14 Best Sights in Central Coastal Drive, Prince Edward Island

Close to—but far enough from—the tourist hot spots of Cavendish, and protected within the Prince Edward Island National Park, this wonderful beach has a long stretch of clean, soft sand backed by dunes, low cliffs, a boardwalk, and a bike trail. Various access points (with boardwalks and stairs in place mid-May through September 30) add to its popularity, but it's big enough to provide plenty of space for all, and beach wheelchairs are available for those with mobility issues. Organized activities include lessons in sand sculpting on Wednesday afternoons and there are trails through the dunes with interpretive panels along the way. Don't head for home when the sun starts to set—the glow of its final rays on the rich red cliffs is an unforgettable sight. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; sunset; swimming; walking.

Green Gables, ½ km (¼ mile) west of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Cavendish Home, is the green-and-white 19th-century farmhouse that served as the inspiration for the Cuthbert place in Anne of Green Gables. The house, outbuildings, and grounds, all of which belonged to cousins of the author's grandfather, re-create some of the settings found in the book. The same goes for short walking trails dubbed the Haunted Wood and Lovers Lane/Balsam Hollow. If you're well acquainted with the novel, you'll spy lots of evocative details on-site (say, a broken slate or amethyst brooch). An audiovisual presentation on Montgomery's life shares space with a café in the barn nearby. This National Historic Site has been part of Prince Edward Island National Park since 1937 and hosts daily events throughout July and August such as guided tours, puppet shows, and old-fashioned games.

Seclusion and stunning scenery is your reward for taking the walk to the beach here, and there are various access points involving varying amounts of walking (the shortest is from the parking lot at the end of Wild Rose Road). But take a longer hike along one of the Greenwich Dune Trail loops and along the way you'll enjoy wonderful views across the parabolic dune system (a rare occurrence in North America) and ponds, including sightings of the rich birdlife. Once there, the beach is an unspoiled expanse of fine pink sand that makes a curious sound beneath your feet. It's well worth stopping in at the Interpretation Centre at the entrance, too. Note: the dunes are extremely fragile, so keep to the beach, boardwalks, and marked trails. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; walking.

Numerous beaches can be enjoyed between Cavendish and Greenwich, but boardwalks and stairs to reach them are only in place from mid-May to the end of September. Brackley, Cavendish, and Stanhope beaches are accessible to those with mobility issues, and beach wheelchairs are available. A relaxing alternative to the beaches is to picnic in the titular grove, accompanied by a soundtrack of songbirds and honking Canada geese that call the nearby pond home. A full slate of cultural and ecological interpretive programs aimed at all ages is also available. More active types can bike or hike on the park's scenic trails. If you'd rather be out on the water, kayaking and canoeing opportunities abound. Winter visitors will find snow cleared from parking lots and can enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, but should be aware that Parks Canada does not provide emergency services in winter.

This was once home to Lucy Maud Montgomery's aunt and uncle. The writer also lived here for a time and was married in the parlor in 1911—in fact, that room serves as a wedding venue for modern-day couples. Inside the house, which is still owned by Montgomery descendants, are mementos such as photographs and a quilt Montgomery worked on. The site includes a gift shop jam-packed with licensed Anne of Green Gables goodies, and there is a Matthew Cuthbert look-alike on hand to take visitors on buggy rides around the pastoral 110-acre property. Trips for up to five passengers cost C$75 for a half-hour, C$125 for one hour.

Less crowded than Cavendish, Brackley Beach, within Prince Edward Island National Park, stretches for miles along the north shore, so it's easy to find a secluded spot to enjoy the fine sands and clear water. It's a great place for beach walks, and there's also a cycle track a little way back from the shore. It can get very windy here, which is good news for windsurfers. A boardwalk leads from the parking lot to the beach, and there's access to the Gulf Shore Way East trail, with four-wheel pedal-powered Coastal Cruisers for rent from the Stanhope campground. In summer, a Discovery Dome tent has interactive activities, and you can learn sand-sculpting techniques on Monday afternoons. To access the beach you have to pay the entrance fee to the national park. Pets are not allowed on the beach from April through mid-October. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking; windsurfing.

In addition to a popular campground, 360-acre Cabot Beach Provincial Park has fine day-use facilities—particularly for families. In summer, the sandy beach is supervised, plus there's a playground and children's programming. Naturalist-led walks are also available. Surf conditions can sometimes deter swimmers, and alerts are issued if it becomes dangerous, but when it's calm, it's very calm. Amenities: lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

Just north of Darnley (on Route 20, about halfway between Park Corner and Malpeque), this long stretch of sands includes Thunder Cove Beach, weather-sculpted sea stacks, and a number of sandstone caves. There are no developed facilities here, other than a campground, and the beach is often almost entirely deserted except for the seabirds—so it’s perfect for those seeking a "castaway" experience. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; sunset; walking.

Need a break from those Cavendish crowds? Gardens of Hope, part of the PEI Preserve Company property, is located about 8 km (5 miles) south of town in the Island's most beautiful river valley. The garden covers more than 12 acres and includes a butterfly house. With 2 km (1 mile) of walking trails that thread past fountains and groomed flower beds, then through natural woodland, it provides ample opportunity for quiet contemplation.

The cottage-y white house with green trim overlooking New London Harbour, 11 km (7 miles) southwest of Cavendish, is where the Anne author was born in 1874, and the interior has been furnished with antiques to conjure up that era. Among memorabilia on display are a replica of Montgomery's wedding gown and personal scrapbooks filled with many of her poems and stories.

Looking for a rainy-day activity? Kids can ogle the oddities and artifacts at the local Ripley's Believe It or Not! outpost from June to September.

The largest amusement park on PEI kicks things up a notch with midway rides and go-cart tracks that appeal to tots and tweens alike. Thrill rides include the Cyclone rollercoaster, the longest in Atlantic Canada, and the Cliffhanger, with a 52-foot drop. Single-ride coupons, park passes, and multiattraction passes are available.

Topping the list of irresistibly cheesy amusements operating seasonally along the Route 6 tourist corridor, Shining Waters Family Fun Park is aimed at younger children, with a waterpark with pools and slides, a kiddy splash pool, pirate pedal boats, petting zoo, and small-scale rides. Weekly and season passes, and multiattraction passes, are available.

The Site of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Cavendish Home is where the writer lived with her maternal grandparents after the untimely death of her mother. Though the foundation of the house where Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables is all that remains, the homestead's fields and old apple-tree gardens are lovely. A bookstore and small museum are also on the property, which is operated by descendants of the family and, together with neighbouring Green Gables, is a National Historic Site of Canada.