Pastoral, lush and quaintly innocent, Prince Edward Island hasn't strayed too far from its depiction in Lucy Maud Montgomery's legendary Anne of Green Gables series.

It may be Canada's smallest province, but PEI is certainly one of its prettiest.

Ringed by long sandy stretches and warm Atlantic ocean, thousands flock here every summer for their beach vacations.

The island's bucolic countryside and picture-perfect villages combined with a lack of hills also makes it ideal for a cycling holiday.

PEI is also one of the top golfing holiday destination in Canada and the province is home to more than 20 courses.

Kayaking tours of PEI's coastline have also become popular in recent years. This not only gets you up close and personal with seals, porpoises and cormorant colonies, but also affords stunning views of PEI's sand dunes, red cliffs and rolling green countryside.

Survival guide  

Prince Edward Island's cuisine reflects its sea-faring heritage, with lobsters plucked daily from the Atlantic Ocean.

PEI's high season is from mid-June to early September. Outside these months, many attractions and hotels close.

Air travel to and from Prince Edward Island is somewhat limited. Charlottetown Airport is serviced by flights connecting PEI to other major Canadian cities, usually Halifax in Nova Scotia.

Another good option is to fly into nearby Moncton, New Brunswick, and drive across the 12.9km-long Confederation Bridge.

A ferry also links Wood Islands on PEI with Caribou in Nova Scotia, but the service ceases between late December and May.