Brazil
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
French Guiana
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
Spain
Finland
France
Greece
the Netherlands
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Poland
Portugal
the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
the United States
Mexico
the Dominican Republic
South Africa
Australia
Fiji
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Province · Atlantic Canada
Prince Edward Island
Canada's smallest province: red-sand beaches, dunes, lighthouses, Charlottetown and the house that inspired Anne of Green Gables, in Cavendish.
In the photo: Green Gables Heritage Place, Prince Edward Island
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The province
Get to know Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is Canada's smallest province, in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Farm fields, small villages, lighthouses and red-sand beaches, a color that comes from iron in the soil, characterize the landscape. The capital is Charlottetown.
Charlottetown hosted the 1864 conference that led to the creation of Canada in 1867, and for that reason it is called the birthplace of Confederation. The downtown area by the harbour has Victorian houses, tree-lined streets and the Confederation Centre of the Arts, with a theatre and gallery.
In Cavendish, on the north coast, is Green Gables, the farmhouse that inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery for the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables. The area is part of Prince Edward Island National Park, with dunes, beaches and red cliffs.
The island is known for potatoes, mussels, oysters—such as those from Malpeque—and lobster, served at community suppers in summer. Lighthouses and coastal roads are explored by car or by bicycle along the Confederation Trail, a former rail line that crosses the island.
When to go
From June to September, the beaches attract bathers and the gulf water is usually milder than along much of the Canadian Atlantic coast. September brings the Fall Flavours culinary festival. Many coastal attractions and restaurants operate only from June to September. Winters are cold and snowy, and the ferry to Nova Scotia does not run then.
Getting there
The Confederation Bridge, 12.9 km across the Northumberland Strait, links the island to New Brunswick; the toll is charged only when leaving the island. From May to December, ferries generally cross between Wood Islands and Caribou in Nova Scotia. Charlottetown Airport (YYG) has flights to Toronto, Montreal and other cities. On the island, a car is the most practical way to get around.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about Prince Edward Island
How to get to Prince Edward Island?
By car over the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick, or by ferry from Nova Scotia, generally from May to December. There are also flights to Charlottetown. A common route is to enter by one way and exit by the other.
What is Green Gables?
It is the farmhouse in Cavendish that inspired the setting of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel Anne of Green Gables. The house, the gardens and the woodland trails are part of a national historic site, with exhibits about the author and the work.
How many days to plan for Prince Edward Island?
Two or three days allow you to see Charlottetown, the north coast with Cavendish and the national park beaches, and a few lighthouses. With more time you can cycle sections of the Confederation Trail or explore the island’s eastern and western tips.
Why is Prince Edward Island’s sand red?
The color comes from the island’s sandstone, rich in iron oxide, which oxidizes when exposed to air. The cliffs, dirt roads and many beaches have this reddish hue, which becomes more vivid after rain.