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Souris, Prince Edward Island

Eastern PEI's final town before the Gulf — where the ferry goes to Îles-de-la-Madeleine, the sand at Basin Head sings when you walk on it, and the tuna fishing at North Lake is the best in Atlantic Canada.

Northeast Kings County · Singing Sands · Madeleine Ferry
~1,200
Population
~$240K
Avg Home Price
Town
Municipality Type
Kings County
County

About Souris

Souris sits at the far eastern edge of PEI's road network, a position that gives it a particular end-of-the-road character that the town wears without apology. The ferry terminal from which CTMA's vessels depart for the Îles-de-la-Madeleine — a five-hour Gulf of St. Lawrence crossing to one of Canada's most distinctive island communities — gives Souris a connection to the wider world that's more romantic than the usual highway off-ramp. People come to Souris specifically to get on a boat and go somewhere exotic. The Madeleine Islands are French-speaking Quebec, wind-sculpted, connected to the mainland only by ferry or small aircraft, and the fact that you can reach them from Souris by boarding a ferry like a 19th-century emigrant is one of Atlantic Canada's best travel facts.

Basin Head Provincial Park, 8 kilometres east of Souris, holds the Singing Sands — one of only a handful of beaches in the world where the sand makes an audible sound when walked upon. The mechanism requires quartz grains of such uniform roundness and cleanliness that they vibrate against each other underfoot, producing a clear squeak or sing that children discover immediately and adults find inexplicably delightful. The phenomenon exists at Basin Head because the particular wave and wind action there sorts the grains to precisely the right uniformity. The Basin Head Fisheries Museum documents the traditional fishery of this corner of the Island, and the saltwater lagoon behind the beach offers warm-water swimming in a sheltered tidal environment.

North Lake, 20 kilometres northeast of Souris, is the tuna capital of the Island — bluefin tuna fishing grounds that attract anglers from across North America during the late-summer season. The Elmira Railway Museum marks the eastern terminus of the Confederation Trail. Real estate in Souris reflects its distance from Charlottetown and its position at the Island's eastern edge: accessible prices, genuine maritime character, and the particular quiet of a town where the most exciting thing that happens on a Tuesday is the ferry arriving.

Property Types

🌊 Harbour Properties

Near-harbour homes with Gulf views and ferry terminal proximity — Souris Harbour's character is defined by working fishing vessels and the Madeleine ferry, not sailboat marinas.

From ~$210K

🏠 Town Homes

Established residential homes in Souris's town core — hospital, schools, commercial services, and the last complete amenity base before the eastern tip of PEI.

From ~$170K

🏖️ Northeast Shore

Coastal properties near Basin Head and the northeastern shore — red cliffs, Gulf access, Singing Sands proximity, and tuna fishing territory.

From ~$250K

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Souris PEI known for?
Souris is the main town of northeastern Kings County and the departure point for the ferry to Îles-de-la-Madeleine (Quebec) — a five-hour Gulf of St. Lawrence crossing. It's also the gateway to Basin Head Provincial Park, home to the famous Singing Sands beach, where quartz sand produces a distinctive squeaking sound when walked upon.
What are the Singing Sands at Basin Head PEI?
Basin Head Provincial Park, about 8 kilometres east of Souris, has one of the world's relatively rare singing sand beaches. The fine quartz grains are so uniformly round and clean that they vibrate against each other when walked upon, producing a distinct squeaking sound. Basin Head also has a saltwater lagoon, tidal boardwalk, and the Basin Head Fisheries Museum.
Is there a ferry from Souris to Îles-de-la-Madeleine?
Yes. CTMA operates a ferry service from Souris to Cap-aux-Meules on the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec — a five-hour Gulf of St. Lawrence crossing. The Madeleine Islands are a remarkable French-speaking Quebec island archipelago, connected to the mainland only by ferry or air.
What types of real estate are available in Souris?
Souris offers established residential homes in the town core, waterfront properties along Souris Harbour and the northeastern shore, and rural acreages in surrounding northeastern Kings County. As the main service town for eastern PEI's most remote corner, Souris has hospital, school, and commercial services for year-round living.
How far is Souris from Charlottetown?
Souris is approximately 75 kilometres east of Charlottetown via Highway 2 east, about a 60-minute drive. It's the most easterly significant town in PEI. The broader Souris area includes North Lake tuna fishing grounds, the Elmira Railway Museum (Confederation Trail eastern terminus), and Basin Head.
What is PEI's Land Transfer Tax for Souris buyers?
PEI charges Land Transfer Tax at 1% of the purchase price on the portion over $30,000. Non-resident buyers pay an additional 1% Non-Resident Real Property Transfer Tax. PEI also restricts non-residents from purchasing more than 5 acres of land without provincial approval. On a typical $250,000 Souris home, a resident buyer pays approximately $2,200 in Land Transfer Tax.
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