Are you sitting down? Because I have a dirty little secret.
I never read “Anne of Green Gables”! Even worse, though I’d heard of the book, I had no idea how beloved this classic was until we mentioned to people that we were going to travel to Prince Edward Island.
I heard you gasp and clutch the pearls from here and, if you didn’t sit down, whose fault is that? I warned you. Please pick yourself up off the floor, dust yourself off and, as my friend, please try to understand.
“Anne of Green Gables” by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery has apparently been considered a classic children’s novel since the mid-20th century. It was first published in 1908 and has since been translated into at least 36 languages and has sold over 50 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books worldwide. This story of a red-headed orphan with a silver tongue and her wild antics is right up there with “Black Beauty”, “Watership Down”, “Heidi”, and just below “The Catcher in the Rye” and I had no idea.
Since I never read the book, when we visited Prince Edward Island (PEI) we did not tour any of the Anne of Green Gables sites – not the Green Gables House, nor Avonlea Village which was described in the book, nor the Museum, the Anne of Green Gables Musical, or the author’s birthplace in New London. There I said it! We did not do anything related to the top attraction in PEI!
And, for my final confession, with Doug’s missing bike part, we did not cycle any portion of the 273-kilometer converted railway trail that crosses most of the island known as Confederation Trail. Yes, I know it is probably the 2nd most popular attraction in PEI.
Whew! Could be that early catholic upbringing as I feel much better now to have confessed, despite, dear reader, potentially leaving you either frantically breathing into and out of a paper bag muzzle or simply in a blue funk.
But let us put this uncomfortable topic behind us and get back to the light and cheery topic of travel. I can relay some of the best or…um…second best…no wait… 3rd best things to see and do in PEI! That’s right. After not touring Anne of Green Gables or cycling the Confederation Trail, we didn’t just sit around for a week on the island. There are plenty of great things to do and when you go…you know (hand wave, hand wave) just add those other items on which we shall no longer dwell to your agenda as well.
Take a Kiteboarding Lesson
Did you know that PEI is considered one of the world’s best kiteboarding destinations? Doug took two lessons in Malpeque Bay, known for its 270 degrees of potential onshore winds with beginner friendly, shallow flat water riding. Doug spent the first day mostly on shore with his instructor, Jimmy, from Island Kiteboarding Academy (www.kitepei.com) understanding the control of the kite which is attached to the front of a harness. By day 2, they had walked out pretty far into the bay due to the large flat sandbar in the area to kiteboard. This sandbar is helpful to beginners in that it makes the board easy to retrieve, but terrible in that an oyster bed lies along this area and if you are drug through the water by your kite, you risk being cut from their sharp edges!
Day 2 was cut a little short when Doug did just that! He sliced open his left hand pretty good. We looked in to getting stiches but that was complicated by the fact that we aren’t Canadian. A good tape job was sufficient.
If Kiteboarding isn’t for you, PEI has over 90 beaches. It wouldn’t be difficult to find a nice place for a beach read!
Visit Picturesque Lighthouses and Harbors
Boasting over 60 lighthouses, PEI is believed to have the highest concentration of lighthouses in North America. Below are a few that we saw.
Cape Tryon’s Lighthouse is perched near the edge of PEI’s breathtaking red sandstone cliffs.
Covehead Lighthouse overlooks Stanhope beach.
The walk to the Darnley Lighthouse is short but fun as it meanders the tall PEI grasses.
PEI’s jagged coastline also provides plenty of inlets for picturesque fishing harbors.
Cape Tryon
Covehead 
Darnley 
Drive and Hike PEI National Park
It’s a pretty drive through the park with several overlooks that are worth the stop.
With lots of trails in the area, it’s difficult to choose just one, but if you only have time for one, the Greenwhich Dunes Trail is a must! A floating boardwalk is part of this flat 2.7 mile out and back, family-friendly trail. It climbs up and over sand dunes to a beautiful beach so if you plan well, you can spend the afternoon enjoying it before walking back.
Floating boardwalk
Visit Charlottetown
There is plenty of parking in historic downtown Charlottetown and it’s a wonderfully walkable city. Don’t miss St. Dunstan’s Basilica with its Victorian gothic spires. The surrounding neighborhood is full of Victorian-era charm and in typical PEI style the buildings are painted in every color of the rainbow! Grab some fresh seafood followed by Cows ice cream (which originated here in PEI) down by the wharf. This is also an area of shopping and buskers. If you visit the Victorian Park you can learn some Canadian history and you may run into the Confederation Players in period costumes discussing the 1864 birthplace of Canada.
Charlottetown
Simply Drive and Walk Around
The “Anne of Green Gables” fictional community of Avonlea (based on the PEI town of Cavendish) is apparently almost as important to the story as is Anne and when you’re in PEI, you can see why. This rural province is idyllic.
The roads twist through rolling green hills and a patchwork of farming landscapes full of tall grasses, lupine and Queen Anne’s lace are dotted with primary-colored houses. There are tall red cliffs, shining lakes, and pine trees that spring out of nowhere. Everywhere the ocean breeze brings a fresh scent, whips your hair around and makes the landscape dance. Oh, and don’t forget the large patches of potatoes – yup, PEI grows 2.5 billion pounds of potatoes each year making it a leading supplier of Canadian potatoes.
Plus, with 684 miles of shoreline, PEI has over 90 sandy beaches with warm water lapping at its shores in summer. It’s no wonder the author used her own back yard as inspiration!
Don’t worry foodies, this small province is also big on food. Lobster, scallops, oysters, mussels, crab, and halibut are fresh and abundant. Expect great potatoes (and thus poutine) as well as farm-to-table restaurants. Cows ice cream has been voted year after year the best ice cream in Canada, but they also make world class cheese.
Queen Anne’s Lace 
Prepare to fall in love with PEI! Its landscapes are nothing short of magical, and its farming and fishing communities are reminiscent of simpler times. You don’t have to be an “Anne of Green Gables” fanatic to enjoy it but I’m guessing if you are, it will only take you a moment in PEI to feel just like a character in the book. I think I may read “Anne of Green Gables” after all.
Have you read it, or will you, before you visit PEI?
