Îles de la Madeleine, Quebec

I’ve lived in Canada my whole life and visited the province of Quebec many times over. But it takes me to my early 50s to discover a truly extraordinary group of islands in the Quebec Maritime called Îles de la Madeleine, or the Magdalen Islands.

Soon after we venture outside the airport to get into our rental car, my sister Kathy and I are smitten. This archipelago contains 12 islands located where the Gulf of St. Lawrence meets the Atlantic Ocean, six of which are connected by sand dunes and roads. One could easily drive from one end to the other in about two hours, but we stop within the first 10 minutes to admire the view.

With few trees, the colorful houses and majestic red cliffs, overlooking miles and miles of pristine, white beaches, take center stage. We drive a little further to Cap Alright Lighthouse built in 1928, one of six lighthouses on the islands. It’s a windy September day, and I am instantly mesmerized, watching majestic waves lap rhythmically against massive rock. I feel one with nature in this environment, even though I’ve just arrived.

Eventually, Kathy and I make our way to the recently renovated, seaside Chateau Madelinot (https://www.hotelsaccents.com/en) in Cap-aux-Meules island, where we will settle in for the week. We have come to hike a portion of the Sentiers Entre Vents et Marées, a series of 6.5 to 17-mile trails that encompass a 143-mile circuit around the islands. While there are many ways to tour this area, walking the trails is an ideal opportunity to explore the coastal paths, woods, cliffs, dunes, and towns along the way. Plus, we both love to hike. When the trails aren’t clearly marked, we can also rely on this online, interactive map (https://www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com/en/discover-the-islands/experiences/nature/hiking/sentiers-entre-vents-et-marees/), to keep us on track.

By day we trek through unspoiled landscape, stopping to have picnic lunches thoughtfully prepared by our hotel staff. One day we sit by the ocean and watch grey seals frolicking in the water. (In the winter, the hotel offers excursions to see harp seals native to the area gather on icepacks surrounding the islands.) One lunch hour, on the island of Havre-Aubert, we stop to dine al fresco by the beautiful stained-glass windows of Holy Trinity Church constructed in 1925.

Throughout our hikes, each area reveals its personality and charm. Filled with cliffs and rolling sand dunes, Havre-Aubert is home to the town of La Grave, a former fishing village and historic site filled with unique artisan shops. Art is a vital part of life on these islands and it becomes quickly apparent that the landscape serves as a key source of inspiration.

The Island of Cap aux Meules is where we find the main ferry terminal and a bustling melange of eateries, from casual fare to upscale restaurants. We come back several nights to sample recommended favorites, including Aux Pas Perdu (https://www.pasperdus.com/) for craft beer and poutine (fries, cheese curds, and gravy), served with hefty portions of freshly caught scallops. After a particularly long trek, we enjoy a quick bite at Decker Boy, which offers succulent lobster sandwiches and crispy funnel cake. Seal meat is also part of local cuisine, served in stews, pates, and smoked products.

La Pointe aux Loups, a narrow strip of land surrounded by water on both sides is the smallest of the islands—and the most peaceful. It’s the ideal spot to stop, relax, and soak it all in. Grand Entry Island is the province’s lobster capital and harbors 100+ bright-colored fishing boats. Here we find a fishing museum, friendly fisherman, and a terraced café called La Marina Entry Island (https://www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com/en/la-marina-entry-island/restaurants/), which offers tasty homemade desserts and amazing coffee.

Early one morning, on the day before our departure, we take a ferry to Entry Island. It’s the only inhabited island not connected by land. While tourists love to visit, and some have even built summer homes here, there are only 60 full-time residents.

Here we get a fascinating look into the history of the islands at the local museum. The area was first settled in the 18^th century by the Acadians—French-speaking settlers originally displaced from what is now Canada’s province of Nova Scotia. They still make up the majority of Magdalen Islands’ approximately 13,000 residents. We also learn that more than 400 shipwrecks have been recorded in the area, due to treacherous storms and the lack of modern navigation aids at the time. Many of those survivors made these parts their permanent home. Before climate change, the locals tell us they could walk across the ocean to the mainland on ice caps in the winter, a distance of some 7.5 miles.

Before heading back to the ferry and our hotel, we make our way up Big Hill, the tallest point of Magdalen Islands at 571 feet above sea level. It’s a spectacular view of our entire trek. “I’ll never forget this place,” says my sister. I couldn’t agree more. To learn more about Magdalen Islands go to https://www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com/.