Quebec's Îles-de-la-Madeleine (occasionally Magdalen Islands) are an island chain in the Gulf of St. Laurence, off the coast of New Brunswick.
Understand
Due to their isolation, these islands are relatively expensive to reach.
During the high tourist season (July-August) lodging can be expensive and booked out. 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 traveler.
Early September would be a wonderful time to visit this region.
Cities
Cap aux Meules is the main small town where most services are located
Getting there
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 Jazz)
Traveling 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 well as automobiles, bus tours are available, taxis are quite expensive.
See
One of the best things about Îles-de-la-Madeleine is the fact that it is known as one of, if not the best, places for wind sports (like windsurfing and kiteboarding). So if you're not the one riding it is always fun to be the one watching.
Things to do
Beaches: amazing long sand dune beaches connect the islands,
there are several to explore and walk on for hours
birdwatching: excursions are available, for example by boat to nearby Ile Brion.
windsurfing- rental available at l'istorlet, or bring your own
kitesurfing- courses from Aerosport, another company (ask at cafe les pas perdus in Cap-aux meules
sea kayaking- explore coastal cliffs, bays, and tunnels, one good place to rent is the Parc du Gros Cap, near Cap-aux-Meules
cycling- lots of places although some roads do not have paved shoulder. Wind can be a factor
hiking- several shore hikes possible near cliff-lined areas of the coast. However, stay away from the edges of cliffs as they are eroded, and are very dangerous (can collapse).
Winter activities
A popular activity is to observe young seals on the ice floes during winter. Other activities are being developed (i.e. sea kayaking).
Eat
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).
Restaurants
Café de la Grave, Island of Havre Aubert. Reasonable laid back café-bar. Great place to go for a beer in the afternoon.
Bistro Bout du Monde, Island of Havre Aubert. Excellent but very expensive
Boulangerie Fleur de Sable, Island of Havre Aubert, . Great bakery and restaurant.
Les Pas Perdus, Cap aux Meules. Popular restaurant-café-bar, good food, service variable.
Drink
There is a local brewery 'A l'abri de la tempete', which is located near Cap aux meules and can be visited (also has a nice pub). Their beers are very good: rousse(red), blonde(pale), blanche (wheat beer),noire (milk stout),and some special brews. Available on draft in certain restos such as Café de la Grave and Pas Perdus.
Talk
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 you out more than they would if you spoke strictly English and no French at all.
Safety
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.
Region
Windswept chain of islands connected by sand dunes and beautiful beaches (cold water).
Contact & location
Be the first one to add a review
The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
Some photos courtesy of:
. The photos provided by Flickr are under the copyright of their owners.
This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at View full credits
Wikitravel is a project to create a free, complete, up-to-date, and reliable worldwide travel guide. So far we have 23,311 destination guides and other articles written and edited by Wikitravellers from around the globe. Check out the Help page to see how you can edit any page right now, or the Project page for more information about Wikitravel and getting involved. Africa Asia Oceania Europe Middle East North America South America Central America & Caribbean Other destinations Travel topics & PhrasebooksDestination of the monthBali is the Island of the Gods, with rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides all providing a picturesque backdrop to its colourful, deeply spiritual and unique culture. With world-class surfing and diving, a large number of attractions and an enormous range of accommodations, Bali stakes a serious claim to be paradise on earth. (more...)Off the beaten pathTobacco Caye is an extremely tiny island in Belize, popular with budget travelers. There's very little to actually do, so after spending the morning snorkeling, grab a hammock and a novel as you settle in to watch the sunset.(more...)Discover Legend has it that the infamous Arc of the Covenant is held inside the Church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum, Ethiopia. All of the guides that lead visitors through Trois-Rivières's Old Prison are former inmates. Filled with works by Salvador Dali, the largest work in the Theatre Meseu Gala Salvador Dali in Figueres is actually the museum itself, as he designed and resided in it.Travel alertsPowerful earthquake hits Chile; causes Pacific tsunami alerts (27 February 2010) Thailand Braces for Protests With Thaksin Verdict This Week (21 February 2010)Flooding Wreaks Havoc on Portugal's Medeira Island, Kills 32 (20 February 2010)UNESCO World Heritage-Listed Minaret Collapses, Kills 41 (19 February 2010)Military Coup in Niger (18 February 2010)Current and upcoming eventsCasino and Universal Studios in Singapore (14 February 2010)2010 Winter Olympics Commence in Vancouver (12 February 2010)Final Night Launch For Space Shuttle (6 February 2010)10% more foreigners visited Colombia in 2009 (23 January 2009)Featured ArticlesNew "Star" ArticlesChicago/Southwest SideLondon/HampsteadCopenhagenBaliWalt Disney World/Animal KingdomDiving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/PinnacleWe're collaborating to improve Bangkok / ThailandBooks from Wikitravel PressWashington D.C., Hiroshima, San Francisco, moreMore on Wikitravel Extrablogs, forum, photosOther languagesMore than 1000 articles: Deutsch,Español,Français,Italiano,日本語,Nederlands,Português,Русский,Suomi,SvenskaBubbling under: العربيةCatalà,Esperanto, עברית,हिन्दी,Magyar, 한국어,Polski,Română,中文— Start a new version!
This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at View full credits
Quebec's Îles-de-la-Madeleine (occasionally Magdalen Islands) are an island chain in the Gulf of St. Laurence, off the coast of New Brunswick.
Understand
Due to their isolation, these islands are relatively expensive to reach.
During the high tourist season (July-August) lodging can be expensive and booked out. 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 traveler.
Early September would be a wonderful time to visit this region.
Cities
Cap aux Meules is the main small town where most services are located
Getting there
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 Jazz)
Traveling 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 well as automobiles, bus tours are available, taxis are quite expensive.
See
One of the best things about Îles-de-la-Madeleine is the fact that it is known as one of, if not the best, places for wind sports (like windsurfing and kiteboarding). So if you're not the one riding it is always fun to be the one watching.
Things to do
Beaches: amazing long sand dune beaches connect the islands, there are several to explore and walk on for hours
birdwatching: excursions are available, for example by boat to nearby Ile Brion.
windsurfing- rental available at l'istorlet, or bring your own
kitesurfing- courses from Aerosport, another company (ask at cafe les pas perdus in Cap-aux meules
sea kayaking- explore coastal cliffs, bays, and tunnels, one good place to rent is the Parc du Gros Cap, near Cap-aux-Meules
cycling- lots of places although some roads do not have paved shoulder. Wind can be a factor
hiking- several shore hikes possible near cliff-lined areas of the coast. However, stay away from the edges of cliffs as they are eroded, and are very dangerous (can collapse).
Winter activities
Eat
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).
Restaurants
Café de la Grave, Island of Havre Aubert. Reasonable laid back café-bar. Great place to go for a beer in the afternoon.
Bistro Bout du Monde, Island of Havre Aubert. Excellent but very expensive
Boulangerie Fleur de Sable, Island of Havre Aubert, . Great bakery and restaurant.
Les Pas Perdus, Cap aux Meules. Popular restaurant-café-bar, good food, service variable.
Drink
There is a local brewery 'A l'abri de la tempete', which is located near Cap aux meules and can be visited (also has a nice pub). Their beers are very good: rousse(red), blonde(pale), blanche (wheat beer),noire (milk stout),and some special brews. Available on draft in certain restos such as Café de la Grave and Pas Perdus.
Talk
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 you out more than they would if you spoke strictly English and no French at all.
Safety
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.
Region
Windswept chain of islands connected by sand dunes and beautiful beaches (cold water).
Contact & location
Be the first one to add a review
The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
name_6751, name_6752
Some photos courtesy of:
. The photos provided by Flickr are under the copyright of their owners.
This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at
View full credits
Wikitravel is a project to create a free, complete, up-to-date, and reliable worldwide travel guide. So far we have 23,311 destination guides and other articles written and edited by Wikitravellers from around the globe. Check out the Help page to see how you can edit any page right now, or the Project page for more information about Wikitravel and getting involved. Africa Asia Oceania Europe Middle East North America South America Central America & Caribbean Other destinations Travel topics & PhrasebooksDestination of the monthBali is the Island of the Gods, with rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides all providing a picturesque backdrop to its colourful, deeply spiritual and unique culture. With world-class surfing and diving, a large number of attractions and an enormous range of accommodations, Bali stakes a serious claim to be paradise on earth. (more...)Off the beaten pathTobacco Caye is an extremely tiny island in Belize, popular with budget travelers. There's very little to actually do, so after spending the morning snorkeling, grab a hammock and a novel as you settle in to watch the sunset.(more...)Discover Legend has it that the infamous Arc of the Covenant is held inside the Church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum, Ethiopia. All of the guides that lead visitors through Trois-Rivières's Old Prison are former inmates. Filled with works by Salvador Dali, the largest work in the Theatre Meseu Gala Salvador Dali in Figueres is actually the museum itself, as he designed and resided in it.Travel alertsPowerful earthquake hits Chile; causes Pacific tsunami alerts (27 February 2010) Thailand Braces for Protests With Thaksin Verdict This Week (21 February 2010)Flooding Wreaks Havoc on Portugal's Medeira Island, Kills 32 (20 February 2010)UNESCO World Heritage-Listed Minaret Collapses, Kills 41 (19 February 2010)Military Coup in Niger (18 February 2010)Current and upcoming eventsCasino and Universal Studios in Singapore (14 February 2010)2010 Winter Olympics Commence in Vancouver (12 February 2010)Final Night Launch For Space Shuttle (6 February 2010)10% more foreigners visited Colombia in 2009 (23 January 2009)Featured ArticlesNew "Star" ArticlesChicago/Southwest SideLondon/HampsteadCopenhagenBaliWalt Disney World/Animal KingdomDiving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/PinnacleWe're collaborating to improve Bangkok / ThailandBooks from Wikitravel PressWashington D.C., Hiroshima, San Francisco, moreMore on Wikitravel Extrablogs, forum, photosOther languagesMore than 1000 articles: Deutsch,Español,Français,Italiano,日本語,Nederlands,Português,Русский,Suomi,SvenskaBubbling under: العربيةCatalà,Esperanto, עברית,हिन्दी,Magyar, 한국어,Polski,Română,中文— Start a new version!
This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at
View full credits