What do you get when you combine lobster, green gables and one of the planet’s longest bridges? The Answer: Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province. What PEI lacks in size, it more than makes up for in culture and scenery — come here to learn about Canada’s founding and savor delectable shellfish.

1. Borden-Carleton

Starting Point • Food, Quirky, Shopping

The first experience for visitors to Prince Edward Island is Borden-Carleton, a slip of town famed for its marvelous views of Confederation Bridge. This epic structure span 8 miles across the Northumberland Strait from the mainland at New Brunswick. Completed in 1997, the multi-span marvel is the longest bridge to traverse ice-covered water; the best views of the bridge are from Borden’s lighthouse. The town is home to a touristy village with a handful of shops and restaurants, and a Visitor Center with a kid’s playground, a small exhibit on the island’s history, and lots of PEI memorabilia, including the famous Cows Creamery ice cream.

2. New Glasgow

Drive 27.9 miles, 47 minutes • Food, Outdoor Recreation, Sports

Mention New Glasgow on the island, and most people will think lobster. Located on the River Clyde, in Central Queens County, the picturesque town of New Glasgow is famed for its New Glasgow Lobster Suppers, a family-run institution that has been serving church-style lobster dishes to the faithful for over 60 years. For more scenic gratification, Glasgow Hills Golf Course is considered one of the island’s best, with lush, undulating terrain and magnificent views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Purveyor of specialty foods and fine pottery, the Island Preserve Company is one of the province’s most popular restaurants/tea rooms and is atmospherically housed in the 1958 New Glasgow Dairy building. Just a few miles away from New Glasgow, North Rustico offers adventure seekers opportunities to kayak, canoe and fish.

3. Charlottetown

Drive 14.4 miles, 15 minutes • Entertainment, Food, History

The provincial capital of Charlottetown feels plucked straight from a Victorian novel. With a quaint village aura, the town’s streets are lined with a confection of eye-catching buildings, including the refined Beaconsfield Historic House and the showy St. Dunstan’s Basilica. The neoclassical Province House is the site of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, which led to the Canadian confederation in 1867. In addition to an array of chic restaurants, eclectic boutiques and souvenir stores that dot the tree-lined cobblestone streets of Victoria Row, Charlottetown’s denizens embrace a rigorous cultural schedule centered around the Confederation Centre of the Arts, where the “Anne of Green Gables” musical is performed to popular acclaim each summer season.