The Maritimes are blessed with lots of great beaches, so it should come as no surprise that one of the region’s sandy spots has been labeled the nation’s best.
The travel website vacay.ca has named Prince Edward Island’s Singing Sands Beach, located in Basin Head Provincial Park, the number one beach in Canada.
Deb Sioen is from the eastern end of P.E.I. She says her family visits the beach at least twice a year, but she had no idea it was so well known.
“I was talking online with somebody from Tennessee and I mentioned what beach we were coming to today and they said back to me that it’s the number one beach in Canada,” says Sioen.
P.E.I. Tourism Minister Robert Henderson says many of the province’s beaches are already known for their warm waters and white sand, but it’s nice to be officially recognized in the travel industry.
“For them to select Basin Head Beach as one of the best beaches in Canada, you know, it’s an honour that is very worthy of the location,” says Henderson.
He says the beach is also in a very unique location.
“The way that the harbour is, the way that the beaches and the sounds the way that you walk on the beach to the Fisheries Museum that surrounds it, it’s just a tremendous vacation experience for families,” says Henderson.
The beach earns its name due to a 'singing sound' that is made when walking across the sand. When crustaceans decompose they create a mineral called silica, which causes friction as beachgoers walk across the sand and results in a singing noise.
“It has so much to offer,” says Sioen. “It’s a beautiful view, it’s excellent swimming and beautiful waves on a windy day.”
The website also recognized the beach as having the warmest waters north of Florida, which many Islanders have always known and hopefully others will soon discover.
Cape Breton's Ingonish Beach, Shediac's Parlee Beach and Nova Scotia's Martinique Beach also made the top 10 list.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Martin Poirier
