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The archipelago of the Iles-de-la-Madeleine (Magdalen Islands), in the middle of the Gulf of St Lawrence some 200km southeast of the Gaspe Peninsula and 100km east of Prince Edward Island, consists of twelve main islands, seven of which are inhabited. Six of these are connected by narrow sand spits and crossed by paved and gravel roads, while the last is only accessible by boat. Together these dozen islands form a crescent-shaped series of dunes, lagoons and low rocky outcrops that measures about 80km from end to end, with the main village and ferry port roughly in the middle at Cap-aux-Meules . The islands lie in the Gulf Stream, which makes the winters warmer than those of mainland Quebec, but they are subject to almost constant winds, which have eroded the red-sandstone cliffs along parts of the shoreline into an extraordinary array of arches, caves and tunnels. These rock formations , the archipelago's most distinctive attraction, are at their best on the central Ile du Cap-aux-Meules and the adjacent Ile du Havre-aux-Maisons . In 1534, Jacques Cartier stumbled across the Iles-de-la-Madeleine on his way west to the St Lawrence River. Cartier, always keen to impress his sponsors with the value of his discoveries, wrote with characteristic exaggeration, "The islands are full of beautiful trees, prairies, fields of wild wheat, and flowering pea plants as beautiful as I've ever seen in Brittany." Despite Cartier's eulogy, the islands attracted hardly any settlers until the Deportations of 1755, when a few Acadian families escaped here to establish a mixed farming and fishing community. Remote and isolated, the Madelinots , as the islanders came to be known, were unable to control their own economic fortunes, selling their fish at absurdly low prices to a series of powerful merchants who, in turn, sold them tackle and equipment at exorbitant rates. The most notorious of these men was Isaac Coffin , who was granted the land in 1798 by the British Crown in return for services rendered during the American Civil War. Coffin developed a classically colonial form of oppression by forcing most of the islanders to pay him rent for their lands. Only in 1895 did a provincial statute allow the Madelinots to buy them back, and the province of Quebec purchased the islands outright in 1958. Today the 15,000 inhabitants are largely dependent on fishing in general and the lobster catch in particular. Herring, mackerel, scallops and halibut are also mainstays, and most people work at local companies that freeze, can, smoke, ship or market the catch. Until recently, when international pressure brought it to an end, the annual seal hunt supported many islanders (in March, the seals can be easily spotted on the ice floes). Other sectors of the fishery are now suffering because of fish-stock depletion, and the community's future livelihood revolves around tourism. Many residents worry about preserving their way of life and the fragile ecology of their beautiful islands. Tourists come to the archipelago for its wide-open landscapes and sense of isolation - it's easy to find a dune-laden beach where you can be alone with the sea. Bear in mind, though, that throughout the islands powerful currents and changeable weather conditions can make sea bathing dangerous, and the waters are occasionally home to stinging jellyfish. With only fourteen inns , motels and hotels on the Magdalens, it's a good idea to book a bed before you fly or sail here. The tourist office at Cap-aux-Meules also has details on the islands' many B&B addresses, and on cottage and apartment rentals, starting at roughly $250 per week. It is also possible to camp just about anywhere - though make sure you ask permission first.
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