Prince Edward Island stuns in fall with festivals, foliage and more

It may be the smallest of Canada’s 10 provinces (think Rhode Island, but marginally bigger), but what Prince Edward Island (PEI) lacks in size it more than makes up for in stature.

Situated off the east coast to the north of Nova Scotia, PEI was originally home to the Mi’kmaq people who called the island ‘Epekwitk (it means “resting on the waves”). By the 1720s French settlers had renamed it Île Saint-Jean before, inevitably, the Brits turned up. Capturing the island in 1758 during the Seven Years’ War, they renamed it St. John’s Island before changing it again to Prince Edward Island after the son of King George III and soon-to-be father of Queen Victoria.

Today, PEI is home to around 177,000 people but in the peak season from June to September, the influx of tourists eager to sample everything this picture-postcard island has to offer can see that double.

Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice about PEI are the lighthouses — they’re everywhere. In fact, there are 63 in total with 35 still in use and nine of them open to the public. The oldest on the island is Point Prim, which dates back to 1845.

Killer instinct: Polar bear safaris put travelers in touch with a dying breed

For many, though, PEI will be best known for its association with Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the beloved novel, “Anne of Green Gables.” A publishing phenomenon, the story of 11-year-old orphan Anne Shirley, first published in 1908. has since been translated into over 30 languages and sold over 50 million copies worldwide.

Montgomery was born and lived her entire life on PEI and this November will see the 150th anniversary of her birth, an occasion that the Royal Canadian Mint have marked with a special $1 commemorative coin.

Today, you can enjoy Montgomery-themed literary tours, taking in some of the spots that inspired her and her most famous characters, but the best place to start is the L.M. Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site of Canada on the north shore.

This gemlike, UNSECO-listed isle is Canada’s best-kept little secret

It’s home to both the Green Gables Heritage Place (the setting for the novel) and Montgomery’s home.

There’s even an Avonlea Village (the fictitious name Montgomery gave to her hometown of Cavendish in “Anne of Green Gables”) and living museum, complete with the original schoolhouse she once taught in, the Minister’s residence and many other replica houses based on those featured in the book. It’s free admission, too.

The other thing that PEI is rightly proud of is its unparalleled seafood. The island is renowned for it, especially its oysters, lobsters and mussels, all of which are abundant in its chilly waters.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR MORNING REPORT NEWSLETTER

Every September, it hosts the annual PEI International Shellfish Festival in the capital, Charlottetown. It’s a four-day feast showcasing the many culinary delights the island has to offer and features demonstrations, tastings, live music and contests like the Potato Chowder Championship and the Oyster Shucking Championship. Think Woodstock with whelks.

If you need to work off some of that seafood, then take on the Confederation Trail.

Created out of the island’s abandoned railways lines, it was developed in the 1990s and now boasts over 290 miles of trails for walkers or hikers, runners or cyclists. It’s the ideal way to take in everything PEI has to offer, from its rugged cliffs and coastline to its beautiful shores — Cavendish Beach is a must — and the many quaint fishing villages like Summerside and Victoria-by-the-Sea. It’s a distillation of all the reasons Montgomery loved PEI so much.

“You never know what peace is until you walk on the shores or in the field or along the winding red roads of Prince Edward Island in a summer twilight…You find your soul then.” she wrote.

For the latest in lifestyle, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/lifestyle/