CavendishOutdoor Escape Game & Treasure Hunt

From Scottish Settlement to Literary Inspiration

Cavendish was established in 1790 by three Scottish immigrant families: the MacNeils, the Clarks, and the Simpsons. For over a century, it remained a small farming community, due to its lack of a natural harbour. The town's name likely honours Field Marshal Lord Frederick Cavendish, a patron of an early local landholder, William Winter, an ex-British Army officer.

The early 20th century brought a shift. The global reception of Lucy Maud Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908, began to transform Cavendish. Montgomery, who grew up in Cavendish at her maternal grandparents' home, used the local landscape and community for her fictional village of Avonlea.

The Development of a Tourist Destination

As vehicle-based tourism increased across North America, visitors seeking Anne's world began to arrive in Cavendish. In 1937, the Prince Edward Island National Park was established, encompassing a portion of the north shore, including Cavendish Beach. This development boosted tourism, leading the National Park to create the Green Gables Golf Club and open the Green Gables Heritage Place for tours.

From the 1950s through the 1990s, Cavendish experienced growth. Motels, campgrounds, amusement parks like Sandspit Amusement Park and Shining Waters Family Fun Park, shops, and restaurants were built to serve the increasing number of tourists. By the late 20th century, Cavendish had become Prince Edward Island's largest seasonal resort area, with its summer population growing significantly. This transformation from an agricultural area to a commercial product established its status as a Canadian vacation destination.

• —L.M. Montgomery Birthplace Site — Located in New London, this is the house where the author of Anne of Green Gables was born. You can tour the house and see artifacts related to her life.
• —L.M. Montgomery's Grave (Cavendish Cemetery) — The burial site of Lucy Maud Montgomery and her husband, Reverend Ewen MacDonald, in the community she wrote about.
• —Green Gables Heritage Place — This Parks Canada site is the farmhouse that inspired the fictional Green Gables in Montgomery's novels. Visitors can walk through the house and explore the grounds, including Lover's Lane and the Haunted Wood trails.
• —Cavendish Beach (Prince Edward Island National Park) — A crescent of red-tinged sand, backed by red cliffs and a dune system. It offers warm ocean temperatures in late summer and sandbars.
• —Cavendish Post Office — This historic post office, where L.M. Montgomery once worked as a postmaster, allows you to send letters with an Anne of Green Gables postmark.
• —Avonlea Village — A privately operated attraction that reconstructs a 19th-century village inspired by the Anne of Green Gables novels, featuring replica buildings and local food.
• —Gulf Shore Parkway — An 8.5 km paved walking and biking trail within the PEI National Park, offering ocean views along the red sandstone cliffs between Cavendish and North Rustico.

The best time to visit Cavendish is from June through August, when the weather is generally suitable for outdoor activities. July and August offer the warmest ocean temperatures, typically 20-24°C, making them suitable for beach visitors, though this is also the most crowded period. June provides warmer land temperatures and fewer crowds, with conditions for golf and trails, but the water is still cooler.

September is a transition month; the beach season extends with warm water, crowds decrease, and prices may fall. Fall brings colourful trail walks, apple picking, and harvest-inspired dining. Avoid visiting from October through April if you are looking for warm weather and open attractions, as many tourist facilities close for the colder, quieter winter months, which see freezing temperatures and snow.

Cavendish is located approximately 39 km northwest of Charlottetown. There is no scheduled public transit serving the area; self-driving via Route 2 and Route 6 is the most common way to arrive. Parking at Cavendish Beach can fill up quickly, especially on July and August weekends; it is advisable to arrive before 9 AM or consider alternative beaches like Brackley or Stanhope.

Getting around Cavendish largely requires a car, as the community is spread out. However, within Prince Edward Island National Park, there are walking and cycling trails. The Gulf Shore Parkway offers an 8.5 km paved path with views, and the Homestead Trail provides longer hiking options through farmland and forest. The Confederation Trail, a 449 km trail across the island on a former railway line, has an entrance in Hunter River, a 15-minute drive from Cavendish, suitable for longer cycling excursions.