Cavendish is located on the central north coast of Prince Edward Island in Queens County. The city of Cavendish is believed to be named after Field Marshal Lord Frederick Cavendish, a Colonel of the 34th Regiment of Foot. In its humble beginnings, Cavendish was mainly a small farming community because it did not have a true fishing harbour.

Due to the success of Lucy Maude Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables, which was set in Cavendish, people came from all over to see the author's home and beautiful land for themselves. With places such as the Green Gables' House and Lucy Maud Montgomery National Historic Site, Cavendish became a large tourist hub and now is one of the most developed areas of PEI.

Aside from the attention Cavendish gets from Anne of Green Gables, there is much more to see and do. There are several amusement parks including The Enchanted Lands, Jurassic Bart's Dinosaur Museum and Petting Farm, where the first dinosaur fossil was discovered in Canada, and Sanspits Amusements, a classic amusement park with rides for the whole family. A few novelty attractions include the Cavendish Fiddle, a house-sized fiddle, the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, and the Royal Atlantic Wax Museum, with 119 life size wax figures of celebrities like Madonna, Elvis, prime ministers and presidents.

A must see stop in Cavendish has to be the P.E.I. National Park. The park stretches 40 km (25 mi.) along the coast, and features wetlands, sandstone cliffs, pristine sandy beaches and is home to the endangered Pipping Plover. Other fun activities in Cavendish are sea kayaking, horse-back riding, para sailing, deep sea fishing, or world class 18-hole golfing. Cavendish is 39 km (24 mi.) from Charlottetown.

Cavendish accommodations include hotels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, and cottages.