Îles-de-la-Madeleine

Quebec's Îles-de-la-Madeleine (occasionally Magdalen Islands) are an island chain in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, off the coast of Prince Edward Island and the Gaspé Peninsula. Acadian culture is strong and vibrant in this mostly-francophone region.

Understand


The Magdalen Islands or Îles-de-la-Madeleine are a windswept chain of islands connected by sand dunes and beautiful cold water beaches. Lagoons, caps, green valleys, red cliffs and brightly coloured houses form the panorama of this archipelago in the heart of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Havre-Aubert, on the island of the same name, is a member of "Les plus beaux villages du Québec".

All of the dozen islands of the archipelago are connected to each other by land with the exception of l'île d'Entrée which can be reached by local ferry. The population of the archipelago is about 12,600. Although part of Quebec, Acadian culture is very much alive in the Magdalen Islands ("mon île, mon pays"). The islanders are known for having retained their unique accent and for their warm hospitality.

There is one small town, Cap-aux-Meules, where most services are located; the rest of this isolated group of islands is rural, with a few tiny villages.

Accommodation is often in rented cabins. Bed and breakfasts are also available and often cheaper for 2 persons. Camping is possible; however, exposure to wind (given the lack of trees and proximity to the ocean) can make this unpleasant.

Prices for excursions and various tourist activities are variable but generally expensive, something to consider for the budget traveller. During the high tourist season (July-August) lodging can be expensive and booked out. Early September would be a wonderful time to visit this region.

The Îles-de-la-Madeleine use the Atlantic time zone (UTC-4 in winter), an hour ahead of the rest of Québec but the same time zone as the three Maritime provinces.

If you have only one full day (and a car) you can easily drive from Cap-aux-Meules to each end of the islands and back, but it would be rushed, and wouldn't leave you much time for exploring the dunes or walking on the beaches. Two days will give you a much better experience. With a third day, you could take the ferry to Île d'Entrée to roam its trails, or lie on the beach or spend more time exploring the dunes. The islands would be an ideal place to "get away from it all" for a week or months.

Municipalities and villages
The amalgamated Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine municipality covers most of the archipelago. Created in 2002 by the fusion of all former municipalities on the archipelago, Cap-aux-Meules, Fatima, Grande-Entrée, Grosse-Île, Havre-aux-Maisons, L'Étang-du-Nord and L'Île-du-Havre-Aubert, it holds both "municipality" and "municipal regional county" status.

The municipality of Grosse-Île regained its independence in 2006, so Grosse-Île (or Grosse Isle in English) is the only municipality on the islands not part of "la municipalité des Îles-de-la-Madeleine".

Talk
94% of residents are francophone and 6% anglophone. When visiting Îles-de-la-Madeleine, if you speak even just a little bit of French everyone will be a lot more friendly and go out of their way to help.

The anglophone communities are Grosse-Île, Old Harry and l'île d'Entrée.

Get in
Îles-de-la-Madeleine is not the easiest place to visit, but there are a few options:
 * Ferry from Souris, PEI, via CTMA, reservation required
 * Weekly boat from Montréal, Québec and Chandler, Québec, via CTMA, reservation required
 * Flights from Québec City, Montreal, and other cities (Air Canada Express)

Airport

 * Direct flights available from Quebec City (1.75-2 hours).

Get around
While each island is quite small, the distances between them along the connecting dunes are greater and these areas are isolated. Cycling is possible, scooters can be rented, as can automobiles. Bus tours are available during the summer, and taxis are quite expensive. There is no separate bike trail; the one "Route Verte" is a paved shoulder along most of the main highway, Route 199.

Gasoline is expensive: about 18¢/litre more than in PEI (May 2017), so you may want to fill up before you leave Souris.



Do
The Îles-de-la-Madeleine may be explored by bicycle, on horseback or on foot; one may follow the coast by canoe, zodiac boat or kayak. Strong winds and shallow bays make a fine coastline of long, sandy beaches for windsurfing.


 * Beaches: Several long sand dune beaches connect the islands; swim. sunbathe, walk and explore. Water temperature reaches 18°C (64°F) by mid-August.
 * Birdwatching: Excursions are available, for example by boat to nearby Ile Brion.
 * Windsurfing, kitesurfing equipment rental and lessons are available.
 * Sea kayaking: Explore coastal cliffs, bays, and tunnels. Aerosport, Istorlet and Parc du Gros Cap provide equipment rental.
 * Cycling. Some roads have a paved shoulder and bikes may be rented, but local wind speed typically varies from 17 to 40 km/h (9 to 22 knots).
 * Hiking along the shore. If hiking near cliff-lined areas of the coast, the cliff edges are often eroded, dangerous and can collapse.
 * In winter, a popular activity is to observe young seals on the ice floes.

Buy
ATMs are available at credit unions (caisses populates Desjardins) around the islands, and at the National Bank at 425 Chemin Principal in Cap-aux-Meules.



Local fare

 * Seafood
 * Fresh lobster is available in early summer (June-July).
 * Smoked fish: herring, scallops, mackerel.
 * Pot-en-pot: seafood pie.
 * Loup-marin: seal (very strong tasting, similar to liver or wild game).

Drink
There is a local brewery near Cap aux Meules which can be visited:

Their local beers are on tap at these establishments, which also serve food:

Sleep
In addition to Québec's ~15% sales taxes, a $3/night accommodation tax is applied to lodging throughout the region.

Stay safe
All of Îles-de-la-Madeleine is pretty safe. Do not walk near the edges of cliffs as they are subject to erosion and collapse. Certain beaches can have strong and dangerous currents which may pull you away from shore.

Connect
There is no Rogers signal (and therefore no GSM); Bell mobile telephones will find a 3G (UMTS) signal in the area.

Go next

 * Souris, Prince Edward Island via CTMA ferry
 * CTMA offers a week-long cruise from Montreal along the St. Lawrence River to Îles de la Madeleine. After a stay of a couple of days on the island with local tours (can overnight on the ship or at local accommodation), there is a return trip to Montreal, with stopovers made on the Gaspé Peninsula and Quebec City.
 * Another tour option is to fly into Charlottetown, PEI and bike the Confederation Trail, or tour the island by car. Then take the CTMA ferry from Souris, PEI to Îles de la Madeleine. Bike or tour on the islands for a couple of days and then, as a short cruise in the Gulf and along the St. Lawrence River, book one-way passage from Îles de la Madeleine to Montreal.