Prince Edward Island: Beyond Green Gables Canada

Prince Edward Island (Canada) Photo by Tourism PEI/John Sylvester

By Frommers.com What is it about islands that makes them so intriguing?

Whether it’s a tropical speck in the midst of a vast ocean, or a tree-shrouded hummock in the river of a great city, it’s still somehow set apart, unique, proud, lonely, even mysterious. The waters around it ineffably define it, in a way that no plot of mainland can be defined.

And because effort is required to get there — whether it’s simply driving across a bridge or chartering a private plane — once you’ve reached its shores, you know you’re somewhere different. Our new book 500 Extraordinary Islands began to take shape as a sort of life list — how many islands have you been to, and which have you always dreamed of seeing?

As our final list evolved — 500 is a lot of islands, but there were thousands of others we might have included — we found ourselves broadening the definition, expanding our concept of what makes an island alluring. But our main criterion was simple: We wanted to offer the 500 islands you’d most want to visit — or perhaps stay on forever. Here are 10 of the most interesting.

Prince Edward Island

Sometimes all the Anne of Green Gables hoopla around Prince Edward Island gets to be a bit much.

How can a century-old series of children’s books define an entire Canadian province? Drive around PEI’s low rolling hills blanketed in trees and crops, and that bucolic past celebrated in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s books makes sense after all.

Beyond the jagged coast with its inlets and historic fishing villages, you’ll discover that small farms make up the island’s backbone. You can get in touch with the island’s Acadian heritage at the five Rusticos: the coastal villages of North Rustico, South Rustico, Rusticoville, Rustico Harbour, and Anglo Rustico.

This inevitably brings you to Cavendish, the vortex of Anne of Green Gables country. You can see the farmstead that started it all, Green Gables, a solid white mid-19th-century farmhouse with green shutters (and, naturally, green gable points) that belonged to cousins of author Montgomery.

If you come, we’ll be waiting for you with lobster dinners and the best beaches. In 2011 there will be a new French school and cultural centre in Rustico.

For the other 9 extraordinary islands, click here