Matt Caseley was the first torch bearer for the P.E.I. portion of the Olympic torch relay. (Steve Bruce/CBC)

The Olympic torch hit P.E.I.'s famous red soil Saturday afternoon, where it was greeted by large crowds of people, many of them sporting red attire.

The torch arrived in Wood Islands by ferry about 2:45 p.m. AT.

Matthew Caseley, 21, of French River, who won gold in the hammer throw at the Canada Games in August, was the first torch bearer for the P.E.I. portion of the 2010 Olympic torch relay. He ran the torch off the ferry as people cheered and took photos.

Islanders lined the streets as the torch passed through several communities on its way to Charlottetown, where a celebration was scheduled for Saturday evening.

The torch will visit 26 communities during its two days on P.E.I., including the Lennox Island First Nation. It will also hit several landmarks along the way, including the Anne of Green Gables house in Cavendish and the Confederation Bridge.

The Olympic Flame will travel 320 kilometres by land and water and will be within a one-hour drive of 99 per cent of P.E.I.'s population, officials have said.

About 250 people have been selected to run the torch across the Island. Each runner will carry the torch for about 300 metres.

RCMP advised motorists travelling near areas where the torch relay is taking place to expect delays during the weekend.

The torch is expected to head to New Brunswick on Monday, by way of the Confederation Bridge, marking the first time the torch relay will travel across Canada's longest bridge.

The 2010 Olympic torch relay began in Victoria Oct. 30, kicking off a national 45,000-kilometre 106-day event.

The last time the Olympic torch visited P.E.I. was in November 1987, prior to the Calgary Olympics the following year.