The smallest province in Canada has the most adorable capital. With a lovely waterfront and well maintained heritage homes, Charlottetown will capture your heart.
The next stop on Our Great Canadian Roadtrip brought us to the quaint island of Prince Edward Island. For a small island province, we found a lot of places to explore.
There are two ways to get to Prince Edward Island (PEI) by car; over the bridge and on the ferry. Confederation Bridge is the longest bridge in the word that crosses ice-covered water. From north-eastern New Brunswick, Confederation Bridge travels 12.9 km over the Northumberland Strait to reach the southern shores of Prince Edward Island. Complete with hills and turns, it’s unlike any bridge we’d been on before. The ferry connects Woods Island in the eastern end of the province with Caribou in Nova Scotia. Due to Covid-19 restrictions we weren’t able to get on the ferry.
Our connection to Confederation Bridge began years ago. In the 1990s when companies were bidding for the contract to build the bridge, the contract required the winning company to build a second project in Canada. The company that built the bridge chose to develop Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, BC. Kicking Horse is our home base in the winter. Crossing the bridge meant that now we’ve seen both parts of the contract.
Charlottetown
Fifty kilometers from Confederaion bridge is the charming capital city of Charlottetown. It’s a great walking city so give yourself plenty of time to wander around its historic downtown and waterfront. Quiet streets are lined with colourful heritage homes and row houses. One of our favourite streets is Great George Street. In addition to the pretty homes the street is also home to St. Dunstan’s Basilica. The distinctive tall spires of this National Historic site can be seen from many spots in the downtown.
Just around the corner from Great George Street is the perfect place to stop for lunch or dinner. The Victorian Era brick buildings on Victoria Row are filled with restaurants and shops. The street in front has been turned into a pedestrian-only walkway and gives Victoria Row the perfect atmosphere for this charming city.
A few blocks away you’ll find Peakes Wharf. It’s a busy place where colouful wooden buildings are home to restaurants, ice cream shops, craft stores and tour operators. Boats are docked in the calm waters in front and beside it is the small Confederation Landing Park. Peakes Wharf is a great spot to spend an afternoon.
From the wharf continue to walk along tree-lined Water Street where large heritage homes stretch out to the waterfront. The largest of these homes is Government House. Built in 1833 the grand house is home to the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island and is kept secluded behind a row of hedges.
As we were walking through the neighbourhoods a local man suggested we look inside All Souls’ Chapel. Attached to St. Peter’s Cathedral, the exterior of the small chapel is quite unique. The walls were built with chunky red stones made from Prince Edward Island Sandstone. Built in 1888 it is now a National Historic Site. Inside the unique design continues with wooden carvings, coloured tiles, decorative murals and three stunning stained-glass windows. An arched doorway at the front leads to an elaborate stone altar.
Green Gables and Cavendish
Undoubtedly the most visited and most famous site on Prince Edward Island is Anne of Green Gables House in Cavendish. If you’re a fan of the books, you won’t be disappointed by the site. The house, The Haunted Woods and Lover’s Lane are just how you picture them. At least they are how I pictured them. We arrived early so there weren’t many other tourists yet, but we noticed one small fan. A young boy arrived with his parents, carrying his Anne of Green Gables book. He walked up to the house wide-eyed, stunned to be inside his book.
Green Gables Heritage Place is operated by Parks Canada. There is a fee to enter or you can use your Parks Canada Annual Discovery Pass. We found our annual pass very useful on this trip.
Cavendish Beach is just a few blocks away from Green Gables. Sand dunes cover the ground leading to the long sandy beach. Even the lifeguard stands are cute at this popular summer spot. Cavendish Beach is a part of the larger Prince Edward Island National Park. If you enter the park gates a little further east of Cavendish Beach the coast changes from gentle sand dunes to ragged bright red cliffs that PEI is known for.
After visiting Cavendish don’t forget to visit another Anne of Green Gables spot in New London. There you’ll find a small museum in the house where L.M. Montgomery was born. She’s the author of the Anne books.
The countryside around Cavendish has some of the nicest scenes. Small hills are filled with green fields planted on top of bright red earth. Villages with lovely heritage buildings and bright fishing shacks add to the quaint scenery. These country views are a part of PEI’s charm.
Tips for your trip to PEI
• The island is not large, only 225 km (140 miles) long and at most 65 km (40 miles) wide therefore, driving distances in PEI are quite short. We often looked at a map of where we were going, and arrived much earlier than we expected. Even though it’s a small island there is a lot to see so plan to spend at least 3 days. We recommend staying at least one night at The Bryanton’s Bed and Breakfast in Kensington.
• If you’re driving we suggest taking the ferry to get to PEI and the bridge to get off because it’s more economical. Both options are free to get to PEI, but the ferry charges $82 per vehicle, and the bridge charges only $48.50 to get off the island. If you are already in New Brunswick and want to do the trip in reverse it will work just as well. If you’d rather fly, Charlottetown has an international airport.
• For the best pictures of Confederation Bridge, stop near Cape Jourimain in New Brunswick or North Carleton, PEI
• PEI has an HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) therefore 15% will be added to most purchases.
Coming Next – Scenic Lighthouses on Prince Edward Island
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Monkey's Tale 
Really picturesque! Just hope those wood homes have good insulation! I keep thinking you are at the far eastern end of Canada and can’t go farther, but now I think I might even soon see a post from you in Greenland.
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Haha! Newfoundland is the furthest east we went 😊 Those homes are probably not well insulated and as you know they have brutal storms in the winter. They’re tough in The Maritimes!
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But that also means that they use excess energy to heat them; not very good for the Earth’s climate!
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Yes very true. I know in Newfoundland they use wood to heat their homes, which we couldn’t believe. They did get grants to renovate the homes’ exterior (in touristy areas at least) so maybe they also were able to add insulation.
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Charlottetown is a beautiful place (with a lovely name as well 😊). Love the streets with the colourful heritage homes and that old chapel with the stained-glass windows. I can see why you decided to visit this island!
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Yes it’s such a cute province. I wish it were closer to us so we could visit more often. But then maybe it’s good that it’s remote so it will stay charming to us 😊
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PEI is a land where time appears to stand still. Aside from a few business changes, it looks much the same on each successive trip. We hope to visit again soon. Thanks for taking us there. Allan
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I agree. I visited 15 or more years ago and it hadn’t changed much, and in a good way. Maybe being an island helps it retain its charm. Maggie
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I love the name of the place and the heritage that seems to ooze from every corner. The architecture is so handsome, particularly on Victoria Row and with the island houses.
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It is as charming in person as it looks, maybe even more.😊Thanks for your input Leighton! Maggie
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That’s a fascinating post about PEI! I love Anne of Green Gables and I can’t wait to see all of this for myself!
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If you love the books you’ll absolutely love Green Gables. The rest of the island is also worth spending a few days. Maggie
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I bet! I can’t wait to see that for myself 😊
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What a charming place! And there are those red cliffs that appear as far south as Australia.
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Haha but I don’t think they’ve ever been connected but who knows!!
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Wow! Charlottetown and surroundings really do ooze charm. I love the colourful buildings, the dominant basilica and the pedestrian-only walkway. Your story about the young boy being enchanted by his visit to the Anne of Green Gables House is lovely (I can picture his awe). PEI is the only province I haven’t visited (well, not the Territories either). Looks so cute…like out of a story book.
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PEI is absolutely adorable. From Charlottetown to the Lighthouses, Green Gables and the bright red earth, it’s how you want it to be. I think even Richard called it cute and I’m not sure he’s ever use that word before 😊
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For its small size, PEI certainly has so many interesting things to see. I’m particularly impressed by the historic downtown with those pretty heritage buildings and houses. It’s nice that someone suggested you to go inside All Souls’ Chapel as it has a really beautiful interior. I don’t know if I’ll be able to travel this far in Canada when I visit the country one day, but it’s nice to get a glimpse of it through your photos.
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PEI is a special place with charming towns and a scenic countryside. Canada is a big country so you can’t see it all in one trip. I have only been to PEI twice. I’m glad the charm of this cute province is coming through in the posts. Maggie
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What an absolutely delightful place! Just like a picture postcard. Thanks for the travel inspiration. Mel
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You’re right it is like traveling in a postcard! Maggie
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Wow, Confederation Bridge is amazing, wonderful construction. Charlottetown is so picturesque, those houses are full of character.
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I love Confederation Bridge. It’s so fun to drive across! Thanks for reading! Maggie
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There’s an Old World flavor to this place. Also, I’m a big fan of bridges. The Confederation Bridge has a Zen-like quality about it.
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Yes PEI does feel like a different time and lives at a slower pace which makes it perfect. It is a nice looking bridge and fun too! Maggie
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Such a picturesque island…love the coloured buildings and those red cliffs along the waterfront. I would definitely have to visit Anne of Green Gables house as I was a big fan as a kid and couldn’t get enough of those books! Interesting fact about the bridge…too funny that you already had a connection to the “contract”.
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And it’s funny that of all the places in Canada they chose little ole Golden BC! You will love Green Gables. It’s everything you want it to be. 😊
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Charlottetown is so picturesque! I was there once… in the dark and in the rain, so I had no idea what I missed. Looks like a return visit is definitely warranted. I also enjoyed seeing the other places on PEI that I didn’t have a chance to visit. It’s such an underrated island!
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PEI is adorable, from the quaint farming and fishing villages to the bright red cliffs. We would move there if it had mountains! But I think they do get a lot of rain and big storms in the winter so plan your next visit for the best time of year.
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We actually were there in August last time so I think we just got stuck in a rare summer storm. Hopefully when we go back the weather will decide to cooperate.
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Wow Charlottetown is beautiful 🙂 I also can’t believe you’re epic roadtrip of 88 hours driving. If you drove 88 hours in England, you’d end up seeing the whole country about 10 times over (or be in the sea!). What an adventure!
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PEI looks so charming. The landscape looks incredible with those red cliffs, sandy beaches and ocean views. I grew up reading Anne of Green Gables and it would be so neat to see the house.
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It was my second time at Green Gables and I was as enchanted by it thus time as the first. You’d love it. And of course the rest of PEI is continued my enchantment. Keep it on your list!
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I’m fascinated by that bridge. That looks like a lovely area of Canada, especially Charlottetown.
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The bridge is quite fun. I’ve never turned corners and gone up and down hills in the middle of a bridge before! Charlottetown is as cute or cuter as it shows in the pictures, in fact the entire island is quaint.
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I’d like to see a loop-de-loop bridge! Not go on it. Just see it. 😉
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🤣🤣🤣 I’d like to see it too, but no drive it 😊
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I didn’t know the story of the bridge contract with the second construction site, which was quite strange. I was also charmed by the impression of being frozen in time that comes out of PEI.
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Yes we found it funny that a company from flat Netherlands built a ski hill in BC. Then we found it was because of Confederation Bridge which is so far away from us. We’re thankful for it though because it’s a great ski hill!
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That makes a nice story.
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Your photography is breathtaking. Each shot is a work of art.
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Thank you so much!
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the houses and buildings certainly are like something from Anne of Green Gables! what an incredible area!
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Yes the entire island feels like a charming movie set.
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Charlottetown is beautiful.I didn’t know it and I thank you for your great images and interesting explanations
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Thanks for the tour. I’d like to get to that part of Canada one day.
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I hope you get there! 😊 Maggie
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These pictures are lovely. Makes me want to travel!
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Thanks! Yes we’re lucky to have so many places in our country to travel to. Thanks for reading! Maggie
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Years ago I decided I’d visit Prince Edward’s Island with my mum in 2021, but it didn’t happen due to covid. One day I’ll make it there!
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Keep it on your list! It’s such a great place with charming towns and spectacular views. Maggie
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So picturesque! I visited Charlottetown some years ago, a road trip from Lunenberg where I was staying, and loved the downtown area. I didn’t get to wander as much as you; good to see your photos of those lovely Victorian houses and the red cliffs.
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Thanks Ruth, we love Charlottetown. Our Lunenburg post will be coming soon! Maggie
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The bridge is breathtaking and chilling… the chapel enchanting, and hooray for Anne’s gardens 🙂
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Thanks for reading Patricia, I’m glad the photos brought our the character of these sites. Maggie
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Thank you for the trip, Maggie 🙂
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such a pretty place, I loved Anne of Green Gables books
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The entire island is like an Anne of Green Gables book, very cure and quaint. Thanks for reading! Maggie
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Nice!
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Such a beautiful part of the world.
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Yes, we love the Maritimes! Thanks for reading, Maggie
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So pretty. Seems you enjoyed Charlottetown. I have to spend more time on PEI. Cheers
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I think Richard would move there if we could. We loved Charlottetown, it is so quaint yet had everything you need. Except of course for us it lacked mountains 😊 Thanks for reading! Maggie
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