Madeleine-Magdalen Islands Cap-aux Meules, Quebec Canada
89
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Crystal Cruises (12 Cruises)
Holland America Line (6 Cruises)
Seabourn Cruise Line (12 Cruises)
Seabourn Quest
10 Cruises
| 28 August | 38 days | One-way from Copenhagen to Montreal |
| 28 August | 37 days | One-way from Copenhagen to Montreal |
Windstar Cruises (20 Cruises)
Star Pride
20 Cruises
| 31 August | 25 days | One-way from Reykjavik to Montreal |
| 31 August | 26 days | One-way from Reykjavik to Montreal |
Frequently Asked Questions
At Cap-aux-Meules, at the centre of the archipelago. The wharf opens straight onto Chemin du Quai and its shops, a few minutes' walk from the gangway.
Cap-aux-Meules, yes: shops, artisans and bakeries are all walkable, and the nearby shoreline already offers fine views. The other islands — Havre-Aubert, Havre aux Maisons — need a vehicle or an excursion.
The historic site of La Grave on Havre-Aubert and the Fumoir d'Antan on Havre aux Maisons make the classic pairing. Save time for a red cliff and a beach: that is what defines the archipelago.
The islands' first fishing settlement, on a shingle spit between sea and bay. The old grey-wood stores and salting sheds now hold craft studios, galleries and cafés, including the Café de la Grave where Madelinots have gathered for decades.
A family smokehouse on Havre aux Maisons that keeps alive herring smoking, the trade that once supported the whole archipelago. The visit ends with a tasting, and smoked herring, mackerel or scallops travel easily in a suitcase.
They are red sandstone, carved by wind and sea into arches and caves. The contrast with green hills, marram-crowned dunes and tea-coloured lagoons is the archipelago's visual signature.
Among the longest in Quebec: kilometres of sand where you often walk alone, even in summer. The ever-present wind has also made the lagoons a noted playground for kitesurfing.
Madelinot lobster, caught in spring, served in a roll or plain; cheeses from Fromagerie du Pied-De-Vent; beer from the À l'abri de la Tempête microbrewery; and pot-en-pot, the traditional seafood pie.
French, with a singing accent that carries two and a half centuries of Acadian history. A small English-speaking community lives on the eastern islands, but the archipelago is overwhelmingly francophone.
The knolls along Chemin des Échoueries and the Borgot lighthouse, a red and white sentinel above the Étang-du-Nord cliffs. Late in the day, sunsets can be watched from any west-facing headland.
