Iles-de-la-Madeleine Travel Guide

Welcome to Iles-de-la-Madeleine!

The Îles de la Madeleine (Magdalen Islands) are a special part of Canada's landscape and history, inhabited since 1755 by French-speaking Acadians who escaped British expulsion from the Maritime provinces. Located northeast of Prince Edward Island, the islands are nonetheless considered part of Quebec, but have some of the province's oldest English-speaking settlements at Old Harry, Grosse-Île and Île d'Entrée. Several settlers are survivors of the more than 500 shipwrecks that have occurred in the dangerous currents surrounding the islands, disasters curbed by the placement of several lighthouses that remain today.

Formed from molten rock that escaped from middle earth, the islands are the visible peaks of a deep underwater ridge that connects each one except the Île d'Entrée by wind-swept dunes and sandy beaches. Hilly landscapes are dotted with colourful houses, eclectic shops, interpretive centres and historic villages. Dine on delectable cuisine fresh from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, stroll through acres of parkland and splash in the waters of the Îles de la Madeleine, Canada's exceptional island enclave.