considered non-refundable in the event of cancellation. Wait listed cyclists who don't make it to the Ride's "Go List" are encouraged to remain on the waitlist; alternatively, they may request a refund of their registration fee (minus the stipe fee) at any time.

Tour payment terms with Pedal and Sea after selection: 

  1. Initial Deposit and booking of 50% of tour cost by November 15, 2024
  2. Balance Payment by May 6, 2025

Cancellations & Refunds

All cancellations must be received in writing to both the Tour Coordinator AND Pedal and Sea. Refund policy is based on the date the cancellation email is received at Pedal and Sea. Should you find it necessary to cancel your reservation, the following conditions apply:

  • Received 90 days+ before tour start date, 75% of deposit refunded minus administrative fees ($93.75)
  • Received 60-89 days+ before tour start date, 50% of deposit refunded minus administrative fees ($187.50)
  • Received 41-59 days+ before tour start date, 25% of deposit refunded minus administrative fees ($281.25)
  • Received less than 40 days before the tour start date, no refund and participant incurs full cost of the tour

The above FORFEIT WILL BE WAIVED IF Replacement guest(s) is(are) provided prior to the start of the tour.

Communicable Illness Information:

  • The CCCTS Communicable Illness Policy takes into consideration regulations and recommendations from Public Health Authority of Canada, BC Centre of Disease Control, and Public Health Ontario.  In the case of illness while on tour, it is expected that all participants will follow the procedures outlined in this policy.  Please refer to  https://cccts.org/club-document/communicable-illness/ updated March 30, 2024 for details on the club’s Communicable Illness Policy.
  • CCCTS strongly encourages all participants to be up-to-date on their vaccinations for COVID and all other communicable diseases.
  • Everyone should bring 3 COVID test kits with them on the tour and take responsibility for self-testing if they feel ill.