13 Best Places to Visit in Canada That Aren't Toronto or Vancouver

3. Prince Edward Island: Maritime Charm and Anne of Green Gables Country

Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest province, enchants visitors with its pastoral landscapes, red sandstone cliffs, pristine beaches, and the enduring legacy of L.M. Montgomery's beloved Anne of Green Gables stories. This crescent-shaped island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence offers a gentler pace of life, where rolling farmland dotted with potato fields stretches to meet some of the warmest ocean waters north of the Carolinas, making it an unexpected beach destination. The island's culinary reputation centers around its world-famous mussels, lobster, and potatoes, with the annual PEI Shellfish Festival and Fall Flavours Festival celebrating the island's agricultural and maritime bounty through farm-to-table experiences that showcase local ingredients prepared by talented chefs. Charlottetown, the provincial capital and birthplace of Canadian Confederation, charms visitors with its Victorian architecture, vibrant arts scene, and the Confederation Centre of the Arts, which hosts the annual Anne of Green Gables musical. The island's 280 kilometers of coastline feature diverse landscapes, from the singing sands of Singing Sands Beach to the dramatic red cliffs of Prince Edward Island National Park, while the Confederation Trail, a 470-kilometer former railway line converted to a multi-use trail, provides opportunities for cycling, walking, and cross-country skiing through the island's scenic interior.