Prince Edward Island
Colonized by the French in 1603, Prince Edward Island (or Île Saint-Jean as known to the French) was handed over to Britain under the Treaty of Paris in 1763 which ended the French and Indian War in North America. The British renamed it Prince Edward Island (PEI) after the fourth son of King George III (the monarch at the time of the American Revolution). The British showed very little interest in PEI and proved to be an absentee ruler. Nevertheless, the development of fisheries and agriculture in the early 19th century strengthened the local economy. Soon settlement on the island increased as the number of people willing to take a chance on PEI increased.
Early settlement of Prince Edward Island was fueled by Irish immigrants who first arrived around 1763. Unlike other Canadian regions, most PEI Irish arrived before the 1840s Great Famine. The first wave (1767-1810) of Irish was mostly Anglo-Irish Protestants who took control of early business and local politics. Catholic settlers form southeastern Irish counties like Wexford, Waterford, and Kilkenny were part of the second wave (1810-1835). A third smaller wave arrived during the Potato Famine of the 1840s. Today, nearly 30% of PEI residents are of Irish decent.
The economy of Prince Edward Island is fueled by fishing, agriculture, and tourism. The island is famous for its shellfish, especially lobster, oysters, and mussels. Many of the ocean inlets and lagoons are dotted with oyster farms where the shellfish filter plankton directly from clean seawater. Most of the interior of the 120-mile-long Prince Edward Island is dedicated to agriculture where fields of potatoes, hay, corn, and wheat stretch as far as the eyes can see. Commercial farming of potatoes on PEI began about the same time as the arrival of the Irish. PEI dedicates over 85,000 acres to the crop, producing about 2.5 billion pounds of potatoes every year.
The opening of the 8-mile-long Confederation Bridge in May 1997 really launched the tourism boom for Prince Edward Island. With over 1,100 miles of coastline, visitors are never far from the beach and PEI is a favorite destination for both Canadians and Americans, especially visitors from Massachusetts which really seem to flock to the island (maybe that Irish connection). Thanks to the relatively shallow waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, PEI beaches have the warmest saltwater north of the Carolinas where water temperature can reach 70°F in the summer months. The Cavendish region is the tourist hub of the island with tons of shopping, restaurants, lodging, and family entertainment like mini golf, water parks, and amusement rides. Departing the Cavendish region, a visitor to PEI can still find tranquility in one of the numerous small fishing or farming communities.
On August 12, 2026, there was a partial solar eclipse that was visible over the Maritimes provinces. Prince Edward Island saw 34.7% of the sun blocked by the moon which occurred at 2:57pm ADT. I was fortunate to catch the eclipse from my Cavendish Campground site.
Prince Edward Island National Park
Prince Edward Island National Park protects a fragile, beautiful strip of red sandstone cliffs, white sand beaches, and shifting dunes along the island’s north shore. The Canadian government established the park in 1937 to boost tourism and safeguard the fragile northern coastline from overdevelopment. The national park is divided into three distinct regions: Cavendish-North Rustico, Brackley-Dalvay, and Greenwich. When established, the park incorporated popular local beaches like Cavendish, Brackley, and Stanhope into the park. The park expanded significantly when the unique U-shaped sand dune and wetland system at Greenwich Peninsula was transferred from the provincial government to Parks Canada in 1998.
The Cavendish-North Rustico region of the national park is right in the heart of the tourist hub of Prince Edward Island. The very popular Cavendish Campground has over 280 sites which are located near all the entertainment, restaurants, and golf courses of the Cavendish area. From the campground, campers can quickly access the shoreline where there are fantastic views of the dunes and sunsets over the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The most popular beach on Prince Edward Island is Cavendish Beach which also serves as the trailhead for numerous trails which are multi-use for both bikers and hikers. The Cavendish Dunelands trail has stunning views of the sand dunes and crosses a freshwater pond via a floating boardwalk. The 5.25-mile Gulf Shore Way West trail has spectacular ocean views and access to more secluded beaches such as MacNeills Brook.
Lucy Maud Montgomery was born in New London on Prince Edward Island in 1874. Following the untimely death of her mother, she went to live with her maternal grandparents in Cavendish where she would frequently visit a green-and-white farmhouse of relatives. The 18th century home and grounds served as the inspiration for the Cuthbert place in Montgomery’s bestselling Anne of Green Gables. This 1908 novel launched an acclaimed literary career that included over 20 novels and more than 1,000 short stories. The property that inspired Montgomery and put PEI on the tourism map is now the Green Gables Heritage Place where the home, museum, and trails are opened to the public during the summer months.
The Brackley-Dalvay region of the national park is home to another popular beach, Brackley Beach. With a boardwalk that crosses over the dunes, the trail ends on a beautiful white sand beach with some of that famous warm PEI saltwater. This is also a popular area with cycling and the Brackley Beach parking area is trailhead for both the Robinsons Island Trail System and the Gulf Shore Way East paved cycling path. Once out on Robinsons Island, there is a dedicated mountain biking trail with varying degrees of difficulty. The wooden Covehead Lighthouse is one of the smallest on PEI and marks the entrance to the harbor of the same name. Built in 1895 as a grand Victorian summer residence for industrialist Alexander Macdonald, the Dalvay-by-the-Sea is a historic mansion which was later incorporated into the park area as a landmark inn.
Charlottetown
French explorers established a military and trading settlement they called Port la Joye near the entrance to the Charlottetown Harbor in 1720. It was seized by British forces in 1758 during the Seven Years’ War and they soon dismantled the French presence and built Fort Amherst on the same site. Captain Samuel Holland surveyed the region in 1764 and laid out the town site at the convergence of three rivers. The settlement was named Charlottetown in honor of Queen Charlotte (wife of King George III) and was designated the capital. In 1775, American Revolutionary War privateers attacked and ransacked Charlottetown, temporarily abducting its colonial officials.
With the Civil War raging in the United States, relations between Prince Edward Island and their distant landlord worsened. PEI and the other colonies in British North America began to discuss forging a peaceful alliance. So in 1864, the island’s capital city hosted the Charlottetown Conference in which delegates held discussions which ultimately led to the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867. Though it hosted the historic talks, PEI initially stayed out of the 1867 union, finally joining as Canada’s seventh province on July 1, 1873. To this day, Prince Edward Island and Charlottetown are known as the “Birthplace of Confederation”.
The population of the Charlottetown metropolitan area is only 36,000 residents so the capital still maintains a small-town atmosphere. On the southern tip of the city, overlooking the Charlottetown Harbor, is the serene 40-acre Victoria Park which offers walking trails, recreational facilities, and a splash pad. Located within the park is Prince Edward Battery which was constructed in 1805 as a coastal defense during the Napoleonic Wars. Next to the park, on a hill between groves of white birches, is the white Georgian-style Government House. Built in 1834, the house and grounds are the official residence of the lieutenant governors who are the British monarch’s provincial representatives. Charlottetown’s boardwalk extends from Victoria Park to Confederation landing, wending its way along the harbor past numerous historic sites. The Basilica of Saint Dustan on Great George Street opened in 1907 and is an excellent example of the High Victorian Gothic style in Canadian architecture. The main business district in Charlottetown is on Queen Street where visitors will find tons of shopping and restaurants.
Eastern Prince Edward Island
The Panmure Island Lighthouse was built in 1853, and is the oldest wooden and first octagonal lighthouse built on Prince Edward Island. The 58-foot light, which has a range of 19 nautical miles, has guided vessels into Cardigan Bay for over 165 years. Early lighthouses on the island were built in the masonry style, but they soon failed since PEI doesn’t have sufficient building rock, just soft sandstone. Therefore, the builders of early lighthouses turned to the abundant forest and men skilled in shipbuilding to construct the many wooden lighthouse on Prince Edward Island.
Nestled on the Brudenell River, the Brudenell River Provincial Park is the largest in eastern PEI with wide open campsites, a marina, wooded areas and a beach for swimming. Private operators offer canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals and horseback riding is available. There are also two 18-hole golf courses nearby which also have resort accommodations including condo rentals.
