Prince Edward Island lies off Canada’s east coast; and although connected to neighboring Nova Scotia by a bridge since 1997, it retains the remote feel of an island. Its capital of Charlottetown is a popular stop for Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Silversea, Seabourn and other cruise lines that bring passengers right into the heart of the small city.

Compact and walkable Charlottetown features historical streets lined with 19th-century homes. It’s known as the Birthplace of Canada because, in 1864, the city hosted the Charlottetown Conference, where the Articles of Confederation were signed and Canada became a country. Stroll along six blocks of stately homes in Great George Street Historic District, and you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped back into the Charlottetown of that era.

Download the free walking tour map to see the highlights on your own or take a two-hour guided tour. Most island tours begin with a short introduction to Charlottetown before heading into the beautiful inland countryside.

Charlottetown © Darryl Brooks | Dreamstime.com

The most popular half-day tours take in the northern coast, where Prince Edward Island National Park protects miles of sand beaches, dunes and red sandstone cliffs, interrupted by bays with small harbors and fishing villages. The rolling hills and farmlands around Cavendish inspired L.M. Montgomery’s classic 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables and the subsequent series, and almost all tours stop at Green Gables Heritage Place for visits to the farmhouse featured in the books. Full-day tours also stop at rustic fishing harbors, galleries and gardens, and for a lunch of PEI’s famous shellfish.

Other half-day tours head west, where several of the island’s 63 lighthouses punctuate the shore. After photo stops for these and the impressive 8-mile-long Confederation Bridge, guests have time to explore the shops and tea rooms of the picturesque seaside village of Victoria.

Fewer tours explore Prince Edward Island’s beautiful eastern end. But most port stops allow time for the seven-hour tour to the dune-backed beaches of the national park’s Greenwich section, the island’s tallest lighthouse and the “singing sands” of Basin Head Beach. After browsing shops at Souris Harbour boardwalk, search on the beach for souvenirs of sea-polished glass.