Visit the Biggest Tea Garden in North America

Tea has been around for centuries and is the way many folks begin or end their day, and with good reason, it is delicious, relaxing, and good for you. Most tea is grown in far-off lands like India, Sri Lanka, and China, leaving most of us with little opportunity to visit an authentic tea garden...until now. If you are in the Charleston area and love tea, plan a visit to Charleston Tea Garden®.

Tea Bushes as Far as the Eye Can See

The Tea Experience

Dating back to 1963, the Charleston Tea Garden® is the only place in North America where you will see thousands of tea bushes stretching out over 127 acres. Their scent fills the air with a slightly floral earthy fragrance that is reminiscent of freshly cut grass. 

Take a Trolley Tour

Originally a potato farm, the Charleston Tea Garden® began in 1963 when tea aficionados transplanted Chinese Camellia sinensis tea bushes from Dr. Shephard's Pinehurst Tea Plantation that had been growing wild on his property since his death in 1915.  Camellia sinensis tea plants, which can produce both black and green tea, thrive here because it rains at least 48 inches a year.  

The gift shop is brimming with treasures

In 1987,  William Barclay Hall, a tea expert from London bought the property, and the Charleston Tea Garden® was founded. He blended one of the most beloved teas of the area, called "American Classic" which is the first tea ever to be made with 100% tea grown in America. In 2003, the Bigalow Tea Company, headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut purchased the gardens. Today, more than 300 varieties of tea plants are grown here, including South Carolina hybrids that take up to seven years to mature for cutting. 

Take A Factory Tour

Highlights of a Visit

Located on a sleepy island, visiting an authentic tea garden makes you feel that you are somewhere very far away.  In addition to seeing this glorious garden, a highlight is the chance to tour America's only tea factory, where you will see how tea is processed as you walk the entire length of the facility. For a close-up view of the entire plantation, hop on the trolley for a memorable narrated cruise through row upon row of tea bushes. The trolley stops at the greenhouse where visitors will have the rare opportunity to see new tea bushes propagated. 

Go Shopping for all-American Tea

No visit to the Charleston Tea Garden® is complete without popping into the gift shop that offers nine different types of tins of loose tea and tea bags, tea-infused beauty products, candles, mugs, and a unique assortment of teapots.

Tea is a great gift to share with friends back home

Five Fun Facts About Tea

Tea is the world's second most consumed beverage, with the Irish, the English, and the Turks being the largest group of teetotalers around the globe, while the Chinese are the largest consumers of tea.

80% of the tea consumed in the United States is iced with recipes dating back to the 1800s.

All tea, black, green, oolong, white, or yellow comes from the same plant. The real magic of making different teas is how they are processed, the length of time they are processed, and if flavors such as bergamot oil are added.

Tea is rich in antioxidants and drinking it has been linked to lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke, improving brain health, and reducing the chance of cancer.

According to legend, Chinese Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea in 2732 BC. The Portuguese and Dutch first imported tea into Europe in 1610, and Americans tasted their first iced tea at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.

P.E.I. - One of Canada's Smallest Areas Offers Big Experiences

Crescent-shaped Prince Edward Island may be one of the smallest provinces in Canada, not much larger than the U.S.  state of Delaware, but don't let that put you off... think small but mighty! For those in the know, it is renowned for its white sand beaches, red sandstone cliffs, charming fishing villages, iconic lighthouses, endless rolling hills of vibrant green, freshly shucked oysters, and lobster fresh off the boat.  Prince Edward Island or P.E.I, as it is affectionately called by locals should be on your bucket list - here is why. 

Beautiful Beaches, Red Sand Cliffs and Lighthouses

Canada's Food Island

Dubbed as "Canada's Food Island," P.E.I never disappoints. Food is a way of life here. Fresh local ingredients and bounty from the sea are turned into culinary delights by the island's talented chefs.  P.E.I. is known for its delectable shellfish including succulent lobster, tasty oysters, and mouthwatering mussels. Beef and potatoes cooked in a myriad of different ways are also featured prominently on traditional menus. 

P.E.I. Canada's Foodie Island with bounty from the land and sea

Scenic Drives 

 P.E.I.  was made for scenic drives. This 140-mile-long island packs in a diverse amount of amazing scenery from red sandstone cliffs and white sand beaches, to sleepy fishing towns, Victorian architecture, rolling hills, scenic harbors, and oyster farms that await exploration.

Magnificent scenery awaits exploration

A North Coastal Drive takes you through the heart of Acadian and Mi'kmaq cultures. You will see houses made out of bottles, and where the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait meet. You will have the chance to visit a Potato Museum, and an oyster farm, as well as discover the spirituality and culture of the Mi'kmaq at their eco-tourism center.

A Central Drive takes you through the heart of the island, passing picture-perfect sandstone cliffs, white sand dunes, and fantastic views of the Confederation Bridge, the longest in the world over open water. Leaving the coastline for rolling hills you travel through charming villages to the highlight of this area, Anne at Green Gables Heritage Place and the Prince Edward Island National Park. Photo ops are endless from the winding seaside road that follows the red cliffs that are studded with quaint villages and lighthouses. The storybook town of Victoria By the Sea is a perfect place to stop and unwind amid its shops and restaurants.

A Points East Drive offers more than 50 beaches that are just minutes apart, each one more alluring than the last. If you are a lighthouse lover, this drive is for you because it passes many iconic lighthouses along the way. To step back in time to the 1890s, take a break at  Orewell Corner Historic Village before continuing your drive past farmlands and quaint sleepy villages that seem lost in time.

Anne - a heroine for all ages

Anne of Green Gables

In 1908, L.M. Montgomery published one of the world's most beloved novels, Anne of Green Gables. Since its publication, this novel with its feisty red-headed fictional character, Anne Shirley, who seems to embody the spirit of this island, has sold more than 50 million copies and has been translated into more than 36 languages.  This not-to-be-missed island experience immerses visitors in the life of the author including where she was born, where she worshipped, married, taught, and wrote. It is hard not to embrace the beauty around you that inspired the story of this heroine who is still iconic today all over the world. Another highlight of this experience is going to the Anne of Green Gables Musical which is performed at the Confederation Center of the Arts.

Sunset @ West Point Lighthouse

Lighthouses

Some of the most iconic historic structures on P.E.I. are its lighthouses, 63 in all; with 35 of them still guiding seafarers with their beacons. Overlooking turbulent currents these lighthouses offer today's visitors panoramic views. Three of our favorites made out of wood are West Point Lighthouse built in 1875 to aid vessels through the western entrance of Northumberland Strait, Cape Bear Lighthouse, built in 1881, which houses one of the seven Marconi Wireless stations, where the first distress calls were heard from the Titanic as it sank, and East Point Lighthouse, built in 1866, where visitors that climb up the tower can see over the red cliffs to where the waters of the St. Lawrence Gulf and the  Northumberland Straits meet. A final favorite is the Panmure Island Lighthouse, located on a white sand beach that also overlooks distant meadows where horses graze. It is a perfect photo op that offers the best of both land and sea.

Explore P.E.I on Confederation Trail

Walkable Trails

If you love the outdoors, let your journey begin on one of the many hiking trails to explore on P.E.I. Depending on what trail you choose you could be walking through the red dirt trails of the Acadian Forest or walking along the Confederation Trail that runs tip to tip across Prince Edward Island following a decommissioned railway line. Prince Edward Island National Park has many scenic trails to choose from whether you decide to walk along field edges and hedgerows or across floating boardwalks, you will discover incredible vistas and may spot some wildlife.  One of the most popular trails is called Devil's Punchbowl, named because this unique gorge was where illicit alcohol was stored during prohibition.

Stroll along unspoiled peach-colored beaches

Beautiful Beaches

So many beaches, so little time. The north side of the island offers rolling surf and white sand while the south side of the island offers warmer water and red sand beaches.  The Singing Sands Beach, often called the best beach in Canada, is nine gorgeous miles of white sand and some of the warmest water to be found this far north. Another favorite is Cavendish Beach, a 37-mile stretch of unspoiled beach that is part of Prince Edward Island National Park, home to both red and white sand beaches. If you enjoy unique ecosystems, Greenwich Beach has a floating boardwalk that allows you to explore 900 acres of dunes that are sure to intrigue you.

Unwind Island Style in Charlottetown, capital of P.E.I.

If you are ready to unwind - island-style, P.E.I. should be on your bucket list. Remarkable scenery, fabulous food, memorable attractions, beaches to linger on, and trails to hike, a visit to Prince Edward Island is unforgettable. The island may be small but it packs a lot of entertainment in its 140 miles.

All Photos courtesy of the P.E.I. Tourist Board