Charlottetown, Canada Port Guide - Toms Port Guides

Charlottetown, Canada Port Guide 

Charlottetown is on Prince Edward Island (PEI). The island is generally flat with some gentle rolling hills. 

Charlottetown is a pedestrian-friendly port city. Sidewalks are well paved with NO stairs nor steep walkways. 

And there are strategically placed benches around the tourist areas = a nice “touch”. 

Ships dock downtown, a few steps from the city. I've been there twice and had the same first impression. 

People in the passenger terminal are very friendly, helpful, and outgoing. This mood continues throughout the 

city. The street sweeper greeted us with a few kind words and a smile. Residents struck up conversations with 

us and helped us find places to visit. This is a distinctly friendly and welcoming mood for a port city. 

Architecture of buildings is impressive and they are well maintained. It's a picturesque, clean and safe city. 

There are many things to see and do such as taking carriage rides, hop-on buses, or walking to shop, visit local 

breweries, and enjoy fantastic seafood. US dollars are accepted. 

With one day in port, you have to choose between 1) an excursion to Anne of Green Gables and the North or 

2) a leisurely ride through the farm country to the Confederation Bridge and the South. If this is your first visit, 

go to Anne of Green Gables and the North. You have several options including ship's tours, private tours, public 

buses, or renting a car. I have not rented a car here, but the driving distances are relatively short. Anne of 

Green Gables or the Confederation Bridge are only an hour ride from the port. 

This guide includes: 

• A walking tour of Charlottetown, 

• A detailed map showing the sites for Anne of Green Gables and the North area, and 

• Information on touring the Confederation Bridge and area to the South. 

CAVEAT 

I've tried to be accurate, but recognize things change. Please verify information for your travel plans. Opinions 

expressed are my own. You are free to use and share this document, but do not use it for commercial purposes. 

This port guide is protected by copyright law - see the last page of this port guide for more information 

Tom Sheridan 

Charlottetown-06-15-2011 Page 1 of 15 For more guides, see www.TomsPortGuides.com

Table of Contents 

The port area 2 

Charlottetown walking tour 3 

Route to Anne of Green Gables & the North 8 

Confederation Bridge & the South 12 

Goal of port guides - your feedback is important 15 

Use this address to find the port in Google maps Water St & Weymouth St, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada. 

Cars, cabs, and public buses are restricted to the parking lot. Ship sponsored tours load and unload passengers 

next to the terminal. The red dots in the photo below show the walking route to Prince St to enter the city. 

Internet WiFi service is free in the terminal; bring your laptop. Several friendly and helpful people are available 

to help you plan your day. Be sure to check which restaurants are open. 

There are carriages, harbor hippos, and hop-on buses. I prefer to walk and have created a suggested walking 

tour showing some of the areas you may wish to visit. You can't get lost and it's fun to explore on your own. 


Suggested Walking Tour 

1 – Passenger terminal exit. Follow the red arrows in this map and walk along the boardwalk to the West. 

2 – Prince Street. Walk North to Water Street 

3 -Water Prince Corner Shop 

This seafood restaurant is a favorite with locals. The 

restaurant offers every conceivable type of seafood. 

It's superb! We met several people on the ship who ate 

there and we all agreed, this is a great little restaurant. 

Seating space is limited. The décor is simple, but it's 

clean and functional. Service is great and the prices 

are reasonable. Whether it's a quick snack or a full 

meal, I highly recommend this restaurant. 

The website is www.waterprincelobster.ca 

Email is fish_waterprince@pei.aibn.com 

I believe the owner is Shane Campbell. 

TIP – Check with locals re best time to eat here. We 

went early to avoid the lunch crowd. 


4 – Trinity Church Prince St & Sydney St 5 – St. Dunstan's Basilica Sydney St & Great George St 

Interior of St. Dunstan's Basilica 


6 – Old Dublin Pub, Claddagh Oyster House 7- Gahan House Sims Wine Bar 

131 Sydney St 126 Sydney St 

The Olde Dublin Pub has live Irish entertainment in the summer. Frommers describes the Claddagh Room as a 

good place for seafood. I haven't been there. We had lunch at the Gahan House once. The brewery is on view 

in the basement. The beer was good and the food was “OK - typical” bar food. 

8 – Ann of Green Gables Store 

This is on Queen St. and Richmond St. The sign over 

Richmond St. reads “Victoria Row”. Victoria Row is 

a narrow, pedestrian extension of Richmond St to the 

South. It's generally closed to vehicle traffic. 

You can buy books about Anne of Green Gables at 

this store. The next building to the right is an Anne of 

Green Gables Chocolate Store. 


9 – Shops, restaurants, etc. on Victoria Row (a narrow, pedestrian street extension from Richmond St) 

Fish Bones Seafood Grill is on Victoria Row 

We usually walk back to the dock via Great George St. 

10 -Peake's Quay – a restaurant, bar with souvenir shops in the area On Great George St South of Water St 


Cows is next to Peake's Quay 

11 -Lobster on the Wharf Prince St near the ship 


Exploring Prince Edward Island From Charlottetown 

We've been to Charlottetown on cruise ships in October and May. We took two excursions to: 

• Anne of Green Gables and the area to the North 

• Confederation Bridge and the area to the South 

Anne of Green Gables and the area to the North 

You have several options such as the ship's excursion, a private tour, taking a public bus, or renting a car. We 

took a 6-hour private tour. I wanted to control how my time was spent focusing on the coast, fishing villages, 

etc. and avoiding stops at souvenir shops. Now that I know where to go and what to see, I would consider 

renting a car on my next visit of the area to explore the North. It's only about 60 km and an hour drive one way. 

I've included specific addresses to create your own map and use your GPS if you rent a car. CAUTION: this is 

a very popular vacation area so you may run into heavy traffic and road construction in the summer months. 

Suggested driving route to Anne of Green Gables and the area to the North. 

The tour begins at the ship, stops at Prince Edward Island Preserve Company, Anne of Green Gables historic 

farmhouse site, Lucy Maud Montgomery's birthplace and continues North with a photo stop at French River. 

We went to many other areas in the North including fishing villages and the Prince Edward Island National Park 

but I do not have the exact locations where we stopped. I know the ship's tours go to Prince Edward Island 

Preserve Company and Anne of Green Gables, but I'm not sure where else they stop. Our private tour also went 

to the PEI National Park along the coast which is beautiful. 


Cruise Ship Terminal 

To locate the cruise ship on a map or GPS, enter Weymouth St & Water St, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada 

Prince Edward Island Preserve Company 

Most tours stop here. 

It's a clean and 

comfortable site to 

taste samples, have a 

drink, buy preserves 

and souvenirs, and use 

the toilets. They also 

sell tea, Celtic jewelry, 

porcelain, etc. 

Anne of Green Gables 

The address is 2841 New Glasgow Rd, New Glasgow, PE C0A 1N0, Canada 

Anne is a fictional character of a young girl with red 

pigtails who grew up on the Green Gables farm. The 

writer, Lucy Maud Montgomery, was born and raised on 

Prince Edward Island. There are nine books in the series 

and they appeal to children-teens. My wife, Mary, thinks 

“young” and really likes them. 

The “official” name for Anne of Green Gables farm is: 

L M Montgomery's Cavendish National Historic Site. 

Enter “Route 6 & Route 13, Cavendish, PEI, Canada” 

to find it on a Google map or a GPS . The entrance is on 

Route 6, 750 feet West of Route 13. 

2011 Information: 

Hours Open 7 days a week 9:00am to 5:00pm, 

May 1 through October 31 

Directions: 

Prince Edward Island National Park is located along 

the north shore of the Island. The Park extends 40 km 

stretching from Cavendish to Dalvay, with an 

additional section to the east at Greenwich. 

Green Gables is located on Route 6 in Cavendish. 

From Charlottetown follow Route 2 west 30 km to 

Hunter River. Turn right onto Route 13 in Hunter 

River and follow for approximately 20 km to the 

intersection of Route 13 and 6 in Cavendish. Turn left 

from Route 13 onto route 6. Green Gables is located 

on the left, approximately 250 meters from the 

intersection. 

Admission $ 7.80 (adult) $ 6.55 (Senior) 

The historical site website is http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/pe/greengables/visit.aspx 

Caution: There are other sites called “Anne of Green Gables” in the area 

capitalizing on the “name” and selling souvenirs, buggy rides, etc. The 

address I have listed above is the “real deal”. 

When you enter the site, you 

see a short video introduction. 

After that, you are free to 

explore on your own. There 

are several buildings, a shop 

selling drinks and snacks, the 

famous “lover's lane”, etc. It's 

a picturesque and peaceful 

setting with many photo 

opportunities. Be sure to put 

on the hat with the red pigtails 

and take a photo. 

Lucy Maud Montgomery 

Great photo opportunity- Mary thinks “young” 


Lover's lane The original house 

Lucy Maud Montgomery's Birthplace 

The author was born a few miles from the historic site 

of Anne of Green Gables farmhouse. Continue West on 

Route 6 to Route 20. As Route 20 crosses Route 6, the 

name of Route 20 changes to Route 8 to the South. 

Lucy Maud's house is on Route 20 about 100 feet North 

of Route 6. The address to use in Google maps is 

New London, PE C0B 1M0, Canada. 

Lucy Maud Montgomery's Birthplace 


Prince Edward Island (PEI) National Park 

The park is accessible from anywhere along the North coast. It's a narrow, wooded sliver of land stretching 40 

km along the northern coast fronting the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The park includes superlative red sandstone 

cliffs, offshore bars, submerged estuaries, and some of Canada's longest and most popular beaches. 

Red sandstone and sand dunes along the coast 

PEI and Cavendish are popular vacation areas: 

In the summer months, these areas are very crowded due to the variety of vacation opportunities including 

biking and hiking trails, beaches, water activities including fishing and catching your own lobster, camping, 

amusement parks, golf, etc. The tourist bureau states: 

The beaches attract thousands of visitors from around the world... and the beaches are just the 

beginning. Swim in crystal blue water warmed by the Gulf stream. There's no shortage of things to do 

in the Cavendish area. Golf on world-class championship courses or play mini-golf with the kids. Try 

deep sea fishing, horse back riding, para sailing, sea kayaking, riding a roller coaster or visiting sites 

that make history come alive. Treat yourself to a quick snack or relax and enjoy a fine dining 

experience. You decide what kind of vacation you want. 

Busy and active... quiet and relaxing... or a bit of both. In Cavendish and the Dune Shores, we leave 

that up to you! Cavendish is surrounded by small farming communities and fishing villages with an 

atmosphere all their own. Shop for antiques and unique art crafted by local artisans or explore a 

botanical garden, knowing that on PEI you’re never far from the sea. 


French River – Scenic Lookout 

There is a scenic view of a small fishing village called Hostetter's Viewscape. The address to use in a map or 

GPS is Howatt Rd & Route 20, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The scenic lookout is 2250 feet South of 

Howatt Rd. on Route 20. 

There are many other scenic views in this area along the coast. 

CAVEAT – I did not rent a car and drive this route from the ship to French River. 

My wife and I took a private tour. Now that I know the exact location of the major sites and I know the total 

route is only 60 km and 1 hour driving time, non-stop, I would consider renting a car next time to tour the area 

to the North on my own. Be mindful of the fact that renting a car takes a lot of time and might reduce your time 

to see the sights by as much as an hour considering travel time to/from the rental. Paperwork, getting gas etc. 

Regardless of how you get there, I highly recommend that you visit Anne of Green Gables and the PEI National 

Park. You could take a ship excursion or a public bus. These are must see areas. 

Confederation Bridge and the area to the South 

On our second cruise to Charlottetown, we took the ship's bus excursion to Confederation Bridge and the area to 

the South. I liked this tour. Personally, I would not consider driving this tour in a rented car. 

The reason is the bus took a scenic route which crisscrossed the back roads of Prince Edward Island. This tour 

wasn't simply about getting there, the journey was a key part of the tour. We spent most of our time leisurely, 

and comfortably, driving through the countryside. The island is very attractive with gentle rolling hills and 

farmland. We saw a gazillion churches of many denominations. The tour guide went into great detail to tell us 

about the island, the people, the sights, etc. And she was very good. We stopped at the Confederation Bridge 

visitors center area. It was all about souvenirs, but the toilets were clean. Then we stopped a short distance 

away to photograph the bridge and made a final stop at Victoria to take some photos of the fishing village. 


Confederation Bridge - The bridge is about an hour drive from Charlottetown. 

The map below shows the Confederation Bridge and a scenic fishing village at Victoria. 

The bridge connects Prince 

Edward Island and New 

Brunswick. This curved, 

12.9 km (8 mile) long 

bridge is the longest in the 

world crossing ice-covered 

water, and is one of 

Canada’s top engineering 

achievements of the 20th 

century. 

The waters can be covered 

with ice for 5 months so a 

special design was used for 

the bridge supports. Each 

supporting pier has a “curved collar shape” as it enters the water. This causes the ice to raise up and break, 

under it's own weight, thus preventing the ice from damaging the bridge. 

Our bus tour stopped at the visitor center and then drove to the area on the map “take photos here”. 

CAUTION – if you are driving a rental car, do NOT enter the bridge road. If you do, 

you're committed to drive the 8 mile bridge and paying $ 43. 


Note the rust colored “collars” at the base which are designed to cause the ice to raise up and break under it's own 

weight as it falls down. This design protects the bridge from ice which covers the sea 5 months of the year. 

Victoria 

There is a scenic fishing village. Use this address on Google maps 

13 Russell St, Victoria, Prince Edward Island, Canada 


Goal of Port Guides - Your Feedback Is Important 

Goal 

Port guides are designed to help you plan a great cruise vacation 

by providing information including: 

• Where the ship docks, 

• Whether you can walk to the nearby town, 

• Things to see and do, 

• Options for self-guided or organized tours, and 

• Travel issues unique to the port area. 

With this information in hand, you can plan the cruise for your priorities. Knowledge of 

ports is important because you have to make many decisions and commitments long 

before your ship arrives in the port. 

Why feedback is important 

User feedback helps me fine tune the subjects included, the length of guides, format, etc. 

And I welcome offers to collaborate with me by providing information for inclusion in 

the guides. 

The guides serve as an introduction to a port and are not intended to answer every 

question about the details of each port and tourist destination. There are other sources of 

information such as www.CruiseCritic.com for your detailed questions. Knowledgeable 

CC members will share their information. 

Schedule 

I created my www.TomsPortGuides.com website in April 2011 and posted 10 port guides 

by June. My goal is to add at least one new guide a month. 

I wish you a great cruise vacation. 

Regards, 

Tom Sheridan 

Copyright Notice 

My port guides are protected by copyright law. You are free to use them for noncommercial 

purposes, to attach them to emails and distribute them as electronic or printed 

files, but you cannot sell them. You are free to post the port guide pdf files on web sites. 

But it is better to post a link to my web site. This makes it easier for people to see the 

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Use this link for my website: www.TomsPortGuides.com 

You cannot change my port guides and must leave this copyright notice intact. The 

guides are exclusively owned by Thomas Sheridan. I can be contacted by email at: 

TomsPortGuides@comcast.net

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