How to prepare a trip to the Magdalen Islands
This summer, I had planned on traveling to the Magdalen Islands. Fortunately, New Brunswick and Prince-Edward Island are letting us pass to take the ferry so I didn’t have to cancel our trip. Let’s just say that the coronavirus and this vacation have had me on my toes for probably a month now because of all the uncertainty and trying to rearrange everything! So since I didn’t have to cancel this part of the trip, here is a little guide to help you prepare for your next trip to the Magdalen Islands.
The Magdalen Islands are a small archipelago in the Gulf of St-Lawrence. Even though the islands are closer to the Maritimes, the islands are part of the Quebec province, in Canada. The archipelago counts a dozen islands. Six of them are connected via sandbanks. The Magdalen Islands offer about 300km of beautiful beaches. Even though it is part of Quebec, the time zone is the same as the Maritimes.
If you are looking to taste some Magdalen Islands delicacies, you won’t be disappointed. You can find a nice brewery at À l’Abri de la tempête for beer. They have a dozen different beers and many other options as well for people that don’t drink beer.
For cheese, you can go to La fromagerie du Pied-de-vent or La Biquette à l’air for goat cheese.
At the butcher Côte-à-Côte, you can have some sea bass.
In Fatima, you can try different products from wild boars.
At le Fumoir d’Antan, you will find some smoked mackerel and smoked eel.
You can also try some local honey, different sea products, coffee, la bagosse (a wine brewed with cultivated and wild plants), and much more.
Unfortunately, traveling to the Magdalen Islands is not a trip you can really prepare at the last minute. Because it is such a small place, there are only so many places you can stay. You can probably do a last-minute trip, but I’m not sure how availabilities are.
Transportation
To travel to the Magdalen Islands, you can either go by car or plane. To fly there, Pascan Aviation offers 3 flights a day from Bonaventure (Gaspésie), Mont-Joli (Québec), and St-Hubert (Montreal). Air Canada used to go twice a day but starting this September, they will stop serving the Magdalen Islands. You can also fly with Air Saint-Pierre from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, an island close to Newfoundland.
You can go by car as well. There is a ferry from Souris, in Prince-Edward Island, to Cap-aux-Meules. It takes about five hours to get there. The boat offers multiple services on board. A cafeteria, a café, a pub, a bar, a cinema, a kids zone, cabins, resting areas, a souvenir shop, outdoor bridges, kennels, and an information center. So you’ll have plenty to do on the way over. Unfortunately for us, none of these services were offered at the time of crossing…For fewer people moving around. We were confined to a specific area of the ship.
If you are driving there, make sure to book your ferry in advance. If you only have your car, a couple of weeks in advance is fine. Because we are traveling with our trailer camper, I had to book my ferry in February for our trip in July. Because of the car and the trailer, we take a lot more space, so to be sure to have a spot, we had to book way in advance. Even when we booked in February, we were limited on the dates to travel on the ferry.
As for the price, it will depend on what type of car you have and the length that you have. A regular car will have a certain rate and then if you are over 21feet, they charge you for every extra foot you have. For our pick-up truck and the 21 feet long trailer camper, it cost us about 475$ CAD each way. Make sure to plan your budget accordingly so you don’t have a surprise.
Accommodations
As I said earlier, accommodations are limited on the Islands. Make sure to book way in advance for that. Great accommodations can be booked over a year prior. I was looking at one of the top campsites there and in February, it was already fully booked for the whole summer. The greatest places tend to get booked very quickly for the next year.
The Magdalen Islands offer hotels, camping, motel’s, hostel’s, cottages, apartments, rental homes, and Air Bnb’s.
Getting around
If you are flying to the Magdalen Islands, you will probably need transportation there. You can rent a car at Enterprise, rent some bikes, rent a scooter or a motorbike, use public transportation or rent a bus. To access l’Ile d’Entrée, you’ll have to take a ferry and then walk around the island.
What to see
When going to the Magdalen Islands, there are a couple of places to stop by. You can visit La Grave historical site, for cute local shops in buildings dating back to 1760 that were used for fishing purposes back in the days. It is situated on the island of Havre-Aubert.
You can see 3 lighthouses on the islands. One is located on a cliff on the island of Havre-aux-Maisons, one is located in Fatima and one is located in Havre-Aubert.
There are beautiful beaches all over the islands. Check out la Dune du Sud in Havre-aux-Maisons for its red cliffs. Sandy hook in Havre-Aubert. La Martinique is also a beautiful beach and a bay to watch or try kite surfing. In Fatima, there is a great beach at Le Havre du Baleinier with some inflatable games for kids and it is also free. On the island of Grande-Entrée, at the end of the archipelago, there is a great beach that is pretty quiet with nice little cliffs to jump off of.
Where to eat
Some of the top local restaurant are Pizza d’la pointe in Havre-aux-Maisons, Café de la Grave at the historical site, La table des Rois, les Pas Perdus and Quai 360. Prices vary from one restaurant to the other.
What to do
If you’re a fan of water sports and you are willing to try kite surfing, you are in the right place. The Magdalen Islands are known for kite surfing because it is very windy! There are plenty of schools to take a class or rent out some equipment.
You can also rent out some kayaks or some Stand-Up Paddleboards to wander around the coast. You can also go fishing.
There are many museums all over the islands. There are lots of trails around the island as well. If you’re a golfer, there are some golf courses on the islands. You can do some harp seal watching, some surfing, horseback riding, windsurfing, do some birdwatching, and lay on the beach… The possibilities are endless.
Whether you are looking to do a chill vacation laying on the beach or you are looking for an adventurous vacation with hiking and sports, you will find what you are looking for at the Magdalen Islands. The scenery is beautiful, you get to witness the sunrise in the morning on the beach and you can also be very active with all the sport you can practise.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. I would never recommend anything I don’t personally love and use!
Let’s keep the wanderlust going for the Magdalen Islands!
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