Malpeque to Cavendish Beach in Prince Edward Island National Park

Malpeque to Cavendish Beach and a visit to Anne of Green Gables was such a beautiful time of our Cross Canada RV adventure. We'd left the RV in Moncton, NB to make this a day trip but there are several RV parks to enjoy on Prince Edward Island. We would have done that, if only we had more time..... never enough time to do everything we'd like to do. For this part of the day, we followed the Green Gables Shore Drive.

Malpeque PEI fishing marina

 We stopped at this fish boat marina and watched some of the fishing boats return after their morning run to check their nets. Many of them are fishing mussels but there are lobster traps on the pier which indicate lobster fishing is done as well.

Lobster traps in storage

We walked through the nearby Cabot Beach Provincial Park, which is closed for the season. It is a big park with lots of camping spots to enjoy during their summer season. It is on Malpeque Bay but we didn’t spend time on the beach as we had lots more to see.

Red dirt roads

We would stop often to take pictures and enjoy the view. The red soil is amazing. It makes Prince Edward Island unique, although it can be seen in other places, I’ve never seen it like this. The soil is red due to iron oxide which rusts on exposure to the air. Dirt is dirt but this is pretty dirt ! It is also rich in nutrients and minerals so that it provides the perfect growing conditions for their potatoes, which they are famous for and have been growing since 1790.

The wily red fox

When I first spotted this fox, I thought it was a cat in the ditch waiting for us to drive by, but as we approached, he came out of the grass and I got a big surprise ! I have maybe seen one other wild fox so was quite excited to take a picture of this critter as he made his way across the road, no doubt with thoughts of getting his dinner at the neighboring chicken house. He did everything but pose for me, then went on his way down the road. I understand there is a good population of fox on the Island, he was fairly oblivious of me, although we were parked a safe distance away.

Anne of Green Gables Museum

One cannot go to Prince Edward Island without stopping to visit Anne of Green Gables. I am very familiar with the character but have never read the books. We almost drove by the Museum, it is more visible coming from the other direction but we turned around and went back. The Museum is actually the home that belonged to Lucy Maud Montgomery’s aunt and where she got married. It holds original artifacts that are on display for all to see at a nominal fee. Family members still live in the home. The gift store wasn’t open.

Lake of Shining Waters Green Gables PEI

The stories spoke of the Lake of Shining Waters and it is nearby. Carriage rides can be taken around the lake, over rolling hills to a private sandy beach and are available May to October by reservation. We were visiting in early fall but the gardens were still pretty. What a pretty place and easy to see what inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery to write her stories. I know I will have to read her stories now, it is never too late !

Cavendish Beach

Cavendish Beach was such a thrill to visit. The rock formation was very intriguing and the story of how it became what it is, is rather interesting. The land was once part of what is now known as the Appalachian Mountains but over millions of years, the mountains were worn down by wind, weather and glaciers. This erosion caused sediment to be deposited here and these sediments gradually compressed to form the layered sandstone bedrock.

Cavendish Beach in PEI National Park

Now the wind, waves and ice constantly shape the soft sandstone, carving these fantastic forms while it wears away at the coastline. The erosion turns Prince Edward Island sandstone back into sand and shapes the beaches and dunes as in the picture. The abrasive action removes the coating of rust from the grain of sand and leaves the white colored beaches.

Cavendish Beach a Perfect photo op !

We couldn’t resist posing for pictures with a backdrop like this. It was a windy but warmish day and we had such fun visiting this beautiful spot.

Click on this link and you will see more of Prince Edward Island.

Bachelor Canada Filming Location
Prince Edward Island was used as a filming location and then showcased during an episode of the first Bachelor Canada in 2012 when Brad Smith brought his fantasy date here.  Click here to see their stay in Ravenglass and visit to Malpeque.

Googlemap Cavendish



View Larger Map