Cavendish Beach

Named after the nearby community in Prince Edward Island, Cavendish Beach is a glorious 8 km stretch of clean golden sand fronting the sparkling clean waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence. It is warmed by the Gulf Stream, although at 15°C it’s still pretty cold.

The beach is within the Prince Edward Island National Park. Avid readers will know that Cavendish Beach is the home of the fictional character Anne of Green Gables from the classic novel of the same name.

The easiest access point is from Graham’s Lane where there is plenty of parking and a useful complex with changing rooms, showers and a cafe. From there, a wide boardwalk transports you and your beach chair over the sand dunes to the beautiful sand and sea.

If you want a nice walk beside the waves, the beach runs from New London Bay in the west to the sandstone cliffs at Cavendish East. As well as the main beach, there’s a long offshore barrier island known as Cavendish Spit which extends the beach and protects the entrance to New London Bay.

There’s a campground nearby which has updated information on tides and surf conditions. There are lifeguards in summer. The beach is good for sunbathing, paddling, ball games, shelling, picnics and surfing.

Just back from the beach there are two ponds frequented by ducks and wildlife. Clarkes’ Pond is slightly smaller than the Lake of Shining Water. There’s also an informative Homestead Trail nearby for hiking and wildlife spotting.